Rules

Eligibility

The competition is open to all community members. Participants need not be members of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati.

Each participant may enter one group per competition. The organizing committee reserves the right to request verification of any information provided at registration.

Registration

Registration is completed online and must be submitted before the published deadline. Late entries cannot be accommodated. The registration deadline will be announced on this site.

Participants under the age of 18 must register with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, who completes the consent section during registration.

Groups & Portions

Participants register in one of five groups defined by the amount of Qur'an recited: 1 Juz, 3 Juz, 5 Juz, 15 Juz, or the complete 30 Juz.

Each group recites from predetermined portions of its Juz range. The exact portions will be published before the competition so participants may prepare.

Conduct & Adab

All participants, families, and guests are expected to observe the adab of the masjid and the dignity of the occasion. Modest dress is required for entry to the prayer hall and competition areas.

Recordings and photography are permitted only in designated areas and must not disrupt sessions. The organizing committee may ask anyone causing disruption to leave.

Recitation Guidelines

Recitation is in the riwāyah of Ḥafṣ ʿan ʿĀṣim unless otherwise announced. Participants begin from the point indicated by the judges and continue until asked to stop.

A reciter who errs may be prompted once by the appointed muraqqib. Repeated prompting on the same passage affects the memorization score as described below.

Judging Criteria

Each recitation is scored by a panel of 33 qualified judges against the following criteria:

• ۞Accuracy of Memorization — Correctness and fluency of the recited portion, with minimal prompting.
• ۞Tajwīd — Makhārij, ṣifāt, the rules of nūn sākinah and tanwīn, madd, and waqf.
• ۞— to be announced — (further criteria to be announced)
• ۞— to be announced — (further criteria to be announced)

Scoring & Results

The detailed scoring rubric is being finalized and will be published before the competition.

In the event of a tie, the head judge's decision is final. Results are announced at the awards ceremony and published on this site afterward. The decisions of the judging panel are final and not subject to appeal.

Disqualification

Misrepresentation of eligibility, misconduct, or failure to appear at the scheduled time without prior notice may result in disqualification at the discretion of the organizing committee.