A Nigerian woman from Gombe State, Maryam Danazimi Ibrahim, has emerged the winner of the Female Tafsir category at the 46th King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Danazimi’s achievement places Nigeria among the countries that recorded notable successes at the landmark edition of the international Qur’anic competition.
Danazimi secured first place in the second category, winning a prize of 300,000 Saudi Riyals, equivalent to about ₦120 million.
The second category is for contestants who memorise the entire Qur’an with excellent recitation and Tajweed, as well as demonstrate knowledge of the interpretation of Qur’anic vocabulary.
She was among 50 contestants – 25 male and 25 female – who emerged winners across the five categories of the prestigious international competition.
The 46th edition attracted 334 contestants, comprising 202 males and 132 females, representing 133 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
The competition also marked the first time female contestants participated in the international event.
The Saudi Arabian government awarded a total of 10.26 million Saudi Riyals in prize money to the winners across the five categories.
On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region, Prince Saud bin Mishaal, presented honours to the winners at the ceremony.
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In the female second category, Danazimi took the top prize of SAR300,000, followed by Amat Al-Rahman Badi Mutahhar Kulaib of Bahrain with SAR275,000; Amani bint Shaya bin Awad Al-Husaiki Al-Harthi of Saudi Arabia with SAR250,000; Zainab bint Ibrahim bin Abdulsalam Idris of Saudi Arabia with SAR235,000; and Shumoukh bint Faiz bin Hamdan Al-Zanbaqi of Saudi Arabia with SAR220,000.
The five competition categories covered memorisation of the entire Holy Qur’an with varying levels of recitation and Tajweed proficiency, including mastery of the seven canonical readings; memorisation of the entire Qur’an with interpretation of its vocabulary; memorisation of the entire Qur’an; memorisation of 15 consecutive parts; and memorisation of five consecutive parts.
The winners came from countries including Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Syria, Bahrain, Libya, Tunisia, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Myanmar, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Palestine, Oman, Madagascar, Brazil, Barbados, Mauritius and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The King Abdulaziz International Qur’an Competition is organised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, with the final rounds of the 46th edition held in the holy city of Makkah.
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