The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has named six scholars on the panel of judges for the fifth session of the award, which was launched Friday under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defense Minister.
According to Khaleej Times, members of the panel include Ibrahim Al Akhdar Ali Al Qayem, Sheikh Al Quraa from Madinah.
Othman Yousef Mohammed, a scholar from Somalia was chosen a judge of the contest, which will be concluded on December 3rd.
The Somali scholar taught Quran in his country for more than 20 years before moving to Saudi Arabia where he started teaching at Dar Al Faezeen in Mecca. Another judge is Radi Wai Hama Ismail, a renowned scholar from Thailand. The fourth member of the panel is Egyptian scholar Abdul Hakim Abdul Salam Khater, a member of the scientific committee on the Holy Quran of the Madinah-based King Fahd Association for the printing of Holy Quran, the Dubai-based daily said.
The two other members of the judges are Dr Mustafa Ateela Akadameer, a professor from Marmara University of Turkey, and Egypt's Salah Mahmoud Al Sagheer who works as imam and preacher at the Department of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Dubai.
Saleh Mahmood is also a professor at the Arab and Islamic Studies College in Dubai and a Holy Quran teacher at the Sheikh Zayed Project for Holy Quran Memorization.
The contest is to keep Muslims in closer relation with the Quran specially during the fasting month of Ramadan.
The Attorney General of Dubai Prosecution and Chairman of the Award's organizing committee, Ibrahim Bu Melha,
stressed the need of such contest.
Bu Melah said in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony that "the Muslims need the Holy Book and the principles of the Prophet now more than any other time.
"As we start the fifth session of the award we are optimistic that Muslims will realize the need to adhere to the principles of Islam and act upon its teachings," he said.
"The presence of such a large number of participants from the east and the west who have come here to compete in the International Holy Quran Award is a positive sign of the beginning of a whole new generation of committed Muslims," Bu Melha added – Albawaba.com
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