‘Orderly and Professional’: Iranian Arbiter Praises 2025 Malaysia Int’l Quran Contest
For the first time in nearly two decades, an Iranian Quran specialist was invited to join the jury of Malaysia’s international Quran competition. Gholam Reza Shahmiveh, a veteran teacher and judge, served on the panel of the 65th edition of the International Quran Reciters’ Assembly (MTHQA), held from 2 to 9 August in Kuala Lumpur.
“Malaysia has been holding Quran competitions since 1960, and with such history it can be said the idea of international Quran contests was born there,” Shahmiveh told IQNA in an interview. “Before Malaysia, there was no such competition in the world.”
He noted that the event, now in its 65th year, is staged with a high degree of professionalism. “This competition has become part of Malaysia’s cultural identity. The organizers have learned to hold it in a very orderly and structured way,” he said.
Read More:
Shahmiveh also highlighted two key features that distinguish the Malaysian format. “Every reciter must perform in four maqamat, each with four segments, and the recitation must not exceed ten minutes. This is different from the Iranian system, where limitations apply to text rather than time, and variety is emphasized instead of fixed maqamat.”
“We must respect all approaches and train reciters who can meet the expectations of different competitions worldwide,” he said.
Asked about the level of participants, he acknowledged that while performances varied, the top-ranking reciters demonstrated exceptional talent. “As in other competitions, some participants are weaker … but if you look at the first to sixth place winners, you will find very strong reciters.”
This year’s MTHQA brought together 71 contestants from 49 countries, making it one of the most prestigious international events in Quran recitation and memorization.
At the closing ceremony on August 9, Malaysian qari Aiman Ridhwan Mohamad Ramlan and qariah Wan Sofea Aini Wan Mohd Zahidi won first place in the recitation categories.
Read More:
Shahmiveh, who has decades of experience teaching and judging Quran competitions, said Malaysia’s model could serve as a reference point for other countries.
“We should not say one method is right and the other wrong. Instead, we must learn from them to better prepare our own reciters for the global stage,” he added.
Mohsen Qassemi represented Iran in the recitation category of the event but failed to achieve a rank.
4300048
