Q1

When was Dubai International Holy Quran Award established?

A1

In 1418H-1997 pursuant to supreme orders by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Q2

What are the objectives of establishing the Award?

A2

1- To service the Holy Book and promote the general standard of Quranic performance;

2- To create a sense of competition in the memorization of the Holy Quran and encourage young Muslims to perfect recitation;

3- To honor outstanding memorizers of the Holy Quran at the local and international levels;

4- To cater for the Holy Quran memorization centers being the cubicles where young Muslims learn the Quran;

5- To highlight the Islamic face of the United Arab Emirates and affirms its role in the service of the Islamic World;

6- To affirms the Islamic values and the importance of their role in the life of the individual and the community;

7- To honor personalities or institutions who provide outstanding services to Islam;

8- To cater for the Quranic manuscripts, print and publish theses that address Quranic scholarship;

9- To hold conferences and seminars that serve the filed of the miraculous nature of the Quran or Quranic scholarship in general.

Q3

What are the conditions for nomination to the Contest?

A3

1- The candidate should have memorized the full Quran, including recitation and tajweed;

2- The candidate must not be more than 21 years old;

3- He must be male;

4- He should be nominated by a state or an Islamic institution;

5- He must not have participated in previous session of the Award;

6- He must be the only candidate from his country;

7- Expatriates who hold valid UAE residency should apply through their respective countries;

8- Non- resident Muslims belonging to communities living in non-Muslim countries should apply through Islamic centers.

Q4

What are the expenses incurred by contestants?

A4

This contest is a gift from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to young Muslims memorizers all over the world and therefore a contestant and his attendant will not incur any expenses. The Award incurs return air tickets fare in addition to expenses of stay and full boarding at a Dubai hotel and tours for all contestants.  

Q5

Does the Award allow an attendant to accompany a contestant?

A5

The contest rules and regulations provide that contestants who are less than 15 years old or those with special needs should have an attendants accompanying them. The Award incurs their travel, stay, boarding and all other expenses.

Q6

When and where is the contest held?

A6

The contest is held during the period form the start of Ramadan until the 20^th of Ramadan every year. The events start after the night prayers until midnight. The event is held at one of the big halls assigned for such contests in the city of Dubai.

Q7

How many questions a contestant is required to answer?

A7

Every contestant has to answer five questions of two pages form Al Madina Holy Book each; the questions cover the entire Holy Book.

Q8

Which are the narrations approved in the international contest?

A8

They are: Hafs, Warsh, Kaloon and Al Dawri.

Q9

What prizes are offered to contestants?

A9

The prizes offered in this contest are the most generous at the international level that are offered in a Quranic contest. These prizes are distributed as follows: AED 250,000 for the first top position; AED. 200,000 for the second; and AED 150,000 for the third. All other contestants are presented prizes ranging from AED. 20,000 to AED. 65,000

Q10

Can anyone attend the contests’ events?

A10

Definitely Yes. The Award welcomes all guests and invite everyone to attend the events to enjoy a spiritual feast where beautiful voices of gifted memorizers of diversified background can be heard. In addition, at every session, the organizing committee hands out cash and in-kind gifts to guests through a daily raffle draw on the entrance tickets that are given for free.  

Q11

How is the panel of judges formed?

A11

Members of the organizing committee select a 5-member panel form outside the UAE. The panel is chosen from amongst those persons who have had precious experienced at international contests. A standby judge is chosen form within UAE. The media unit will then publish the news in the various media.

A12

How is the Islamic personality chosen? And what are the conditions of such choice?

A12

Every year an outstanding Arab or Islamic personality is chosen for the Islamic personality award.

-          The Islamic personality may be a scholar of an institution who have offered outstanding services to Islam, whether through his/its books or work and recognized worldwide.

-          The Islamic personality is chosen through nominations of countries and through review by the organizing committee. The name of the candidate is then presented to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who always confirms the choice of the organizing committee.

-          The name of the Islamic personality is then announced through a press conference held by His Excellency the chairman of the organizing committee in the presence of members of the organizing committee, following notification of the personality chosen for the award. A private airplane is sent to bring the personality to Dubai and when the events end the same plane takes him back home. 

Q13

Who are the Islamic personalities who have been honored in previous sessions?

A13

Eight personalities were honored in the previous sessions. They are in a chronological order:

1- The late sheikh Mohammed Motawali Al Shaarawi

2- The late sheikh Abou Al Hassan Al Nadawi;

3- The late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan;

4- Dr. Yousif Al Kardhawi;

5- The late president Alija Begovich

6- Dr. Abdullah Abdul Mohsin Al Turky, Saudi Arabia;

7- The University of Al Azhar

8- Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al Bouti

9- Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Sedais

Q14

What is the value of the award?

A14

One million dirhams in addition to a souvenir trophy and a certificate of appreciation presented at a grand ceremony attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the patron of the Award and a large number of dignitaries and guests.

Q15

Can anyone obtain materials or recordings of the Award events?

A15

Yes.  There are some materials recorded on CD’s or prints that the Award distributes to the public at the event in coordination with the Award’s media unit.

The Local Holy Quran Contest

Q1

What are the objectives of the local Holy Quran Contest?

A1

They are:

1- To cater for the Holy Book through memorization and recitation;

2- to give both sexes the opportunity to promote the general standard of the Quranic performance by way of memorization and recitation;

3- to encourage young Muslims, both UAE nationals and residents, to compete in the field of the memorization and recitation of the Quran;

4- To give impetus to Holy Quran memorization centers in UAE by conducting the final contests through them and nominate the top winners to participate in the local contest in Dubai.

5- To choose UAE memorizres who make it to the final competitions of the local contest and qualify them to compete in the international contest.

 Q2

What are the branches of the local Holy Quran Contest?

A2

They are:

1- the First branch: the full memorization, tajweed and recitation of the holy Quran.

2- the second branch: memorization, tajweed and recitation of twenty consecutive parts (starting from either covers of the Holy Book.

3- the third branch: the memorization, tajweed and recitation of five executive parts (starting from either covers of the Holy Book) (for UAE nationals).

Q3

Who is entitled to participate?

A3

The following are entitled to compete:

1- male and female UAE nationals at any age;

2- female expatriate residing in the UAE at any age;

3- expatriate who are not more than 21 years old provided that they should hold valid UAE residency visa.

4- GCC states citizens who hold permanent residency visa in the UAE.

Q4

What are the conditions of participating in the contest?

A4

1- he must not have participated in the Dubai International contest.

2- He must not have participated in a higher branch in the previous contest.

3- he will not be allowed to participate in a branch in which he participated in the previous contest.

4- He must participate in one of the three branches;

5- he should be nominated through one of the memorization centers approved by the Dubai International Holy Quran contest;

Memorization centers may register non-members before the month of Shawal if the purpose is to enhance their performance.     

Q5

Is there a fixed date for the local contest?

A5

The final contest is conducted in the month of Muharrm every year following the pre-qualification contests at the regions or as the organizing committee may deems fit.

Q6

What are the approved narrations at the Holy Quran Local Contest?

A6

The narration of Hafs from Asim is the narration approved in the local contest. 

Q7

What is the number of the judges sitting at the panel of judges? 

 A7

Five judges for males   and similar panels for female contests.

Q8

What are the prizes allocated for the contest?

 A8

The prizes are as follows:

Branch

First

(Full Quran

AED

Second

(20 parts)

AED

Third

(10 parts)

AED

Fourth

(5 part)

(for UAE Nationals)

AED

Position

First position

30,000

20,000

10,000

5,000

Second Position

25,000

15,000

7,500

4,000

Third position

20,000

10,000

5,000

3,000

Positions from Fourth to Tenth

3,000

2,000

1,000

1,000

Q9

What are the prizes for the best memorization center and the best institution?

A9

The best memorization center for males will get AED 30,000 and the same prize is given to the best memorization center for females. The best institution will get Fifty Thousand dirhams

Second: the UAE national Memorizer Contest

Q1

What is the objective of the UAE National Memorizer Contest?

A1

The objectives of the UAE national Memorizer are as follows:

1- To encourage UAE nationals to memorize the Holy Book;

2- To honour ahl al Quran (people of the Quran), namely UAE national memorizers and celebrate their achievements;

3-To plant the Quranic values in the souls of UAE young Muslims memorizers and prompt them to adhere to the Holy Book teachings and implement them;

4- To list all UAE national memorizers, males and females and documents such information for future reference;

5- To contribute to the nomination of UAE nationals to the Dubai International Holy Quran Contest and external contests.          

Q2

What are the conditions of participating in the UAE national memorizer contest?

A2

They are:

1- must be able to memorized the Holy Book and skilful in the knowledge of the principles of tajweed and recitation;

2- must be a UAE national of any age;

3- must not have participated in the international contest as a representative of the UAE;

4- must not have obtained on of the three top position at the first branch of the local contest;

5-must not have been honored in previous sessions of the UAE national memorizer;

6- must submit his credentials at the Award’s offices within the period specified in the announcements published by the various media. These are:

a-       copy of passport;

b-       copy of UAE ID;

c-       two passport size photos, size 3 x 4.

Q3

When is the contest held?

A3

The contest is announced during the month of Safar and the final test are conducted at the end of Rajab i.e. it is held well before the month of Ramadan and before the international contest.

Q4

What are the pries offered at the contest?

A4

Each of the top 15 contestants who attain a score of 80% or more will get AED. 20,000 in prize and a certificate of appreciation; the remaining contestants will receive prizes of the amount of two thousand dirham as encouragement and a certificate of appreciation.

Q5

What is the number of the members of the judging panel?

A5

1- Two panels are formed, one for males and the other for females. Each panel is composed of two judges in addition to the secretariat.

2- the local contest regulations are applied in controlling the testing process with respect to the number of questions, evaluation criteria and calculations of scores. …etc.

Q6

How can a contestant know whether he has been accepted or not?

A6

Following the submission of applications, a committee from the contest unit will sort out applications and approve the successful candidates. The media unit will then announce the names of the candidates via UAE official newspapers. In addition, the media unit will also publish a daily schedule of the contest during the testing. Candidates are also advised through SMS messages.