Kuala lumpur: Seven international participants will take the stage tonight in the tilawah (recitation) segment of the 65th International Quran Recitation and Memorisation Assembly (MTHQA), now underway at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Kuala Lumpur. Mozambique’s Zacarias Nuro will open the second-day session, followed by Amal Nazirah Haji Asmat from Brunei, Jassim Bacarat Hadji Daud from the Philippines, and Mohsen Ghasemi from Iran. Muhammed Yahya Yildizhan from Trkiye, Nour Imane Aissani from Algeria, and Nurfaqihhah Aliyah Mohd Rizal from Singapore are also scheduled to recite.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, in the memorisation category, Malaysia’s Putri Auni Khadijah Mohd Hanif and Muhammad Adib Ahmad Rozaini completed their recitations earlier today. They were joined by six international participants, including Fahad Saeed S. S. Al-Qeraisi from Qatar, Najway Ali Zaydan Alkourbu from Libya, Mohamedelamin Elsuni Shaikheldin Elnaeim from Sudan, Abdul Rahman Ali from Ghana, Azizatou Bah from Ivory Coast, and Mahamadou Doucoure from Mali.
Held from August 2 to 9 under the theme ‘Developing a MADANI Ummah’, this year’s MTHQA gathers 71 participants from 49 countries. Winners in the recitation category will receive RM40,000, with second and third place taking home RM30,000 and RM20,000 respectively, along with gold items sponsored by the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM).
The highlight of the programme, the ‘Pesan Tokoh’ segment, will be delivered by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar at 3.50 pm at the same venue. He stated that the event aims to promote deeper engagement with the Quran by encouraging it to be read, understood, and applied in life.
Carrying the theme ‘The Rise of a Nation Lies Not in Loud Voices, But in Souls Guided by Quranic Values’, this year’s edition centres on Surah Al-Saff, which underscores the importance of unity and strength among Muslims. Among those participating are former MTHQA champions, including 2014 winner Husaini Mahmur, 2011 champion Amirahman Abas, and 2019 winner Sheikh Mo’min Falah.