Doha: The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs honored Tuesday the winners of the top five places for males in the three categories (citizens, elite memorizers, general memorizers) in the full Holy Quran branch of the 30th Sheikh Jassim bin Muhammad bin Thani Noble Qur'an Competition, at a ceremony held at the Sheraton Doha Hotel.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs HE Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem, a group of scholars, preachers and reciters, a number of officials from state institutions and its scientific and educational sectors, and a group of state guests, including: HE Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Moscow International Holy Quran Competition Shaikh Dr. Rushan Abbyasov, HE Grand Mufti of the Republic of Slovenia Shaikh Nevzet Poric, HE Grand Mufti of the Republic of Croatia Shaikh Aziz Hasanovic.
On this occasion, chairperson of the organizing committee of the Sheikh Jassim bin Muhammad bin Thani Noble Quran Competition, Malallah Abdulrahman Al Jaber said that the competition represents one of the most prominent Quranic platforms in the Islamic world, thanks to the continuous support and care of the wise leadership, and the great interest of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.
He noted that the competition, which was launched for the first time in 1993, has established its presence during the past three decades as one of the oldest Quranic competitions, the most diverse in branches, and the highest in terms of the value of the prizes.
Al Jaber indicated that the launch of the competition came in commemoration of the approach of the founder of the state, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani and his keenness to spread knowledge and enhance the status of the Holy Quran among members of society.
He explained that the closing ceremony comes as a culmination of the efforts of hundreds of participants from citizens and residents in various branches, from memorizing the entire Holy Quran, to the branches of partial memorization, which witnessed this year a wide participation of male and female students.
He noted that the number of applicants in the current edition exceeded 2,450 male and female contestants, including about 800 participants from citizens.
He pointed out that the competition witnessed this year a number of administrative and organizational amendments, including the complete separation of the male and female judging committees, in addition to allocating five independent centers for the winning female contestants in the three categories with the same value of the prizes allocated to men, in addition to increasing the value of the rewards allocated to the skilled male and female contestants who did not obtain one of the five winning positions in the competition.
He added that the 29th edition also witnessed the launch of the "Rattel Branch" dedicated to male and female high school students in public and private schools, which was held in October with the aim of promoting love for the Holy Quran and consolidating moral and religious values in the hearts of students.
Al Jaber emphasized that the competition is witnessing increasing global expansion, as the organizing committee contributed during the current year to supporting a number of Quranic competitions outside the country, including the Russian Federation's Holy Quran Competition, the European International Competition in Croatia, and the Holy Quran Competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the framework of the State of Qatar's role in serving the Holy Quran and promoting cultural and religious communication between peoples.
The chairperson of the organizing committee noted the great support given by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs to this competition, which contributed to enhancing the quality of the competition and developing its mechanisms and outputs.
Al Jaber praised the efforts of all parties, members of the judging committees, organizing committees, and media institutions supporting the competition, stressing that the continuation of this effort contributes to preparing a generation that memorizes Quran and is capable of serving society in accordance with the tolerant values of Islam.
The ceremony featured a visual presentation, which traced the evolution of the Sheikh Jassim Holy Quran Competition, regarded today as one of the largest and most diversified Quranic contests worldwide.
Over three decades rich with achievements, the competition has steadily expanded its branches to include a wide array of national and international categories, accompanied by continuous enhancements to its technical and administrative systems.
This long journey has transformed the competition into a significant platform for nurturing Qatari youth in the memorization of the Holy Quran and has produced distinguished examples of proficient memorizers, preachers, and imams who now lead prayers and sermons across the country's mosques.
The competition has embraced participants from all age groups and backgrounds, males and females, beginners and advanced memorizers, specialists and the general public, those who have memorized the entire Quran or portions of it, Arabic speakers and non-Arabic speakers, and even new converts to Islam. It has also welcomed participation from schools, institutions, public bodies, and the private sector.
The presentation further highlighted the launch of the encyclopedia of Quranic readings and sciences by Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Aissa El Masarawi, former Grand Sheikh of the Egyptian Qira'at and Chairman of the Supreme Judging Committee.
The encyclopedia was released electronically through IslamWeb and the competition's website, in recognition of Dr. El Masarawi's longstanding role in judging the competition since its early years and his efforts in establishing precise and rigorous standards that elevated the competition into a model of excellence.
The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs has given remarkable attention to the spread of Quranic learning circles across the country.
These circles have continued to bear fruit, with thousands of students of various ages and nationalities joining them, helping shape a Quranic generation that the State hopes will serve as a source of strength for Qatar and the wider Muslim community.
The presentation also detailed the organizing committee's careful selection of the judging panels, choosing distinguished imams with proven expertise in Quranic evaluation.
These judges assessed contestants thoroughly through the first and second stages in terms of memorization, performance, and tajwid. Winners received substantial financial rewards, while those who passed the second stage without advancing to the final round were granted encouragement prizes. Additional financial awards were dedicated to participants known for their beautiful recitation voices.
In the closing moments of the ceremony, HE the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs honored members of the Supreme Judging Committee, the winners, and the media organizations that covered the event. The top five winners in the citizens' category for full Quran memorization were announced, with Abdulaziz Abdullah Ali Al Hamri securing first place and a prize of 100,000 Qatari riyals. Ibrahim Mohammed Hashem Al Mashhadani came in second with an 85,000-riyal prize, followed by Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrahim Al Haram in third place with 70,000 riyals.
Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed Buleidah received the fourth-place award of 60,000 riyals, while Hamad Abdullah Tayis Al Jumaili came fifth with 50,000 riyals.
In the elite memorizers' category for full Quran memorization, the United States' Hamza Al Habashi claimed first place with a prize of 100,000 riyals.
Yemen's Mohammed Abdu Ahmed Qasim took second place with 85,000 riyals, and Tunisia's Rasheed Abdulrahman Al Alani finished third with a 70,000-riyal award.
The fourth-place prize of 60,000 riyals went to Mahmoud Suleiman Al-Mabruk Idris from Libya, while Egyptian contestant Magdy Abdullah Salem Ahmed earned the fifth-place prize of 50,000 riyals.
In the general memorizers' category, Nasser Nahed Deeb from the United States achieved first place with a 100,000-riyal award.
Khalid Hafiz Mohammed Fakhrul Huda from Bangladesh followed in second with 85,000 riyals, and his compatriot Saad Abdul-Sattar Abu Saeed secured third place with 70,000 riyals.
Abdulaziz Fahad Mohammed Al Hawsali from Yemen placed fourth with 60,000 riyals, while Bangladesh's Ismail Hafiz Mohammed Elias finished fifth with a 50,000-riyal prize.
The final stage of the competition was held publicly on Saturday and Sunday at Imam Muhammad ibn Abdulwahhab Mosque, where fifteen contestants, representing the citizens' category, the general memorizers' category, and the elite category, competed before the International Supreme Judging Committee.
This distinguished panel, composed of renowned Quranic scholars from across the Muslim world, evaluated all finalists to determine the top five winners and award the highest honors of the competition.
