Doha Launches
Preliminary Rounds of Sheikh Jassim Quran Competition with Orphans from 20
Countries Participating

The Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed
bin Thani Quran Competition—organized by Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf)
and Islamic Affairs—has begun the preliminary rounds for candidates who
advanced from internal qualifiers held in the countries of origin of orphans
sponsored by Qatar Charity. This comes ضمن its newly introduced global
category, “Rufaqa.”

The inaugural edition of this
category features participation from 20 countries, reflecting the competition’s
growing international dimension and its expanding geographical and humanitarian
reach. It also underscores its focus on sponsored orphans worldwide, within an
integrated vision that combines the Quranic message with charitable work.

The preliminary rounds are being
conducted remotely عبر video
communication platforms to select the top 40 contestants across the
competition’s three categories. The process is overseen by three specialized
Qatari judging panels headed by Sheikh Mahdi Ali Al-Qahtani, Sheikh Mohammed
Ali Al-Hammadi, and Sheikh Subaih Mohammed Al-Marri.

20 Countries in
“Rufaqa”

The preliminary evaluations will
continue over a two-week period, from Sunday, April 19 to Thursday, April 30.
During this time, judging panels assess participants based on precise criteria,
including memorization, rules of Tajweed, and quality of recitation
performance. Qualification is determined solely by the highest scores in each
category, regardless of nationality, reinforcing principles of fairness and
merit-based competition.

The first edition of the “Rufaqa”
category has seen strong participation, with 138 contestants competing in the
full Quran memorization category, 42 in the 20-part memorization category, and
103 in the 10-part memorization category.

These rounds are part of a
structured and approved mechanism implemented by the organizing committee in
cooperation with Qatar Charity. The process проходит
through four main stages, beginning with internal qualifiers in participating
countries, followed by the current remote preliminary rounds, then remote final
rounds in which 30 contestants—10 from each category—will qualify, culminating
in the in-person finals in Qatar, where the top three winners in each category
will be determined.

Jassim bin Abdullah Al-Ali,
Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Sheikh Jassim Quran Competition,
stated that the launch of the “Rufaqa” category and the execution of its
various stages reflect Qatar’s vision of integrating the Quranic message with
humanitarian work. He noted that this category represents a qualitative
addition to the competition’s journey by targeting sponsored orphans under
Qatar Charity and nurturing their Quranic talents worldwide.

Al-Ali further explained that the
“Rufaqa” category is implemented within a strategic partnership between the
Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs—represented by the Sheikh Jassim
Quran Competition—and Qatar Charity, which handles organizational and
logistical aspects through its offices spread across dozens of countries,
ensuring the program reaches the largest possible number of sponsored orphans.

(Source: Al Sharq Newspaper)

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