Main Stage of Dubai Int’l Quran Contest Begins Friday
One of the biggest competitions of its kind, in terms of prize money and participation, DIHQA has inspired hundreds of youngsters to take up memorization of the Quran, particularly in African countries, where the competition is very popular.
Spreading its reach further every passing year, the competition this year will have representation from 100 countries, up from 82 last year.
A brainchild of the Ruler of Dubai, the award was established in order to encourage young Muslims to memorize and understand the Quran, and to spread the Quranic values of peace and love.
The competition involves reciting eloquently the passages of the Quran from memory, with each contestant having to recite from five different passages randomly chosen by a computer software. It also has a segment for the most beautiful recitation.
"Participants need to perfectly memorize and eloquently recite the Quran in full, and should not be over 25 years old at the time of the contest, which sees stiff competition between participants from all over the globe,” said Ahmad Al Zahid, member of the organizing committee and head of DIHQA’s media unit, Gnews reported.
He added that the organizers had invited over 120 Islamic countries and foreign Islamic communities in Europe, America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to participate in the award this year, with 100 countries agreeing to participate.
Participants from Saudi Arabia have won the competition for the last two years in a row, with Turki Bin Muqrin winning the 20th award last year, winning a prize money of Dh250,000.
The second and third prize winners walk away with Dh200,000 and Dh150,000, respectively.
Another important segment of DIHQA is the Islamic Personality of Year Award, the candidate for which has not been announced so far this year.
Last year, renowned Emirati Islamic scholar Shaikh Mohammad Ali Sultan Al Ulama won the coveted prize.
A series of lectures on the values of Quran as well as different aspects of Islam also forms a major part of DIHQA. The lectures started on the first day of Ramadan and will last for a week.
The contest will begin on Friday and will last till the 19th of Ramadan, when the award ceremony will take place.
