Saudi Arabia, 6 Ramadan, March 28, 2023
The Marrakesh Quranic tablets and the old Saturday market recitation sessions adjacent to the Moroccan city of Beni Mellal contributed to bringing the German contestant of Moroccan origin, Salah al-Din Mutabid, to the Otr Elkalam competitions, after he mastered in those places the memorization of the Holy Quran according to the recitations of Warsh, Qalun, and Hafs with distinguished performance and elaborate intonation. All those who listened to him were impressed with his humble recitation, which introduced him to European Islamic centers, which attracted him to the German city of Essen.
Today’s episode of Otr Elkalam, one of the initiatives of the General Entertainment Authority, witnessed the competition of the contestant Mutabid, who combined medicine with leading the prayers, against his Yemeni counterpart Yusef Hussein, who works as an educational mentor in Yemeni Quran schools. Mutabid qualified for the next stage thanks to his distinctive voice and vocal capabilities and beauty in reciting the verses of the Holy Quran.
In the adhan track, the competition intensified between the Saudi muazzin Abdulrahman al-Subhi, who experienced raising adhan at the Roxbury Mosque in Boston and the Islamic University Mosque in Malaysia, against the Yemeni Issa Al-Jaadi, who raised adhan passionately, with distinguished employment of the maqamat (music structure). Al-Jaadi qualified for the next stage of the competition, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
Otr Elkalam, which is broadcast daily during Ramadan on MBC and the Shahid digital platform, sheds light on the distinguished voices in reciting the Holy Quran and raising adhan. It also contributes to increasing the knowledge of the participants and viewers through the Jury’s notes on Tajwid, recitations, and maqamat. The competition aims to show the various cultures of the Islamic world and their diversity in Quran recitation and raising adhan, introduce the tolerance and moderation of Islam, honor creative talents in recitation and adhan, and present a show that highlights the aesthetics of the Quran and its various recitations.