Malaysian Qari Says Cold Weather A Factor Affecting His Recitation at Iran Int’l Quran Contest
Syamsul Abu Hasa al-Shaari is competing in the recitation category of the Quranic event.
Speaking to IQNA, he said that regardless of the rules and regulations, one factor that can be a big obstacle for a qari in a Quran competition is the surrounding.
In Malaysia, he said, the average temperature is high and the weather is warm, but it is cold here in Iran (in this time of the year), which could affect one’s performance.
Another factor is the food, he stated, adding that if you went to have a good recitation, you need to have energy and it comes from food.
And when you are in a foreign country and are served strange food, there could be problems, al-Shaari said. “Thank God, I have no problem with Iranian food. Actually I love the Kebab and the rice (the way it is cooked in Iran) is very nice as well.”
He added that the only obstacle for him personally was the weather. It is very cold and it slightly affects his voice compared to how he recites in Malaysia, the 29-year-old qari went on to say.
Asked about his learning of the Quran, al-Shaari said he started reciting Quran (Tilawat Mujawad) since he was ten years old.
“My father is also a qari. He passed down his legacy to me.”
He added that Quran recitation style is mujawwad, which means reciting slowly while following all the rules of Tajweed, and also observing the Maqamat that makes the recitation beautiful.
He learned Quran recitation with his father and then at the age of 18, he went to another renowned teacher in his country to enhance his skills.
One of his teachers is Yahya Dawud, who is currently the number-one Quran teacher in Malaysia.
He was also asked about the Quran competition in Malaysia.
He said Malaysia’s international Quran competition was held a few months ago. In order to select Malaysia’s representative in the Quranic event, there is another Quran contest where contenders come from different states. “In Malaysia we have 14 states. I represented one of the states and unfortunately I did not come first. And the one who won the first rank represented Malaysia in the country’s international Quran contest.
As for the similarities and differences between the international Quran competitions of Iran and Malaysia, Al-Ashaari said the similarities are numerous.
One difference though is that in the Malaysia event, all the contestants are given ten minutes to recite. “So if you recite more (verses) in ten minutes, you will get more points. And if you recite slowly, you will be able to recite (fewer verses) because your time will be up. But in Iran’s contest, the time (of recitation) is not something one has to mind. In Iran’s competition the reciter is told to recite from a certain verse to a certain verse and there is no time constraint.
Asked about his plans for future, he said, “My hope is that in the coming days I can contribute more to the development of Quran (teachings). Maybe I can put efforts in teaching the younger generation while also working to learn more and enhance my Quranic skills.”
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