“I am happy to have won the contest because women like me often simply take care of their families at home,” she told Anadolu Agency.
As the winner, Hassan – one of 78 contestants – will have the privilege of going to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on a pilgrimage funded by the Congolese Islamic Community (COMICO).
Kurishidah Rashidi, 41, who won second prize, will take home $400 and a copy of the Holy Quran.
The competition is not only about Quran recitation, but also focuses on basic knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.
Other runners-up received hejabs, bags, Qurans and small sums of money.
“These prizes are meant to reward good learning of the Holy Quran despite the difficulties with which these women must contend,” COMICO representative Imam Sheikh Al-hadji Ali Amin said.
“Some of them are married and have many domestic responsibilities, yet they were able to find the time to study during the Holy month [of Ramadan],” he said.