Winners of the 7th Muhammad VI International Quran Competition
The annual seventh edition of the Muhammad VI International Quran Competition has recently concluded, celebrating the remarkable talents of Quran readers from various African countries including Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Somalia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Mauritius, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Rwanda. The announcement of the winners took place on Sunday in Fez, Morocco, where the competition attracted participants with exceptional skills in Quran memorization, recitation, and tajweed.
Professor Mohamed Al-Maghrabi, the general coordinator of the competition, presented a detailed report highlighting the extraordinary performances in the first category, which focused on the complete memorization of the Quran with recitation based on the Warsh narration from Nafi. This category featured 26 competitors who demonstrated outstanding proficiency in both memorization and recitation, reflecting the dedication of the readers and their instructors towards mastering the rules and nuances of this narration.
Competition Highlights and Results
In the second category, which required complete memorization of the Quran with various readings and narrations, 42 competitors showcased commendable abilities in memorization and recitation. All but one of the participants read using the Hafs narration from Asim, with one contestant opting for the Qalon narration from Nafi, demonstrating a high level of skill and performance across the board.
The third category, focusing on tajweed alongside memorization of at least five sections of the Quran, included 46 participants, predominantly young children and adolescents. The quality of contributions in this category was notable, underscoring its importance in encouraging youth to engage with tajweed and nurturing emerging talents.
Among the winners, three readers from each participating country distinguished themselves in every category. Additionally, the organizing committee decided to introduce extra incentive awards aimed at motivating participants, which included one encouragement prize for each category and two prizes designated for the youngest male and female participants. Winners of these encouragement awards hailed from Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Rwanda.
In the first category, the top three winners were: 1st place - Abubakar Ango from Niger, 2nd place - Bashir Younis from Nigeria, and 3rd place - Mohamed Jalo from Mali. In the second category, the winners were: 1st place - Abdul Qadir Yusuf Muhammad from Somalia, 2nd place - Hamoud Lahbib Talib Boubacar from Mauritania, and 3rd place - Ismail Yusuf Hamad from Tanzania. In the third category, the top three included: 1st place - Ahmed Ahmedou Sidi Muhammad Abu Ubaida from Mauritania, 2nd place - Abdullah Bah from Mali, and 3rd place - Yahya bin Ali Malam Hassan from Mauritius.
The youngest female participant award was won by Hasna Bayo from Gambia, who is only 10 years old, while the youngest male participant award went to Abdul Rahman Jalo from Guinea-Bissau, aged 7. Encouragement prizes were awarded to Diara Selima from Côte d'Ivoire in the first category, Abdul Aziz Muhammad Diallo from Liberia in the second, and Nirarokundo Muzdifa from Rwanda in the third.
A qualified panel of judges, consisting of scholars and specialized readers from Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Mauritania, Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Sudan, evaluated the competitors' performances. A central technical team from Fez coordinated with the technical teams from the participating countries to ensure seamless remote connections and facilitate the transmission of the competition phases through visual conferencing technology, allowing participants to compete from their home countries.
The Muhammad VI Foundation for African Scholars aims through this annual competition to strengthen the bond between young African Muslims and the Holy Quran, encouraging them to memorize, recite, and perfect it while discovering and fostering young Quranic talents across the continent. This initiative is conducted under the esteemed patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who is dedicated to the Holy Quran and its adherents, ensuring that the youth of Africa remain closely connected to the values and guidance of the Quran.
The foundation organized local qualifiers for the competition from March 29 to April 26, 2026, across its 48 branches, engaging over 1,300 competitors and resulting in 114 finalists, including 16 females, representing the foundation in the final stage. The qualifiers witnessed broad participation from scholars, Quranic readers, and educational institutions, all dedicated to encouraging the youth in their Quranic studies and recitation.
As reported by iqna.ir.
