Quran competition concludes

Dubai/ 27 July 2013/Khaleejtimes The main Quran Competition of the 17th Dubai International Holy Quran Award concluded on Friday. According to an official, all the 90 contestants contacted for participation in the award, were examined twice. Ibrahim Bu Melha, head of the Award Organising Committee, said only 80 of those passed the initial qualifying tests. Bu Melha, also an Adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, said the competition of the most melodious voice will be held today. Meanwhile, American contestant Junayed Ahmed, 19, said though he started memorising the Holy Quran late, at the age of 16, he completed the memorisation in just one year. “I used to learn two pages by heart every day under the supervision of my father who was a great help to me, and always encouraged me to stick to the Quran to be happy in life and the Hereafter.” Though Ahmed is originally Asian, he speaks, reads, writes and understands Arabic language very fluently. Mohammed Anan, 14, from Morocco, who started memorising when he was just four years old, and completed memorisation at the age of ten. “I used to memorise two pages a day at the mosque of my village. I wish to be a doctor and Islamic scholar in the future,” he said.