‘Zayen al-Aswat’ Contest Suitable Platform for Identifying Quranic Talents: Young Qari
Masoud Movahedirad made the remark in an interview with IQNA on the sidelines of the Quranic event.
The first edition of the ‘Zayen al-Aswat’ Quran contest was held in the holy city of Qom on Wednesday and Thursday (October 1-2, 2025).
More than 1,600 applicants from all 31 provinces had registered, with 94 reaching the final stage. Participants, aged 14 to 24, competed in different forms of recitation under the supervision of international judges.
The competition, held under the slogan “Quran, the Book of the Faithful,” was organized by the Al al-Bayt Institute’s Quranic Affairs Center with support from cultural and Quranic organizations. All recitations were recorded and will be published through the institute’s media platforms.
Evaluating the competition, Movahedirad said its level is very good and it can be said that it is held on par with the national Quran competition.
“It is interesting to know that almost all the reciters who participated in the final stage of the national competition (organized annually by the Awqaf and Charity Affairs Organization) also took part in this contest, which indicates its high level.”
Asked about the necessity of holding such competitions in the country, he said the existence of such events is a basic need for the country’s Quranic community.
“Young and teenage reciters need appropriate arenas to test their abilities. These competitions not only provide an opportunity for healthy competition, but also promote scientific and experimental synergy among reciters and improve the quality of recitation in the country.”
He further said the most important positive feature of the first edition of the competition was the equal opportunity for all qaris from across the country. “The open registration system made it possible for unknown and less-seen talents to appear alongside well-known qaris and showcase their abilities. In this competition, I met talented qaris who, despite their high level of quality, were rarely seen in the national arena.”
Read More:
Asked what kind of training he had to do to participate in this competition, Movahedirad said he had a lot of practice in the past weeks and faced challenges such as voice problems and schedule busyness, “but I believe that a professional reciter must always be ready. By relying on God and continuous training, I was able to prepare myself for this important competition and, thank God, I delivered an acceptable recitation.”
4308298
