Update: March 29, 9:27 p.m.:
Al-Hafidh Muzaher S. Bito on March 23 to paid a courtesy call on BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua at the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) after returning home to the Bangsamoro region. The newly installed Chief Minister showed love to the champion, gifting him with Php200,000 cash incentive.
It is hoped the national government would recognize Muslims, and they are many, who emerged champions in international Qur’anic contests like the one in Amman, Jordan, where Bito emerged the Top 1 winner.
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MANILA (SDN) — Reading passages from Islam’s Qur’an in a competition is different from doing it out of competition, like at home or in mosques.
In competitions, which many countries conduct — such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and others — there are judges to grade participants with separate categories for male and female readers or reciters.
Qur’anic competitions’ performance is judged by highly qualified jurors who have no knowledge or access contestants’ personal information as a shield to maintain secrecy of who the contestants are.
It is exactly what is being done in the annual National Qur’an Reading Competition (NQRC) being conducted by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
In the competitions being done by the NCMF now headed by Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim, competitors are judged according to four criteria such as:
- Tajwid (Rules for Recitation — 40 points
- Naggem (Intonation) — 25 points
- Tartil and Fasahah (Diction and Fluency) — 20 points
- Sawt (Voice Quality) — 15 points (for a total of 100 points)
Each criterion is assigned to a particular judge who is an expert on it.
Remember that the Arabic alphabet has 36 letters and added to that is that the language of the Qur’an is the classical Arabic, which in some ways differ from the modern Arabic language.
Here’s an explanation from www.arabacademy.com:
“In Classical (or Quranic Arabic), special symbols are used to signify proper pronunciation and to give emphasis to words, such as pauses between words. These written Arabic symbols are almost exclusively used in oral reciting of the Quran. Most Arabic speakers who are Muslims will know Quranic Arabic as learning about the Quran is often a part of a child’s education. Most Arabic speakers will know both Quranic and Modern Standard Arabic.”
So, one might think that in international competitions with Arabic speaking participants, the odds woiild be on them. Well, not necessarily.
Consider, for example, Ustadhz Muzaher Suwaib Bito of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). He has been participating in international Qur’anic events. A “Hafidh” is one who has memorized the entire Holy Qur’an’s contents, 114 Surahs or Chapters.
Millions of Muslims, including young ones, even children have memorized the Islamic Holy Book, which since Islam’s inception in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been the practice that preserves the Qur’an authenticity.
And aside from contests on reading, there is also another event being held in many countries — Qur’an Memorization Competition — where a participant is given the Surah (Chapter) number and Ayah (Verse) number and recite it from memory. Judges do not give clues on what a particular passage is about, or its contents. It is like being blind and groping your way — you recite only from your recollection.
On March 24, this year, Ustadhz Bito, a veteran of many international competitions, bested 57 Qur’an memorizers (Huffadz) at the 𝟯𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗤𝘂𝗿’𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 conducted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Of course, there were many Arabic speaking participants who have the odds because it is their tongue.
Surprise or not, Ustadhz Bito beat the 53 other participants, winning the championship crown, bringing honor and pride to the Philippines, in general, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), in particular. It was a singular feat, considering that more than 51 countries were represented, and many are from Arabic speaking members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The competition as reported in many social media posts, including from the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) and the BARMM government was held starting on March 20. It was held at the King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, Jordan.
Ustadhz Bito’s feat earned accolades from the Bangsamoro government “for bringing back another accomplishment this Ramadhan. Your achievement reflects the unwavering dedication and excellence of Bangsamoro Huffadz in preserving and reciting the Holy Qur’an and may your success inspire more aspiring Huffadz to pursue the noble path of learning and safeguarding the Qur’an.”
The MBHTE headed by Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal lauded the Bangsamoro Hafidz’s feat as he “showcased exceptional dedication and mastery of the Holy Qur’an, bringing honor to the region and the nation. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement!” (/)