Doha, Qatar: The third edition of Qatar’s international Quran competition, ‘Awwal Al-Awael’, will begin its first stage today, November 9, bringing together 42 contestants representing 19 countries to compete for the title of the best among the best Quran memorisers.
Organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, the competition is the international branch of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Holy Quran Competition.
It brings together outstanding Quran memorisers who have previously secured first place in international Quran competitions or in the full Quran memorisation category of the Sheikh Jassim competition during the three years preceding the current edition.
The in-person contests are being held at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha before an international panel of judges comprising prominent scholars specialising in Quranic readings and Tajweed.
Ahead of the tests, the organising committee met the contestants on yesterday evening and conducted a draw to determine the order of their participation in the first stage, marking the transition of the competition to its in-person rounds in Doha.
Reflecting its name and concept, ‘Awwal Al-Awael’ (First Among the Best) brings together previous first-place winners to compete against one another in a high-level test of memorisation, mastery and recitation, with one contestant ultimately crowned the best among the best.
The 42 contestants qualified following preliminary rounds that initially attracted 98 applicants from 35 countries. Of these, 82 contestants representing 33 countries participated in the preliminary assessments, from which 42 participants from 19 countries advanced to the Doha stage.
The third edition introduced an updated competition mechanism, with preliminary assessments conducted remotely through video conferencing technology. Qatar’s diplomatic missions abroad also provided logistical and technical support to facilitate the participation of contestants in the qualifying rounds.
The contestants are undergoing rigorous assessments covering memorisation of the entire Holy Quran, proper recitation and application of Tajweed rules, as well as knowledge of Quranic vocabulary based on the reference book ‘Al-Siraj fi Bayan Gharib Al-Quran’.
The judging criteria include accuracy of memorisation, knowledge of Quranic meanings, quality of recitation, application of Tajweed rules and vocal excellence, making the competition a comprehensive test of the participants’ Quranic knowledge and abilities.
The first-stage tests will continue until November 14, with results scheduled to be announced on November 15.
A draw for the final stage will also take place on the same day. The 10 qualifiers will compete in the final rounds on November 16 and 17, ahead of the closing ceremony on November 19, when the overall winner will receive the grand prize of QR1m.
