New Delhi. Like previous years, the 26th round of 2 day All India Holy Quran Memorization and Recitation Competition was held at Iran Culture House, New Delhi on 8 – 9 September 2025. Memorizers and Reciters of Holy Quran from eleven states of the country participated in the competition. Diplomats, Scholars, poets and preachers emphasized on the life of the Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h), and his grandson Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary and Unity Week.

On this occasion, three people who participated in the third round of Quranic interpretation competition were awarded prizes.

The awardees include Ashiq Hussain Butt Kashmir, Muhammad Arshad, and Baqir Hussain respectively.

In addition, three people who performed outstandingly in the categories of Hifz and Qira’t were awarded prizes.

Qari Muhammad Salman, Surat, Gujarat won the first place in the category of Qira, Qari Muhammad Habib-ul-Waris, Deoband, and Qari Muhammad Thumama, Allahabad, secured the third place.

 While in the category of Huffaz, Hafiz Muhammad Kashan I, Rampur, Hafiz Muhammad Salman II, Muzaffarnagar, and Hafiz Muhammad Hisham, Bhopal, secured the third place.

In the concluding stages of the ceremony, all the Huffaz and Qaris who achieved a distinguished position were awarded certificates of appreciation and other prizes and awards by the hands of important personalities.

This year, Qari Rahmatullah Irfani from Allahabad, Qari Badr al-Dija Furqani from Lucknow, Qari Masoud Sayah Gurji from Iran, and Hafiz Amir Aghaei and Qari Sabah al-Saraei from Iraq performed were the jury members.

The two-day Quranic competition proceedings was conducted by Qari Yasin, while the opening and closing ceremonies of the same were conducted by Mehdi Baqir Khan.

This luminous gathering began with the recitation of the Quran by Iraqi Qari Sabah al-Saraei. Dr. Fariduddin Farid Asr, Cultural Counselor of Iran Culture House, welcomed all the guests and reciters. On this occasion, Iranian Ambassador Dr. Iraj Elahi and Mohammad Hossein Ziaei Nia spoke on the importance, dignity and unity of ummah & the significance of Holy Quran to ensure the last mentioned. They said that the Holy Quran is the eternal book of Allah Almighty, which has been declared the key to success in this world and the hereafter. The Quran is not only a source of guidance but also the peace of hearts and the light of our inner vision.

On this occasion, charge De’ Affaires, Embassy of Iraq, New Delhi expressed his views and said that in order to highlight the greatness of the Quran and to instill a taste for the Quran in the hearts of the new generation, an All India Competition for Memorization and Recitation was organized at the Iran Culture House in Delhi, in which students from different states of the country participated, and in which prominent reciters from Iran, Iraq and India performed the duties as jury members. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Cultural Counselor Dr. Faridoddin FaridAsr and his staff.

The important participants of the event included Professor Akhtar Al-Wasay, Dr. Syed Farooq, Dr. Tasleem Rahmani, Maulana Kalb Rashid, Engineer Salim Ahmed Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Haider Raza Zabit, Mufti Afroz Alam Qasmi, Dr. Mushtaq Ansari, Haji Ilyas Saifi, Zahid Hussain, Anzar Al-Bari, and the staff of the Iraqi Embassy along with the Ambassador Cultural Counselor and many scholars and scholars of Delhi attended in large numbers.