Mosque of Paris Holds Int’l Quran Competition

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The first edition of this international Quran competition—launched by the Grand Mosque of Paris to coincide with its centenary celebrations—began on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, El Khabar reported. 

The event has attracted over a thousand participants from various countries.

It aims to promote the memorization and recitation of the Quran and to strengthen cultural and spiritual ties among Muslims worldwide.

The competition has met with remarkable interest, with the number of registrants exceeding one thousand—a figure that reflects the widespread enthusiasm for this Quranic event and the dedication of Muslims from various countries to the memorization and recitation of the Holy Quran.

At the start of the preliminary round, Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, introduced the members of the competition's judging panel. The committee comprises several imams and experts specializing in Quranic memorization and recitation.

Members of the committee include Sheikh Hussein Wa'alili, Sheikh Ammar Raqbat al-Sharafi, Sheikh Zakaria Basbasi, and Razia Hilal. Additionally, several imams from the Grand Mosque of Paris—including Sheikh Zayan bin Azzouz, Sheikh Ahmed Moussa, Sheikh Younes al-Arabi, Sheikh Rachid bin al-Sheikh, and Sheikh Khaled al-Arabi—are participating in the judging process. At this stage, the jury members are evaluating the 160 selected participants. This phase is being conducted with an emphasis on accuracy, transparency, and equal opportunity for all contestants.

A significant portion of the judging sessions is taking place via video link, allowing participants from various countries to compete without the need for physical presence in Paris—an approach that has highlighted the competition's international nature since the preliminary round.

The participants hope to advance from the preliminary round to the finals, which are scheduled to be held in November at the Grand Mosque of Paris

In the final, a group of distinguished memorizers and reciters will compete for the top honors of this inaugural competition.