from I G Bhatkali, Sahilonline News Service from Calicut

Bhatkal / Calicut, Aug 6: Eight participants from Karnataka were selected for the International Hifz Quran, Qiraat and Azaan competition which began on Friday in Calicut, Kerala.

Of the eight participants, three hail from Bhatkal, two from Bangalore and one each from Mysore, Kandloor and Ganguly (Udupi distirct). The 2-day national level competition ended on August 3. Out of 210 participants, 50 were selected for International level competition which began on August 4.

In the national level competition, the following participants won the first, second and Third prizes.

Qiraat competition :
First place: Muhammed Irfan (Darul Uloom, Sandhwa, Madhya Pradesh)
Second: Abdul Qayyum (Uttar Pradesh)
Third: Badarudduja (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)

Hifz Qur'an competition:
First: Ahmed Naseem P A (Al markazul Farooqi, Calicut, Kerala)
Second: Muhammed Asif Ali Mazhari (Bangalore, Karnataka)
Third: Muhammed Kamraan Azeez (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh)

Azaan competition
First: Ubaidullah (Madrasa Madinatul Uloom, Shri Raampur, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra)
Second: Muhammed Munir Ahmed (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh)
Third: Siddique Ali (Salem, Tamil Nadu)

A 9-year-boy named Muhammed Anas, son of Zaid Ahmed Umar (Darul Huda Islamic Accademy, Mallappuram, Kerala) became the centre of everyone's attention. The young boy's recitation of the Qur'an pleased everyone who complimented the boy and praised God for gifting the boy with such soothing voice.

The concluding ceremony of the national level competition began with the Quran recitation by Hazrath Moulana Qaari Riyaz. General convener of this programme Abdul Majeed Jukaku welcomed the guests. Member of Parliament P B Abdul Wahab was the cheif guest. Moulana Mufti Abdur Rahim and others spoke on the occassion.

The responsibility for judging the competition was fulfilled in all faith and earnestly by Qaari Muhammed Karimul Qaseem, Mufti Abdur Rahman Muhammed, Hafiz Syed Shabbir Ahmed (Muradabad), Hazrat Moulana Mufti Qaari Riyaz Sahab (Darul Uloom, Nadvatul Ulama, Lucknow), Qaari Mazhar Ali Farooqi (Darul Uloom Devband), Moulana Muhibullah BaaqiNadvi (Imaam, Dhaaka Jamia Masjid, Bangladesh), Janab Hafiz Afraad Ahmed Faiz (General Secretary Darul Quran, Colombo, Srilanka).

This Hafize Quran, Qiraat and Azaan competition was organized by Anjuman Talimul Quran and Calicut Islamic Cultural Society.

The National level competition was held for the first 2 days and to be followed the International competition.

The 8 competitors from Karnataka State who got selected for International competition were as under:

Muhammed Asif Ali Mazhari (Bangalore), Muhammed Ashfaque Channa (Jamia Islamia, Bhatkal, Karwar), Hafiz Anees Burhanuddin (Jamia Islamia, Bhatkal, Karwar), Zaid Moulana Dawood (Jamia Islamia, Bhatkal, Karwar), Moualana Muhammed Ali Khawaja (Madrasa Musbahul Uloom, Gangoli, Udupi). All the above participants got selected for Hifz Quran competition.

Moulavi Ubaidullah Kandluri (Madrasa Ziaul uloom, Kandloor, Udupi) and Muhammed Umar Farooque Abdul Azeez (Mysore) were selected for Azaan competition. While Hidayatullah G Basha was selected for both, Qiraat and Azaan competition.

It is to be noted that the general convener of this programme was Janab Abdul Majid Jukaku, convener Moulana Abdul Bari Nadvi and the sub convener Moulana Muhammed Ansar Khateeb Madani, who, as a happy coincidence, all hail from Bhatkal.

Report of the international competition will be posted soon.