International Hashemite competition for memorisation of Holy Koran annouces winners

AMMAN — On behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Feisal attended on Saturday the closing ceremony of the 31st session of the International Hashemite Competition to Memorise and Recite the Holy Koran.

During a ceremony held at the Islamic Cultural Centre at the King Abdullah I Mosque, Prince Feisal distributed certificates and prizes to 36 local winners and 6 international contestants, in addition to honouring the chairman and members of the jury of the competition, which included 49 international contestants from 48 Arab and Islamic countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Annually organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs under the Royal Patronage, the International Hashemite Competition to Memorise and Recite the Holy Koran was inaugurated in 1993. Over the years,it has drawn participation frommore than 100,000 contestants, with 2,200 emerging as winners since its inception.

Mohammad Khalaileh, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, highlighted the 31-year legacy of this competition, emphasising Jordan’s pioneering roleas one of the first countries to host an international Koranmemorisation and recitation competition.

Laith Kindi from Oman came first in the competition, followed by Zeyad Habish from Libya, who secured second place, while Mohammed Ansari from India came third. Azaddin Khedr of Ethiopia secured fourth place, and Mohammed Jambu of Cameroon came in fifth. Additionally, Abdul Qadir Musa of Ghana was awarded the prize for the youngest participant.

In the local competition for the first branch (memorising the entire Koran), Zeyad Tawalbeh and Imran Abu Aliqa shared first place, followed by Abdul Karim Khateeb in third, Abdul Qadir Isriweh in fourth and Abdul Rahman Amro in fifth.

Also on Friday, on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah, Prince Feisal attended the sessions of the 115th Hashemite Scientific Council, the fourth this year, under the theme “Reviving the Religious Sciences of Imam Al Ghazali”. 

The event, which concludes the annual Hashemite Scientific Councils organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs under royal patronage during the holy month of Ramadan, was held at the Islamic Cultural Centre, affiliated with the mosque of the late King Abdullah I, Petra reported.

The speakers at the council, including Muslim scholars and Islamic law professors from Jordan and other Muslim countries, shed light on Imam Al Ghazali’s journey to Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque, where he sought to learn a science beyond books. They also provided insights into the life and teachings of the Islamic scholar Imam Al Ghazali.