Asyut’s Sana Muhammad Shakir Achieves Top Marks in Al-Azhar Preparatory Certificate

Sana Muhammad Shakir Abd El-Hafiz.

A phone call marked a memorable moment for the family of Sana Muhammad Shakir Abd El-Hafiz, a student at the Hussein Rushdi Institute for Girls in Asyut. The news came from Dr. Ali Mahmoud Mohamed, the head of the Central Administration for Al-Azhar in Asyut, announcing that Sana secured the top position in the Al-Azhar preparatory certificate for the academic year 2025/2026 across the governorate.

Initially, her mother struggled to believe the news before tears of joy filled her eyes and celebrations erupted in their home. Sana received the announcement with calmness, attributing her success to her faith and support from her family and teachers, stating: “Everything is thanks to God, then my family, and also my teachers.”.

Sana’s journey to success was not merely about achieving high grades; it conveyed a message that reaching the top does not require exhausting all-nighters or endless hours of study without focus. Instead, it requires effective time management and dedication to one’s efforts.

Sana remarked, “You don’t need to study for 24 hours; no one does that. If you study for an hour or two with concentration, you will benefit significantly. The key is to organize your time between studying, praying, and memorizing the Quran.”.

Despite the diverse subjects she faced in Al-Azhar’s curriculum—ranging from religious studies to cultural subjects—she approached them with calmness and confidence, supported by her daily habit of memorizing and reviewing the Quran.

She added: “Memorizing the Quran is essential because it brings peace and focus. I naturally divided my day; I would study for two hours attentively while helping my family with household chores and spending time with them.”.

Her family played a vital role in this success story. They not only encouraged her but also established clear rules regarding smartphone usage and video games to maintain their children’s focus amidst daily technological distractions.

Dr. Susan, Sana’s mother, emphasized the importance of monitoring children during their educational stages: “Every child has a mobile phone now. Once I checked on her at 2 AM on exam night and found her on her phone. I told her: No! We need to study and stay focused. A student’s connection with God and maintaining prayer is more important than anything else.”.

The mother believes that while entertainment is not inherently bad, it should be approached with moderation and awareness: “It’s fine for someone to enjoy themselves but through beneficial activities and within limits.”.

What sets Sana apart is her decision to forego private tutoring, relying instead on what she learned at school while benefiting from support provided by her teachers and educational platforms offered by Al-Azhar as part of their initiative “Together We Learn.”.

When faced with challenges in certain subjects, she sought help from her teachers instead of succumbing to fear. She reviewed training models and practiced exams until she overcame any apprehension about making mistakes.

Sana also took inspiration from her older sister, who was once among the top students at the institute, using this as motivation to follow a similar path while aiming higher—to complete memorizing the Quran. With a smile reflecting her ambitions, she expressed: “God willing, I will enter Al-Azhar secondary school; my dream is to enroll in medical college specializing in surgery just like my brother.”.

Dr. Ali Mahmoud Mohamed affirmed that Sana’s achievement serves as a beacon of hope for other students, illustrating that excellence is attainable.

He stated: “Achieving distinction is not impossible. This year has seen exceptional performance levels; we even faced difficulties ranking students due to closely matched scores—reflecting the effort invested within Al-Azhar’s educational sector.”.

He added that Al-Azhar is continuously evolving its curricula and teaching methodologies to balance religious sciences with cultural knowledge: “Al-Azhar embodies both worldly knowledge and faith; Al-Azhar subjects are no longer perceived as burdensome by students but have become more appealing following recent development efforts.”.

In his message to high achievers, he concluded: “Excellence is an important step; however, maintaining it is more challenging and requires further effort, discipline, and effective time management.”.

Ultimately, Sana’s family attributes this success not solely to intelligence or costly tutoring but rather a simple formula combining Quranic blessings, familial support, student diligence, and belief that big dreams start with small steady steps.

Sana Muhammad Shakir Abd El-Hafiz has thus etched her name among the top achievers—not only as first in Asyut’s Al-Azhar preparatory certificate but also as an inspiring model for a generation seeking its path toward success.