7th Quran Competition: Winners from 12 African Countries Honored in Fez

Fez – Reciters from 12 African countries were honored on Sunday at the conclusion of the finals of the 7th edition of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema competition for memorization, recitation, and chanting of the Holy Quran, held from September 25 to 27 in Fez.

Presenting the report for this edition, the competition’s general coordinator, Mr. Mohamed El Maghraoui, indicated that the first part, dedicated to the complete memorization of the Holy Quran with recitation according to the Warsh recitation based on Nafi’ah, brought together 26 candidates, who demonstrated a remarkable level of memorization and mastery of the rules of this recitation.

The second part of the competition, dedicated to complete memorization with recitation according to various readings and variants, brought together 42 candidates, whose memorization and recitation skills were deemed good.

The third part, focused on psalmody with memorization of at least five hizbs, saw the participation of 46 candidates, primarily children and teenagers, noted Mr. El Maghraoui, emphasizing the importance of this category in encouraging young people to practice psalmody and identifying talent.

The top three winners of the first part were Obeidallah Abou Bakr Ango (Niger), Bachir Younès (Nigeria), and Mohamed Jallo (Mali).

In the second part, the top three places went to Abdelkader Youssef Mohamed (Somalia), Hamoud Lahbib Taleb Boubaker (Mauritania), and Ismail Youssef Hammad (Tanzania).

For the third round, the top three places were won by Ahmed Ahmedou Sidi Mohamed Abou Obeida (Mauritania), Abdellah Bah (Mali), and Yahya Ben Ali Melam Hassan (Mauritius).

The prize for the youngest participant was awarded to Hassana Bajo (Gambia), aged 10, while the prize for the youngest male participant went to Abderrahmane Jallo (Guinea-Bissau), aged 7.

The encouragement prizes were awarded to Diarra Salima (Côte d’Ivoire) for the first round, Abdelaziz Mohamed Diallo (Liberia) for the second, and Nirarucondo Modzarefa (Rwanda) for the third.

The candidates were evaluated in person in Fez by a jury composed of Islamic scholars and specialized reciters from Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Mauritania, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Sudan.

A central technical team based in Fez, in coordination with the technical teams of the Foundation’s branches in the 48 participating countries, ensured remote communication and broadcast the various phases of the competition via videoconference.

Through this annual competition, the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Scholars works to strengthen young Africans’ attachment to the Holy Quran, to encourage its memorization, recitation, and chanting, as well as to discover and promote young Quranic talents across the continent.

This initiative reflects the profound concern His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, has for the Holy Quran and its followers, as well as the Sovereign’s particular attention to strengthening the attachment of young Africans to the Book of God, its values, and its teachings.

From March 29 to April 26, 2026, the Foundation organized local qualifying rounds in the 48 countries where it has branches, with the participation of more than 1,300 candidates. These rounds resulted in 114 participants, including 16 women, qualifying for the final phase.