Winners Announced for "University Reciter" Competition (Season 3)

Minnesota, January 15, 2025 – In a joyful Quranic atmosphere, Dr. Abdulrazzaq Al-Bakri, General Supervisor of the "University Reciter" Competition (Season 3) and Dean of the College of Quranic Studies at the Islamic University of Minnesota (Main Center), announced the names of the winners across various competition categories. This took place during a special honorary ceremony held at the university on Thursday, January 15, 2025.

The announcement marked the culmination of a high-level competitive journey, featuring male and female memorizers (Huffaz) from multiple nationalities. Their precise performances reflected a deep-rooted care for the Book of Allah in memorization and recitation (Tajweed), in a competition that has now earned a prestigious position among the distinguished Quranic activities sponsored by the university.

Detailed Results of Winners:

First: Female Memorizer Categories:

• Complete Quran:

- First Place: Jumanah Abdulkareem Shraytah (20 years old, Algerian residing in Algeria) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Second Place: Hedeer Hamdy Mohammed (34 years old, Egyptian residing in Egypt) – Half scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Third Place: Alaa Abdul-Ghani Abdullah (26 years old, Egyptian residing in Egypt) – Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

• Half of the Quran:

- First Place: Reda Abdulhaleem Gharib Mohammed (31 years old, Egyptian residing in Egypt) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Second Place: Khadija Reda Danan (16 years old, Moroccan residing in Morocco) – Half scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Third Place: Hadeel Izz Al-Deen Mohammed (20 years old, Sudanese residing in Sudan) – Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

• Quarter of the Quran:

- Sole Winner: Fatimah Noor Hussein (29 years old, Eritrean residing in Saudi Arabia) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

Second: Male Memorizer Categories:

• Complete Quran:

- First Place (Tied): Yusuf Ishaq Ibrahim (24 years old, Nigerian residing in Kuwait) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- First Place (Tied): Ishaq Sangari (22 years old, Burkinabe residing in Burkina Faso) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Second Place: Mohammed Noor Nahed Al-Kharraz (21 years old, Syrian residing in Syria) – Half scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Third Place: Mohammed Jenepo (17 years old, Malian residing in Russia) – Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

• Half of the Quran:

Sole Winner: Abdul-Basit Saeed Olalekan (23 years old, Nigerian residing in Nigeria) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

• Quarter of the Quran:

- First Place: Yaqoub Mansour Ahmed (34 years old, Yemeni residing in Bahrain) – Full scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Second Place: Arafat Abdulrahman Ba'eesa (47 years old, Yemeni residing in Saudi Arabia) – Half scholarship + Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

- Third Place: Abdullah Fadel Ghulam (30 years old, Pakistani residing in Saudi Arabia) – Shield + Certificate of Appreciation.

Thanks and Appreciation:

In his speech during the ceremony, Dr. Abdulrazzaq Al-Bakri extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to the distinguished panel of male and female judges who contributed their significant scholarly efforts to judging the competition stages. He also praised the prominent role of the supervisors and coordinators of the organizational and technical aspects that contributed to the event's success.

Competition's Mission:

It is noteworthy that the "University Reciter" competition represents one of the strategic paths to which the Islamic University of Minnesota gives special care. This stems from the university's belief in the role of the Holy Quran in building individuals scientifically and spiritually, and its keenness to discover Quranic talents across the Islamic world and nurture them academically and morally. This serves to enhance the university's mission of serving the Book of Allah and its people, and establishing a culture of mastery and honorable competition in the field of the Holy Quran.