‘Beyond Expectations’: Expert Hails ‘High Level’ of Participants at 7th Int’l Quran Contest for Muslim Students
The preliminary round of the 7th International Quran Competition for Muslim Students, which began on July 20, 2025, has set the tone for a fiercely competitive and elevated event, according to one of its senior judges.
Speaking to IQNA, Mo'taz Aghaei, a veteran Iranian Quranic expert and judge, said: “We witnessed a very high level of competition during the preliminary stage. Some contestants received perfect scores, and more than half were awarded excellent marks.”
He added that such a concentration of quality is rarely seen, as competitions usually feature participants with varied performance levels. “This round went beyond expectations,” he emphasized.
Held virtually over three days, the preliminary stage focused on the memorization category and involved contestants from 47 countries, according to the competition's secretariat. Aghaei reviewed the performances from the Mobin Studio of the International Quran News Agency (IQNA) in Tehran.
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Aghaei noted that the strong performances are likely to make the semifinal stage even more challenging. “Only five or six contestants will make it to the final round, so the in-person semifinal will require even more precise and sensitive judging,” he said.
As a judge, Aghaei said he was required to score each participant in multiple technical areas, such as Sawt (melodious voice) and Lahn (rhythm), waqf and ibtida (pause and start), and accuracy of memorization. He added that in the semifinal and final stages, individual judges will be assigned to each criterion, ensuring greater objectivity and technical precision.
“This structure allows those with greater preparedness and technical mastery to excel,” Aghaei explained.
Reflecting on the preliminary round of the memorization section, he predicted that the remaining phases of the competition would be both “intense and inspiring.” “Based on what I observed, I can confidently say the rest of the competition will be lively, passionate, and of an extremely high standard.”
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The Iranian Academics’ Quranic Organization, affiliated with the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), has organized the event since 2006. The competition seeks to promote Quranic activities and foster academic and spiritual connections among Muslim students across the globe.
This year’s edition follows six previous rounds, which have collectively welcomed participants from more than 85 countries. The last edition was held in Mashhad, northeast Iran, in April 2018.
Aghaei concluded by noting that in the current week, the judging panel will also begin reviewing recorded performances of participants in the recitation category.
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