MAKKAH: Maintaining a faithful prayer life, having good relationships with parents and teachers, and being courteous with friends are among Muhammad Ameer Che Noor Azam’s recipes for success.
The Sekolah Menengah Puchong Utama Satu student scored 9As in the 2023 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. The results were announced yesterday.
Muhammad Ameer, 18, who is among the 31,600 Malaysians in the holy land to perform the haj pilgrimage for 1445H/2024 season, received the good news after performing the Subuh (dawn) prayer with his younger brother, Muhammad Ammar, 17, at the Grand Mosque yesterday.
He then conveyed the news to his parents, Che Noor Azam Osman, 63, and Kamsiah Mohd Kontol, 51, who were in their hotel room in Abraj Al-Janadriyah. The family is in the Holy Land for the haj pilgrimage.
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“Looking at the results for the first time shocked me, but made me really happy because I never scored straight As before.
“It is a great success for me and I thank Allah SWT for accepting my prayers,” he told media personnel when met at the hotel.
The oldest of three siblings, Muhammad Ameer, said he also performed the “tahajud” prayer, a voluntary night prayer that is offered to attain mental strength and peace.
“I also had a flexible study schedule to avoid stress,” he said.
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Muhammad Ameer, who aspires to be a doctor, said he used to neglect his studies and that taught him a lesson.
“I skipped school during the fourth grade, which was during the post Covid-19 period and I did badly in one of the subjects. It hit me really hard and I was determined to change.
“I went to a friend, who is a Chinese student for help. He never tired of teaching me and what motivated me then was that I wanted to be as good as him,” he added.
Muhammad Ameer, who was the head prefect at the school, scored A+ for English, Islamic Education, History, Mathematics and Physics; A for Biology, Chemistry and Additional Mathematics and A- for Bahasa Melayu.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Muhammad Ammar, in Form Five at the same school and will sit for the SPM examination this year, said Muhammad Ameer’s success is a challenge for him and he is determined to also excel in his studies.