Russian Hafizes of Quran took part in the competition of the Quran reciters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Mecca).

From 18 to 26 December Mecca hosted the 33rd International competition Quran reciters. The competition was held at the Grand Mosque Masjid-ul-Haram.

During the 33-year history of the International competition, it is second time held in the Sacred Mosque. 162 people from 53 countries participated in the following categories: knowledge of the Quran by heart, and its interpretation (and hivz tilava), knowledge of the first 20,15 and 10 juz respectively.

The Russian Muftis Council which sent its two Russian Khafizes of Quran received an invitation to bid in such a place of honor and received the Council of Muftis of Russia.

Bilal Abdulkhalik (12 years) – a winner of the Russian competition of Quran readers in 2011 in Makhachkala and Kazan, and Islam Kozhevnikov (23), a current student at the University "Al-Azhar University" at the Faculty of Arabic Language, participated in the contest.

Islam Kozhevnikov shared his impressions: "On my own behalf I express my gratitude to the Russian Muftis Council and to all who participated and contributed to our participation in the competition, in my opinion, this is a great benefit for religion to thrive. I wish that our country has become involved in this prosperity in the following years as well! We pray to Allah that He has had his mercy, and gave an opportunity to gather other brothers next year, get the reward of Allah and so beautiful impressions of the Jamaat! I will conclud with the words of God: "They believed, and their hearts are comforted by the remembrance of God ..."(13:28).

The competition program was extensive. Thus, apart from the competition, held in front of the Blessed Kaaba, the participants visited the house of the Imam of the Mosque Sacred Dr. Abdurahman Assudeysi, visited the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) to read there their Friday prayers, also visited the King Fahd Complex, which specializes in printing the Holy Quran, met with the leadership of the Islamic University in Medina, visited the factory for the manufacture of the veil for the Kaaba.

As a result of the competition the winners are representatives of Egypt (knowledge of the Quran by heart, and its interpretation), Iraq (knowledge of the Quran by heart), Yemen (knowledge of the first 20 juz), Saidiya (15 juz ') and the Philippines (10 juz').

All the participants were awarded with valuable cash gifts.

It should be noted that the next year we will take the respected Quran Khafizes in Russia for 13 International Competition Quran readers, to be held in autumn 2012.

Note that the purpose of such contests is not a recitation of the Quran to win better places, but acquaintance of the Holy Quran reciters with each other, encouraging people to memorize the Quran by heart and life according to the canons of the Quran, calling the Muslims to single word and strengthen our hearts in love, mercy, compassion, responsiveness, and help each other. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and greet him, said: "The best of you is he who studies the Quran and teach others.”