Today, the Public Foundation for the Cultural Village, Katara, announced the start of broadcasting the episodes of the Katara Prize for Holy Quran Recitation, in its sixth session 2023, on Qatar TV, throughout the blessed month of Ramadan.
It is scheduled to broadcast the first qualifying episodes for 100 finalists, in 20 episodes, with five contestants in each episode, from whom one winner is chosen. In the semi-final qualifiers, 20 contestants will compete, in addition to five reserve contestants, over the course of five episodes, of which five will qualify. contestants, provided that the final episode, through which the first three places are determined, will be broadcast on the 26th of the holy month of Ramadan.
And the 100 finalists selected by the screening committee out of 1273 participants, representing 13 Arab countries and 18 non-Arab countries, where 58 participants from Arab countries qualified, including 20 competitors from the Maghreb, 17 competitors from the Levant and Iraq, 17 competitors from Egypt and Sudan, and 4 Competitors from the Arab Gulf countries, while the number of qualified from non-Arab countries reached about 42 competitors.
The finalists for the Katara Award for Quran Recitation in its three stages expressed their pleasure at qualifying for the preliminary qualifying stage, which includes 100 contestants, and described the award as one of the most powerful international competitions due to its inclusion of a large number of participants from different countries of the world. In this regard, Mustafa Halimi from Afghanistan expressed his praise for the organizers of this award, which was distinguished by the diversity of its participants from all countries of the Arab and Islamic world.
He pointed out that his journey with the Qur’an began since he was eight years old, and he hopes to be among the first three winners of this internationally reputed award. In turn, the contestant, Abdullah Muhammad Al-Daghri, from Morocco, expressed his confidence that winning in such international competitions depends on God’s success, and not just preparation. He added, however, saying: I benefited from my previous participation in this award from the observations of the jury, and a person must benefit from His past mistakes and accumulates his experiences, stressing that being selected among the best hundred participants is in itself an achievement that is a source of pride and honor.
At the end of his speech, he expressed his thanks and gratitude to the General Foundation for the Cultural Village, Katara, and in particular the committee supervising the recitation award for their efforts to serve the Book of God and the people of the Qur’an. For his part, contestant Ahmad Safi al-Halabi from Syria expressed his happiness at participating in this distinguished competition that brings together the finest youth of this nation who were occupied by God Almighty with His Book. He expressed his thanks to the Katara Cultural Village, to those in charge of the recitation award, its supporters, its arbitration committees, and everyone who had a hand in this competition.
The contestant, Mohamed Abdel Hamid, from Egypt, who holds a degree in pharmacy, said:" I started memorizing the Noble Qur’an at the age of nine, and completed memorization at the age of 13. I obtained certification from well-known sheikhs in reading Hafs.". Rafiullah Yousefi from Pakistan said that his presence among participants from all Arab and Islamic countries is a great honor, because they are all honorable readers, indicating that his relationship with the Qur’an began at the age of seven.
It is worth noting that the value of the prizes for the Katara Quran Recitation Award amounts to 900,000 Qatari riyals, with the first-place winner receiving 500,000 Qatari riyals, the second-place winner receiving 300,000 riyals, and the third-place winner receiving 100,000 riyals. The Katara Award for Quran Recitation aims to encourage distinguished talents in reciting the Holy Qur’an, discover talented people, support them and present them to the world, honor distinguished and creative reciters, motivate young generations to adhere to their religion, and realize their duties towards their Islamic faith and message, and seek to encourage Muslim children to turn to the Book of God. – Glory be to Him – understanding, performance and reflection.
