Dubai: The Dubai International Holy Quran Award will host 75 contestants this year, with the event set to start on Ramadan 8 following a series of lectures starting on the first day of Ramadan.
The committee of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) has so far approved the participation of 75 countries for this year's competition, which is 10 contestants fewer than last year.
Lectures
The award, in its 14th session, is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The lectures and the competition will be held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Many of the aspiring young contestants — the youngest this year is a 10-year-old Rwandan contestant, come from poor backgrounds, but from an environment that gives an importance to culture and religion in their daily lives.
For them, learning and memorising the Quran earns them a high status in their community, said Ebrahim Mohammad Bu Melha, Chairman of DIHQA's Organising Committee.
The competition will also be covered by numerous international TV channels, said Bu Melha.
The women's association in Al Hamriya and a public tent in Jumeirah will host a number of lectures from the first of Ramadan until September 11.
The lecturers include prominent figures in the Arab and Islamic world such as world-famous Egyptian preacher Dr Omar Abdul Kafi, Dr Mohammad Al Nabulsi, and Dr Yousuf Juma Salama, preacher at the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Quran award started in 1997 (1418 Hijri) with only two elements: the competition and the Islamic Personality of the Year award. Today it has six additional sections: a local Quran contestant, a programme on memorising the Quran for prisoners, Islamic lectures, a UAE national programme, a recitation contest and Quran sciences programme.
Personality of the year
The international contest is set to begin on August 19. Five Islamic scholars in Sharia studies and Quranic sciences and readings from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the United States will be judging the contestants this year.
Contestants should be able to completely memorise the Quran and have full knowledge of Quran recitation.
The Islamic Personality of the Year will be announced during the competition. The winner gets an award of Dh1 million for his contribution and achievements in the Islamic world. The first three winners of the Quran recitation receive Dh250,000, Dh200,000 and Dh150,000. The fourth to tenth positions receive Dh65,000, Dh60,000, Dh55,000, Dh50,000, Dh45,000, Dh40,000 and Dh35,000.
Meanwhile, winners below the tenth position will be rewarded according to their evaluations as those above 80 per cent are rewarded Dh30,000 each, from 70 to 79 per cent receive Dh25,000 each and below 70 per cent get Dh20,000 each.
