Ismail Londt – Reminders and Advice for contestants

When participating as a contestant in a hive memorization competition

or a tilawa kirawat competition,

the obvious reminder for all is to be as sincere as can be. It's

difficult on a competition level, but we are reciting the word of

Allah,

and he hears before anyone else. So we sit there with an inner

prayer that he accepts from us,

and he keeps us humble, and he keeps us focused. And then,

even if we do not gain a position through our efforts,

may it be that someone sitting in the audience, someone listening,

someone watching, be inspired and motivated to reconnect, or to

increase the level of relationship and interaction with the Quran, so

that, Inshallah,

with additional efforts, additional efforts by those whom

we inspire, we may also benefit and share in any potential reward

down the line.

I mean, that should be the pre

and then on a competition level,

there are participants who are extremely strong in their memory,

and there are others who are extremely talented in the vocal

ability, but they lose unnecessary points where

the clarity of the sounds of the letters are concerned clarity and

the quality of the letters, empty, being empty, full, being full, no

distortion, no doubt in the adjudicators ears they will

deduct, and that's where you lose unnecessary points. Number one, so

clarity and quality of the letters and number two, the

applied rules. Everyone knows to pull a gunna or to apply Huna in

certain places, and everyone knows regarding the extended, long

bells, the mud, the mudud for a year.

So obviously you're not going to leave out of Huna where gunna is

required. You're not going to leave out a mud where mud is

required. But on a competition level, especially, you have to be

consistent in how you apply them. The lengths of the Runa,

the rules should not suffer because of melody,

the length of the Runa and the length of the Mad FARA, the length

of the extended vowels, sometimes even in the head competition,

you have certain winners longer than others, or other winners

shorter than others, or the links of the mud are inconsistent. Those

are all unnecessary points that are lost, unnecessary points that

will be deducted. And you find some competitors surprised after

the competition because they expected

through the through the mistake free, flawless hymn dish, or

through the melodic and strong, expressive

telawa rendition, they expected some position and rank.

But they are surprised when they do not get those ranks in

positions, not realizing that they were neglectful in regard to the

the quality of the sounds of the letters and how they apply the

rules. And then there is, there is another cause for deduction of

points, and that is incorrect stopping and incorrect

recommencing within the ayah, and that that is something independent

that we as non Arabic speaking reciters should be looking at. And

we are looking into it Inshallah,

trying to get some form of standardization and guidelines

where that is concerned. So we pray for everyone, and we request

everyone's prayers as well. And may it be that our efforts in

spending more time with the Quran, that these efforts are accepted,

and through these efforts, we all become eligible for Divine Mercy

in this world and the next, and that Allah counts us all amongst

the true companions of his book. I mean Assalamualaikum,

warahmatullahi, wabarakatuh.