The annual International Quraan Recital Awards (IQRA) took place from 20- 23 September 2018 at Masjid Manaarul Hudaa, Manenberg, Cape Town.
Organised by the South African Quraan Union, South African National Zakah Fund, Awqaf SA, and Madrasah Tarteelul Quraan, in conjunction with Masjid Manaarul Hudaa, the event is an attempt to honour the efforts of teachers and students involved with propagating the Quraan and its principles in South Africa. The occasion is also used as a platform to train upcoming local reciters for international competitions and to maintain high standards of recitation.
Preceded by various preliminary programs throughout the country, the four day event was a culmination of months of hard work and preparation on the part of the participants.
Contestants in the male section were divided into four age categories whilst the female division comprised a junior and senior section.
The best performing reciters were as follows:
Female Junior category:
- Roushan Moses, Cape Town
- Ruqayyah Francis, Cape Town
- Jauhara Moruledi, Gauteng
Female Senior category:
- Ayesha Bassadien, Cape Town
- Saabirah Lawrence Jacobs, Cape Town
- Samihah Pargas, Gauteng
Under 15 year category:
- Raees Hoosen, Cape Town
- Shurahbeel Alli, Pietermaritzburg
- Hassan Hansa, Pietermaritzburg
Under 18 year category:
- Masood Patel, Durban
- Abdul Aziz Meyer, Cape Town
- Uzayr Eshak, Pietermaritzberg
Under 23 year category:
- Muhammad Abdul Aziz, Pietermaritzburg
- Ra-eez Nackerdien, Strand
- M. Zain Hendricks, Cape Town
24 years and over:
- M. Erefaan Samuels, Cape Town
- M. Nur Manan, Cape Town
- Muhammad Amana, Malawi
In the special feature, known as the “Champ of Champs category”, winners from the previous competitions were engaged in an open-aged recital challenge.
These contestants were required to recite from an unprepared, randomly selected, portion of the Quraan. Tanzanian national, Hassan Abdallah Mtulila, was adjudicated the top reciter in this section, followed by Igsaan Sedick from Cape Town and Zaid Kara from Johannesburg.
The recitals were judged in accordance with strict international standards by a panel of qualified and proficient Quraan recitation experts. Qari Qaasim Motala from Durban and Sheikh Awadh Hussain from Egypt evaluated the sections of Tajweed. Both scholars are teachers of Quráan and Tajweed.
Prominent Quráan masters from Malaysia, Qari Anuar Hasin and Qari Wan Áinuddin Hilmi were responsible for the section of Presentation and Voice respectively. Also serving on the adjudication panel were, Qariah Aneesa Jabaar and Qariah Taahirah Brown, as well as Sheikh Sayed Ibrahim from Egypt.
The programs were directed and chaired by well-known community figures, including Dr. Hafisa Ally, former lecturer at the University of Johannesburg and SABC Woman of the year recipient; Moulana Muhammad Sheik, award winning Quráan memoriser and medical student at the University of Stellenbosch; Moulana Imtiyaaz Hendricks, an accredited life coach with honours in psychology, and Sheikh Adiel Hattas, principal at Darul Islam High School.
Among the many ulama present, Sheikh Zakariyyah Saeed officially represented the renowned Al Azhar University and the scholars of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Further programs with the international guests were held at the Rondevlei, Rondebosch East, Habibia, and Strandfontein, masjids parallel to the hosting of the event.
A workshop was held to develop the talents of upcoming reciters, whilst the visitors took time to recite the Qur’aan at various schools in the Western Cape.
Sheikh Muntahaa Kenny, considered the event to be successful in its objective to nurture local talent and develop it to an international standard. Participants came from Malawi, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Turkey, it broadens the development and experience of local and international Quráan reciters whilst adding to a continued high level of healthy competitiveness among the youth.
The organisers (being South African Quraan Union, South African National Zakah Fund, Awqaf SA, Madrasah Tarteelul Quraan, and Masjid Manaarul Hudaa) expressed their appreciation to all the role players that contributed to the success of the event while at the same time underlying the need for greater support for future projects of this nature. The organising committee, under the leadership of Sheikh Muntahaa Kenny, has invited other institutions to partner with them in preparing for next years event.
For further information regarding the event, Sheikh Muntahaa Kenny may be contacted on his mobile number, +2783 377 3216 or email, chairman@quranunion.co.za
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