Limbang qariah meets expectation to shine at Tilawah Al Quran S’wak 2024
LIMBANG: It was no surprise when Nur Syakura Mohamad Musa was announced the top ‘qariah’ (female Quran reciter) at the finale of ‘63rd Tilawah (Recitation) and Hafazan (Memorisation) AlQuran Sarawak’, staged here on Saturday.
It was the 29-year-old Limbang native’s fifth win since 2017. She first took part in the ‘tilawah’ in 2014.
Following the results, she and the top ‘qari’, Ahmad Mukhlis Yahya, would represent Sarawak at the national-level event, to be held in Pahang this May.
“This is another opportunity for me to bring the name of Sarawak up to the national level,” she said when met by reporters after the prize presentation. The focus this time will be on training, so I would carry out more ‘talaqqi’ (one-on-one meeting with the teacher).
“To master the Quran knowledge, especially in reciting the verses, requires hard work. It’s not easy, but this knowledge will forever be our guide,” she said.
Meanwhile for Ahmad Mukhlis, who hails from Sarikei, the hard work that he had been putting in since 2016, finally paid off that night.
He remarked: “I have been strengthening my mindset and improving my reciting. Mental strength is important because on the stage, anything can happen, so I need that strength to stay calm and be really focused on the reading.”
Nur Syakura and Ahmad Mukhlis each took home RM10,000, an umrah package, the challenge trophy, as well as a certificate.
The prizes were presented by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohamad Sanusi.
Meanwhile, Mohd Sharul Hakimi Mohamad and Nur Husna Norzaidi – both from Kuching – were the respective top ‘qari’ and ‘qariah’ in the ‘Hafazan Juzuk (Quranic Parts) 1-10’ category.
For the ‘Juzuk 1-20’ category, the winners were Muhammad Nadjat Arsyad Madzalan Abdul Rahman and Nurul Izzah Mukhali, while Muhammad Arif Muadzam was adjudged the best in the ‘Juzuk 130’ category.
The cash prizes for each top participant of the ‘Hafazan Juzuk 1-10’, ‘Juzuk 1-20’ and ‘Juzuk 130’ were RM3,000, RM4,000 and RM5,000, respectively.
Taking place at the Limbang Civic Centre from March 6 to 9, this year’s event gathered a total of 45 participants from all across Sarawak.
Also present at the finale were Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and wife Datuk Dayang Morliah Awang Daud; federal Deputy Transport Minister and Limbang MP Datuk Hasbi Habibollah; Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi; Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development and Bukit Kota assemblyman Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; and Sarawak Grand Imam Dato Mustapha Kamal Ahmad Fauzi who was also chairman of the judging panel.