Ethiopia is organizing for the second time in its history the International Quran Memorization and Recitation Award for the year 2025, which will take place from January 27 to February 2, with participants from 60 countries around the world and an international judging committee.
Organizers and Supervision
The international competition for Quran memorization, along with recitation and adhan for the year 2025, is organized annually in Ethiopia by the Zaid ibn Thabit Association for Quran Memorization and Sciences in Addis Ababa, under the supervision and sponsorship of the Higher Council for Islamic Affairs in Ethiopia, and with the participation of relevant government ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for facilitating the arrival of participants to the country.
Dr. Nour al-Din Abu al-Qasim
Dr. Nour al-Din Qasim, Secretary-General of the Zaid ibn Thabit Association for Quran Memorization, revealed that arrangements for the launch of the international Quran memorization competition at the beginning of 2025 have been completed, confirming the participation of competitors from 60 countries, including Turkey, France, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Palestine, in addition to the host country, Ethiopia, along with other Arab, African, and Islamic countries. He mentioned that many guests from different countries have completed their preparations to come to Ethiopia to participate in the competition.
Administration and Organization
Qasim, who is also the head of the administration and organization of the competition and a member of the international judging committee, stated in an interview with "Al-Mujtama" that the competition will place Ethiopia among the countries that give the Quran its rightful status. He noted that the second round of the Ethiopia International Quran Memorization and Adhan Award for 2025 will kick off on January 27 and continue for a week with various programs and activities, concluding on February 2 with a grand ceremony at the capital's stadium in Addis Ababa, attended by a popular and official participation from prominent global figures, including honorary guests from the United States, Turkey, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
Importance and Distinction
Qasim emphasized that the Quranic competition is of great importance to Ethiopia, especially for Muslims, and this year’s competition is distinguished by the presence of a special committee and separate centers for it.
Organizing Committee
The organizing bodies of the competition established a committee that includes academic and artistic figures, alongside scholars, sheikhs, representatives from the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in the country, government stakeholders, and the Zaid ibn Thabit Association, which heads the competition under the supervision of the Ethiopian Islamic Council.
Final Arrangements
Regarding the final arrangements for the second edition of the international competition, Qasim stated that he discussed, last Saturday at the Council office, the latest preparations for the Ethiopian international competition for the Quran and the call to prayer for the year 2025 with the chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Ethiopia, Sheikh Ibrahim Tofa. He explained that in order to ensure the success of the second round of the international Quran competition, a technical committee was formed from scholars and academics from the Federal Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, the Zaid ibn Thabit Quranic Association, and related institutions, headed by Sheikh Idris Ali Hussein, the Executive Director of the Islamic Council of Ethiopia and Head of the Research Department.
Technical Arrangements
Qasim addressed the technical arrangements for the competition, stating that the judging panel and honorary guests had been selected, and applications for participation in the competition had been received from over 60 countries. The preliminary rounds will be held at the end of this month to select the final list of candidates in all categories. He explained that the Quranic competitions include four tracks in which contestants compete: the memorization of the entire Quran for males, the same for females, alongside the call to prayer, recitation, and modulation.
Honoring the Winners
He noted that the honoring of winners in this year's competitions will involve 12 winners, with 3 winners in each competition track. He added that the first-place winner in each category will be awarded more than $10,000.
Historical Context
It's worth mentioning that the first international competition for memorizing and reciting the Quran in Ethiopia took place in June 2022, with the participation of 50 countries, each represented by one contestant from Arab, African, and Islamic nations.
