RECORD NUMBER CONTESTANTS FOR 1st National Qira’a Competition in Gauteng
A record number of over 60 competitors, ranging from 9 to 42 years old, gathered at the magnificent Nazimiye Masjid (aka Turkish Mosque) in Midrand on 7th June for the first ever Qur’aan recital competition to be held in Gauteng. The South African Qur’aan Union (SAQU) and Awqaf South Africa teamed up to host the event that turned out to be a huge success.
Reciters from as far as Northern Natal, North West and Mpumalanga took part in the competition that produced some of the highest quality of Qur’aan recitations rendered by young South Africans. Foreigners from some 10 countries including Egypt, Turkey, Tanzania, Malaysia, Comores and Palestine who are attending local Madaaris (schools) also competed and gave the competition a distinctly international flavour. The event was broken into four categories , viz; Junior (under16), Intermediate (under19), Senior (under 23) and Open (24 and over).
The courage and quality of the young reciters in the under 16 age group impressed the eminent panel of judges. The long programme was crowned by a superb recital by Ali Sulaiman from Tanzania (who is the Imaam at the Masjidul Islam Mosque in Brixton, Johannesburg) in the Open category and he ran out the clear winner as he impressed the judges in all the required aspects of reciting the Holy Qur’aan. Sulaiman has been a student at the Darul Uloom in Newcastle and his versatility and impressive voice will stand him in good stead when he joins the select group of reciters around the country that have qualified for the international event scheduled for Cape Town in September later this year.
The South Africa Qur’aan Union (SAQU) has hosted a national Qur’aan recital competition in Cape Town for the last ten years. The mother city will again host this year’s event (planned for September) which will see the biggest gathering of Qur’aan reciters of its kind in the country. The event is recognized worldwide and is administered according to the most stringent international standards.
Contestants were evaluated on their ability to present and recite the Qur’aan beautifully, and not their memorization skills. This landmark initiative is an attempt to honour the efforts of students and teachers of the Holy Qur’aan throughout the world. It serves as added encouragement for individuals to improve, and hence the aim of the competition is to promote and maintain high levels of Qur’anic learning and service, as well as to train and earmark successful (local) candidates for other international platforms.
The winners have gained entrance to participate in the prestigious International Qur’aan Recital Award (IQRA) that will be held in Cape Town and the successful reciters from the IQRA event will then be recommended by SAQU to represent South Africa on international platforms throughout the world.
The winners in the respective categories were:
Junior (under 16):
1. Hamza Harrar (South African Moroccan; studying in Azaadville)
2. Muhammad Safwaan Haffejee (South African; Northcliff)
3. Ebrahim Suliman (South African; Erasmia)
Intermediate (under 19):
1. Raees Shamsoodeen (South African; Erasmia),
2. Arshaad Essa (South African; Erasmia),
3. Aminudine Ussofo (Mozambican; studying in Newcastle)
Senior (under 23):
1. Zaid Kara (South African; Maraisburg),
2. Yusuf Osman (South African, Lenasia),
3. Ridhwaan Kaka (South African; Helderkruin)
Open (24yrs and over):
1. Ali Sulaiman (Tanzanian; Imaam in Brixton),
2. Salaahuddeen Du Preez (South African; Crosby),
3. Ali Yurttas (Turkish; Mu’atthin in Midrand).
