Doha, Qatar: A total of 1,073 Qatari men and women are competing in the five-category Quran memorisation contest under the 31st edition of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Holy Quran Competition, which began on Saturday.
Organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, the Quran Categories branch provides participants with an opportunity to compete according to their memorisation levels and encourages them to continue their journey towards memorising the entire Holy Quran.
The four-day competitions will continue until November 3, with 454 male and 619 female participants taking part. Male contestants are undergoing examinations at Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque, while female participants are being tested at the Women’s Activity Centre of the Department of Da’wah and Religious Guidance in Al Waab.
The five categories cover memorisation of five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 parts of the Holy Quran, allowing participants to compete according to their level and progress to higher categories in subsequent editions. Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee of the competition Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, said the branch represents a national pathway for preparing Quran memorisers and nurturing Qatari talent.
He explained that the initiative goes beyond competition and winning prizes, providing an environment that encourages participants to improve their memorisation and achieve greater mastery. Contestants can begin at a level matching their existing memorisation and gradually increase their portions each year until they complete the entire Quran.
The regulations also allow winners of previous editions to participate in higher categories. Sheikh Abdulrahman noted that several participants had completed memorisation of the entire Quran through this progressive approach and moved on to compete in the full Quran category. Others have developed their abilities to represent Qatar in regional and international Quranic competitions. He added that the initiative also helps prepare qualified Qatari citizens for work as mosque imams, strengthening national participation in serving the country’s mosques. Sheikh Abdulrahman said 16 judging panels have been assigned to oversee the examinations, comprising eight panels for men and eight for women.
