The Ghanaian Minaret

Dubai – Saleh Ahmed Takrim, a 14-year-old Bangladeshi Quran reciter, has been adjudged the winner of the 2023 edition of the Dubai International Quran Competition.

He was among reciters from 65 countries to participate in the 26th edition of the event which began on March 24 and ended on April 4.

He received the top award and honour from Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid bin Muhammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum at a ceremony held on April 4, at Al-Wasal Plaza in Dubai Expo City.

Abbas Hadi Umar from Ethiopia placed second while Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Sulaiman Salih Al-Barkani emerged as the second runner-up.

The fourth place was jointly earned by Nuru Din from Cameroon and Fatwa Hadis Maulana of Indonesia, while Abdul Alim Abdur Rahim Muhammad Haji of Kenya secured the sixth position.

Muhammad Haj Asad of Syria and Muhammad Abduhu Ahmad Qasim of Yemen both placed seventh while Abdul Aziz Bin Noor Nasran of Brunei and Hamza Mustaquim of Morocco jointly took the ninth place.

The panel of judges that supervised the competition were Sheikh Shuaib Mujibul Haque of Bangladesh, Dr Ahmed bin Hamud of Saudi Arabia, Dr Salim Al-Dawbi of Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah Aish of Morocco, Jamal Farooq of Egypt, and Dr Ahmad Mia Thanvi of Pakistan.

Dr Ahmad Omar Hashim, the former president of Al-Azhar University, was also honoured as the Islamic Personality of the Dubai International Quran Award Competition.

Hafiz Takrim, a student of the book department of Markazu Faizil Quran Al Islami Madrasa in Dhaka competed in March 2022 and emerged winner in the 38th edition of the Iran International Quran Competition.

In September 2022, the son of Hafez Abdur Rahman, a madrasa teacher also competed with participants from 111 countries to place third at the 42nd edition of the King Abdul Aziz International Qur’an Competition in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.