18th Dubai International Quran Awards (DIHQA)

[Al Bhatti]

June 25, 2014

87 countries to participate in 18th Quran Award
21-day event to include lectures and Quran recitation contest

The 18th edition of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA), slated to start on Sunday, is to see 87 contestants, the organisers have announced.

The annual event, which involves a series of lectures in various languages as well as the main component of Quran recitation competition, is watched by millions across the world through satellite TV channels.

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 21 day event will end on July 19 with a grand ceremony.

The announcement was made by Ibrahim Bu Melha, Chairman of the organising committee of the DIHQA, in a press conference at the new DIHQA headquarters in Al Mamzar on Wednesday.

“The committee has contacted over 120 countries and communities across the globe, but only 87 countries have confirmed participation so far,” he said.

“Though it is academic examination time for many Quran memorisers, more participants are hopefully expected to confirm attendance in the coming few days,” he added.

The cultural programme is to start on the first day of Ramadan at 10.30pm, following which the main Quran competition begins on Ramadan 7th predicted to fall on July 5.”

Bu Melha said all public lectures and international Quran competition would be held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry whereas the concluding ceremony will be held at the Cultural and Scientific Association building in Mamzar on Ramadan 20.

The lecture programmes will take place at three different areas: the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (for men and women) from June 29 to July 4, Women Renaissance Society (for women only) from June 29 to July 10, and Social Reform Society (open for all communities) from July 9 to July 19.

Bu Melha, who is also an Adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, urged the public to attend the Award activities promising grand gifts.

“A raffle draw on two luxury cars shall be done on Ramadan 9 and Ramadan 18, apart from precious awards distributed at the end of the daily activities as was the case in the last 17 editions of the award,” he said.

Bu Melha said the Award this year is to see the first Emirati arbitrator as part of a five-member jury.

“Shaikh Jassem Al Amiri is one of the fruits of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, who and many others have been trained and sent to other international Quran competitions worldwide to hone their skills,” he noted.

The list of jury includes four other arbitrators from different Arab countries: Dr Khalid Barakat from Lebanon, Shaikh Fouad Kamal Al Hassan from Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Samih Athamneh from Jordan and Shaikh Salah Al Saghir from Egypt.

Meanwhile, the organising committee has prepared a documentary on the 17-year history of the Award.

“The documentary is apart from an advertisement on the award distributed to all local radio stations and TV channels.”

As part of promotional activities a special book documenting the activities of the 17th session of the Award shall be distributed on Ramadan 1.

“A special satellite channel is also to broadcast the Award activities in collaboration with the Dubai Media Incorporated,” he said.

The winner of the prestigious competition walks away with Dh250,000, while the first runner up gets Dh200,000 and second runner up bags Dh150,000.

87 countries to participate in 18th Quran Award | GulfNews.com

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Related thread: 17th Dubai International Quran Awards (DIHQA)

 

[Al Bhatti]

June 29, 2014

Dubai Quran award begins
18th edition of Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) started on Sunday night with lectures

The annual Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) started on Sunday night with Islamic lectures.

The 18th edition features around 87 contestants, from as many countries, who compete in Quran memorisation and recitation contests.

On Monday, DIHQA is also expected to announce its Islamic Personality of the Year award, worth Dh1 million.

The 21-day event includes lectures in Arabic and South East Asian languages, reflecting the major expatriate communities in the UAE, for roughly the first week of DIHQA.

The presentations are followed by the main component of Quran competitions, watched by millions of viewers worldwide on satellite TV channels.

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, DIHQA ends on July 19 with a grand closing ceremony. The lecturers and contests are held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Deira. However, the closing ceremony will take place at the Cultural and Scientific Association building in Al Mamzar.

The announcement was made by Ebrahim Bu Melha, chairman of the organising committee of the DIHQA, last week.

The lectures start at 10.30pm and will take place at three different venues: the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (for men and women) from June 29 to July 4; Women Association Dubai (for women only) from June 29 to July 10, and Social Reform Society (open to all communities) from July 9 to July 19.

Dubai Quran award begins | GulfNews.com

 

[Al Bhatti]

June 30, 2014

Ahmad Mohammad Al Tayyeb

Al Azhar Grand Imam named Islamic Personality of the Year
Dh1m prize to be given to Ahmad Mohammad Al Tayyeb at the end of Dubai International Holy Quran Award

The Islamic Personality of the Year 2014 is Ahmad Mohammad Al Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar religious institution in Egypt, the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) has announced.

The DIHQA organising committee made the announcement on Monday at a press conference at its headquarters in Al Mamzar.

Al Tayyeb, 68, who is also president of Al Azhar University and once served as the Grand Mufti of Egypt, was named Islamic Personality in 2013 as well.

However, he was unable to visit Dubai for the award — worth Dh1 million — due to instability in Egypt at the time.

The 2013 award was subsequently bestowed on Islamic motivational speaker Dr Zakir Naik, from India.

Now, Al Tayyeb is set to receive the award in person on the closing night of DIHQA, around Ramadan 20 (around July 18), in Dubai.

The Islamic Personality of the Year, which can be an institution as well, is selected for his or her exemplary service to Islam and Muslims.

Al Tayyeb is credited as a voice of moderation in the instability that had struck Egypt in recent years, said Ebrahim Bu Melha, head of the organising Committee and cultural adviser to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Bu Melha added that Al Tayyeb has also led by example in accommodating Muslims from all over the world at Al Azhar, even paying their expenses in some cases.

The leading Egyptian scholar, who holds a PhD in Islamic philosophy from Paris-Sorbonne University, has also taught at universities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan. Al Tayyeb was among a number of nominees for the award, which is held in high esteem, said Sami Gargash, member of the organising committee. “It’s very difficult to say sometimes who will be the Personality,” Gargash added.

After nominees are shortlisted by the committee, a final proposal is sent to Shaikh Mohammad. The Islamic Personality is honoured at the closing ceremony of DIHQA that is attended by Shaikh Mohammad or anyone deputed by him.

This will be the 18th year the annual award has been conferred on Islamic personalities and institutions. Previous awardees include the likes of Shaikh Mohammad Al Shirawi, Moulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Shaikh Yousuf Al Qaradawi, as well as Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The two famous institutions awarded so far are Al Azhar University in Egypt and King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex in Saudi Arabia.

Al Azhar Grand Imam named Islamic Personality of the Year | GulfNews.com

 

[Al Bhatti]

7 July 2014

The five-member arbitration committee with chief judge Sheikh Athamneh.

Holy Quran competition gets one more category
12th branch of theDubai International Holy Quran Award comprises recording of tuneful recitations by Emiratis and residents.

While the main Quran competition started on Saturday night, the 11-category Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) saw one more branch.

The 12th section comprises the recording of the tuneful recitations of competent Emirati and resident Quran memorisers, according to Ibrahim bu Melha, Chairman of the organising committee – DIHQA.

“The move is aimed at encouraging Quran memorisers in the UAE to hone their skills in terms of memorisation and recitation and give the chance to exceptional voices.”

The other categories of the iconic Quran Award include the International Holy Quran Contest, the Islamic Personality of the Year, Shaikha Hind bint Maktoum Quran Award, the Memorisation of the Holy Quran at Prisons, Lectures and Seminars Programme and the UAE National Memoriser Programme.

The award also includes the Most beautiful Recitation Contest, the Quranic Science Studies Programme, the Recitations (Qiraat) Programme, the Mushaf (The Quran of) Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Centre of Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Manuscripts.

Bu Melha, Adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, also unveiled the first recording of full Quran recitation by popular Emirati reader, Eng Osama Al Safi. “This is the first implementation of the new branch.”

So far, 14 contestants have written the final public examination on the first two days of the main Quran contest at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry after the Taraweeh prayers at 10.30pm.

The first batch included six competitors from Ethiopia, Benin, Iraq, Netherlands, Nepal and Afghanistan while the second saw participants from Mauritania, Malaysia, Kuwait, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka, Union Des Comoros, Mali, and Kosovo.

The 18th edition of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, being held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is to see up to 87 participants from around the world over the period from July 5 to 17.

“Big prizes await toppers: the first winner will be awarded Dh250,000; the second Dh200,000, and the third Dh150,000. Winners from the fourth to the tenth will be gifted from Dh65,000 with Dh5,000 less each. The rest of the participants will receive a bonus of Dh30,000 each,” he said.

The Chief Arbitrator of the judging panel Jordanian scholar Sheikh Sameeh Ahmed Athamneh, said whenever people talk about Ramadan, the holy month of the Quran, they remember the Dubai International Holy Quran Award.

“The iconic 18-year-old Quran award has become a milestone and even the mother of all Quran awards around the world with its diverse categories and high standard and precise arbitration.”

The 12-category award encourages all Quran memorisers to comply with and keep close touch with this miraculous divine book, he added.

Sheikh Athamneh then enlightened the participants on the arbitration rules to observe to get the full 100 marks. “Some 60 marks go to memorisation while 35 marks will be given to Tajweed or recitation, and five marks for tuneful voice and good performance.”

Holy Quran competition gets one more category - Khaleej Times

 

[Al Bhatti]

July 19, 2014

Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum with the winners at the closing ceremony of the Quran Awards at the Cultural and Scientific Association on Friday.

Nigerian wins Dh250,000 in Quran contest
Emotional scenes as winners honoured at finale of Dubai International Holy Quran Award

There were tears of joy as family and well-wishers congratulated winners of the Dubai International Holy Quran (DIHQA) at a closing ceremony in Dubai on Friday night.

Loved ones and fans hugged winners on stage immediately after the finale of the18th session of DIHQA, held at the Cultural and Scientific Association in Al Mamzar area.

Earlier in the night, the winners were awarded by Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

The overall winner was Nigerian contestant Sulaiman Isah, a Quran memoriser, who was awarded Dh250,000.

Also honoured was the Islamic Personality of the Year — Dr Ahmad Al Tayyeb — Grand Mufti of the Al Azhar religious institution in Egypt. He received Dh1 million as part of the award.


The first runner-up was Omar Baeisa from Saudi Arabia, who won Dh200,000; while the third position went to Mohammad Yasin from Yemen, who won Dh150,000.

The other top 10 contestants won cash prizes between Dh65,000 and Dh35,000.

This year, two contestants who scored identical marks were ranked eight and ‘second eight’.


Meanwhile, contestants who scored 80 per cent and above were rewarded with Dh30,000 each, while those whose performance scored 70-79 per cent received Dh25,000 each.

Participants with scores below 70 per cent got Dh20,000 each.

Apart from the top 10 winners, the DIHQA jury was also facilitated on stage.

The ceremony began with three top contestants in the ‘Beautiful Voices’ category reciting a short portion of the Quran. It was followed by videos about DIHQA’s history, an exemplary Quran memoriser, and Dr Al Tayyeb.

Later on, Ebrahim Bu Melha, chairman of the DIHQA organising committee, and Dr Al Tayyeb addressed the audience.

Bu Melha said the Award, which started with two sections in 1997, has now branched out to 12 categories this year and has seen the participation of 160 countries over its 18-year history.

“This is basically due to the incessant support of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” he added.

DIHQA is held every Ramadan under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammad. The contest judges the best memorisers and reciters of the Quran from participating countries.

This year 80 countries had confirmed participation but two contestants did not show up. Also, seven were disqualified for below-level performances.

DIHQA also hosts Islamic lecturers and raffle prizes for the audience. The contest is held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry after the long Taraweeh night prayers in Ramadan.

Children and teens from non-Arab countries make a sizeable representation each year. The latest round also saw a prominent presence of contestants from Africa.

Nigerian wins Dh250,000 in Quran contest | GulfNews.com

 

[jamahir]

quran competition?? that munafiq nonsense again?? are we hindu to have recitation competitions?? how is this any different to some indian school or college exam where memorization ( and not understanding ) is not punished but awarded??

so reciting the quran ( after blind memorization ) will win you a prize from a nato ally nation... but implementing the quran in libyan jamahiriya , saddam's baathi iraq, baathi syria... will get you bombed and tortured by the very same nato ally nation and its masters. wonderful.

i thought, in such munafiq competitions, indian "muslims" and irani "muslims" always win.