Katibi had emerged the overall best in the recitation of 60 hizb, complete Qur’an with tafsir, while Muhammad Salisu Jibril from Kwara North emerged the runner-up.
Hizb is a part of the Qur’an which is half the length of a Juz. There are 30 Juz in the Qur’an. This division is used for readers of the Qur’an to be able to complete a reading of the Qur’an within a certain period of time.
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, presented a cash donation of N250,000 to the overall winner, even as the state government announced the donation of the sum of N500,000 to support the competition.
In the second category, which is 60 hizb, complete Qur’an with Tajweed, Mashood Ibrahim from Kwara Central came first, followed by Hammad Jumat Umaru from Kwara North. Sheifullahi Issa from Kwara North clinched the third position.
In the third category, 40 hizb (female), Aisha Muhammad (Kwara North) emerged the winner and Halimat Adekanye, the runner-up.
The winners from all the contests will represent the state at the 2018 national competition scheduled to be held in Katsina State in February.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the competition, the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, congratulated the competitors for their dedication and for demonstrating their skills in the competition and urged them to sustain their interest in the Qur’an beyond the competition.
He said they should not only learn the Qur’an but they should live by its dictates.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Water Resources, AbdulRazaq Akorede, urged the competitors to be worthy ambassadors of Islam and, indeed the state, in their daily conduct and interaction with others.
The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, congratulated the competitors and appreciated all those that contributed to the success of the programme, especially traditional rulers who attended the event despite their tight schedules.
The chairman on the occasion, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, appealed to parents and guardians to take greater interest in the moral upbringing of their children and wards.
“A situation whereby majority of our children who are leaders of tomorrow indulge in illicit, hard drugs as well as other vices that are alien to our culture and Islam calls for caution and fervent prayers from both the parents and our clerics,” he said.
The chairman of the Kwara State Arabic Education Board, Dr Abdulkadir Oba-Sholagberu, praised the state Committee on Qur’an Memorisation for its efforts at preserving Quranic education.
He, however, urged the state government to fulfill its promise to construct a Qur’an memorisation centre.
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