Dubai: In a rhapsody of melodic performances that saw the end of the 21st edition of the Dubai International Quran Award (DIHQA) with the beautiful voice contest, American contestant Huzaifa Siddiqui pipped nine others to win the top prize.
The 20-year-old US national, who grabbed the third place at the Toronto Quran Competition last year, left the audience mesmerised with the soothing rendition from the passages of the Quran on Tuesday.
His crisp voice and amazing modulation as well as great command over the rules of recitation gave him a narrow lead over the others who also performed to a high standard.
Siddiqui, who performed on Friday as part of the main competition, is also among the top contenders for the overall prize.
Following Siddiqui in a close contest was 17-year-old Algerian contestant Yousuf Hamame, who bagged the second prize in the best voice category.
Hamame, who has participated in several international competitions, gave another flawless performance, following his top effort last week in the main contest.
The Algerian boy who completed memorising the Quran at the age of nine said that taking part in such a prestigious competition in itself is a dream come true, and winning a prize is a bonus.
Hamame, who inspired the audience with his beautiful recitation, said that DIHQA has become a key milestone for Quran memorisers thanks to the high quality of the competition.
“Dubai Quran competition is one of the highest platforms to perform, and I am so happy to be here. Meeting and interacting with so many competitors from across the world is a great learning experience,” said Hamame who wants to grow up as an Islamic scholar as well a surgeon.
The third prize in the beautiful voice contest went to Moroccan Salah Al Deen Harraoui, who began memorising the Quran at the age of four.
The 21-year-old Sharia student at the Judge Eyadh University comes from a family of Quran memorisers with his five siblings also having completed memorising the holy book.
“I was only four when I started memorising the Quran with the help of my father who used to encourage me to have this honour. He always gave me gifts and toys, and permitted me to play as much as I want on condition that I kept memorising the Quran,” said Harraoui.
He said that his feat has given him an honour that has helped him become stress-free, more focused, and academically brilliant.
“I gain my happiness and peace of mind by reciting the Quran and it has brought me a lot of love and respect from people as well. I am glad of my performance and winning the third prize is an achievement in this tough competition,” added Harraoui.
Mohammad Tariq Al Islam from Bangladesh and Abdul Aziz Al Obaidan from Saudi Arabia, who are among the favourites to win the top prize to be announced on Thursday evening, bagged the fourth and fifth prizes, respectively, in the best voice contest.
