Fez – The winners of the 5th edition of the Mohammed VI Foundation competition for African ulema for memorization, recitation and chanting of the Holy Quran, which took place from September 27 to 29 in Fez, were announced on Sunday evening.
Thus, the declaimer Sheikh Niya Abde Daem, from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, won first place in the category of memorization of the entire Holy Quran with the recitation according to the reading Warch an Nafiâ, followed by Al Hassan Ali Makdad, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Oussama Zongo of the Republic of Burkina Faso.
In the category of memorizing the entire holy Quran with recitation of various readings, first place went to candidate Abdul Rahman Yassine, from the Republic of Uganda, followed by Muhammad Ibrahim Ahmed, from the Federal Republic of Somalia and Shuthi Chibl Ibn Chabir, from Mauritius.
Concerning the category of chanting (Tajwid) with memorization of at least 5 Hizbs of the holy Quran, it was the Modi candidate Yuri Martino, from the Republic of Angola, who was crowned, while the second place was won by Muhammad Al Bachir Niang, from the Republic of Senegal, and third place by the declaimer Abdelfattah Ali, from the Republic of South Africa.
Two additional prizes have been reserved by the general secretariat of the Foundation for the youngest participants in the competition, to encourage them and pay tribute to them for the interest they have shown, from a very young age, in memorizing the Holy Book .
The two winners participated in the category of chanting (Tajwid) with memorization of at least 5 Hizbs of the holy Quran.
The youngest participant (14 years old) crowned is Mahabba Mohammed Al Khamis, from the Republic of Ghana, while the youngest participant, aged 7, is the declaimer Hakzimana Yusuf, from the Republic of Burundi.
Speaking on this occasion, the Secretary General of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema, Mohamed Rifki, affirmed that the Foundation, under the wise leadership of its President, Amir Al Mouminine, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, being aware of the importance and sacredness of the memorization of the Koran in the life of Muslim peoples on the African continent, and in consideration of the status of the declaimers of the Holy Book, has surrounded this category with all the solicitude to motivate them and encourage them to redouble their efforts. efforts in memorizing the holy Quran according to the different readings while mastering the rules of recitation and chanting.
Mr. Rifki also praised the high level demonstrated by all the participants in memorizing the holy Quran and knowledge of the rules of recitation and chanting, specifying that this level reflects the considerable efforts of the presidents of the sections of the Foundation and the sheikhs who supervise the Quran memorization centers in the countries of the African continent, as well as the good coordination and fruitful cooperation between all sections and the general secretariat of the Foundation.
He noted that the results of this edition of the competition were “extremely important”, having made it possible to discover a host of declaimers of the Holy Book who have mastered the rules of memorization.
Mr. Rifki also underlined that African declaimers, all ages and sexes combined, demonstrated a high level which allows them to represent the continent with dignity in various international competitions.
For his part, Mr. Hisseni Idriss Moussa, deputy director of the Department of Holy Quran Affairs at the High Council of Islamic Affairs of Chad, praised the important role played by the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in the propagation of spiritual security. and tranquility through its different sections on the African continent and through its activities in the service of the individual and society.
Speaking on behalf of the competition jury, he added that this competition allowed participants to appreciate the interest of Muslims in this institution serving dialogue and coexistence between peoples.
For his part, the general coordinator of the competition, Mohamed Al Maghraoui, noted that the competition took place in a “remarkable” atmosphere which allowed the jury to listen to the participants by videoconference, to follow their readings in good conditions and to evaluate their performance.
He added that the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema congratulates the winners, wishes them every success and promises them support and accompaniment, and announces the upcoming launch of scientific programs and training on the Koran and its sciences.
During this ceremony, certificates were presented to the jury members of the three categories of the competition in recognition of their valuable efforts.
At the end of the competition, the participants implored the Most High to preserve His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Amir Al Mouminine, and to fulfill the Sovereign in the persons of HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and the entire august royal family.
They also prayed for the repose of the souls of the late HM Hassan II and the late HM Mohammed V.
This competition, which took place in a hybrid format, saw the participation of 118 candidates including twelve women, representing 48 sections of the Foundation.
The announcement of the winners of the competition was announced via the Zoom platform by the jury, composed of members representing the Kingdom of Morocco and other African countries.
Through this competition, the Foundation aims to encourage young African Muslims to memorize and recite the Holy Quran.
