Malaysian Qari Aiman Ridhwan Wins Pakistan’s Inaugural Int’l Quran Competition
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar presented the top prize — a cash award of five million rupees — to Aiman during the concluding ceremony on Saturday, alongside second-place holder Iran’s Adnan Momenin and third-place finisher Pakistan’s Qari Abdul Rasheed.
More than 37 countries participated in the event, bringing together leading Qaris under the auspices of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs.
The competition was held from November 24 to 29 in Islamabad, and the awards were distributed at the Jinnah Convention Center.
For Aiman, the victory adds to a string of international successes. Earlier in 2025, he won the men’s Qari title at the 65th International Al-Quran Recitation and Memorisation Assembly (MTHQA) in Kuala Lumpur.
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The second-place reciter, Adnan Momeninkhamiseh of Iran, and the third-place Qari Abdul Rasheed also earned prizes of 3 million and 2 million rupees respectively.
In addition to the top three, contestants from Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Morocco secured the fourth through sixth positions.
At the closing ceremony, Ishaq Dar and Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf joined Qari Syed Sadaqat Ali — the event’s chief judge and coordinator — in congratulating the winners.
The competition is seen as a milestone in Pakistan’s religious and cultural diplomacy, showcasing its commitment to promoting the art of Quran recitation.
The event is aimed to encourage young Muslims worldwide to deepen their connection to the Quran through tajwīd, tarannum and Qira’at arts.
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This year’s competition featured reciters from OIC member countries, marking Pakistan’s largest international Quran recitation gathering to date.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Ishaq Dar encouraged organizers to expand the event further, suggesting that “next time Qaris from across the world be invited to participate.”
He also announced that the competition would become an annual international feature hosted in Islamabad.
Source: Agencies
