Qur'an Memorization
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Test your memorization and recitation of the Qur’an in Arabic according to Tajweed (rules of recitation). Level 1 is for beginners, while Levels 2 and 3 are for more advanced competitors.
Format
Section titled “Format”In-Person
Number of Levels
Section titled “Number of Levels”Three (3)
Memorization Requirements by Level
Section titled “Memorization Requirements by Level”| Level | Surahs Required |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Surah 1 (Al-Fatiha), Surah 78 (An-Naba) - Surah 114 (An-Nas) |
| Level 2 | Surah 67 (Al-Mulk) - Surah 77 (Al-Mursalaat) + all Level 1 |
| Level 3 | Surah 36 (Ya-Seen), Surah 55 (Ar-Rahman), Surah 56 (Al-Waqiah) AND competitor’s choice of: Surah 12 (Yusuf), Surah 18 (Al-Kahf), Surah 19 (Maryam), or Surah 20 (Ta-Ha) + all above |
Registration Guidelines
Section titled “Registration Guidelines”-
Each level is treated as a separate competition and is gender-segregated.
- Male competitors register for Brothers Qur’an Memorization Level 1/2/3
- Female competitors register for Sisters Qur’an Memorization Level 1/2/3
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Each team may have a maximum of:
- Two (2) male and two (2) female competitors for Level 1, 2, and 3
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If a student has competed in a Qur’an Memorization Level in the past, they must register for a higher level than previously registered.
Procedure
Section titled “Procedure”-
Students are expected to memorize the portion of Qur’an relevant to their level in Arabic and recite from memory fluently.
- Hafs (on the authority of Asim) is the recitation style to be used.
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Students may begin with Level 1 in their first year but may not repeat the same Level in subsequent years.
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Judges will prompt students by reading a portion of a verse, and students will continue until motioned to stop.
- Judging based on three separate passages
- Judges choose all three passages
- Passage length based on judges’ discretion
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If student cannot continue after 5 seconds of silence, judge may read a word (or few words) to help continue.
- If student repeats and continues without further help: no points deducted
- If judge reminds beginning of current verse helping student start over: -1 point
- Each following time judge reminds next word(s): -2 points
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If student cannot continue after three failed attempts, judge may ask student to proceed to next passage.
- Remaining memorization points for that passage are forfeited.
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Judges will immediately signal after a mistake with a pen tap:
- 1 tap for minor mistakes
- 2 quick taps for major mistakes
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If mistake is self-corrected within 5 seconds without prompting: -1 point
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After allowing self-correction time, judge should audibly tap to indicate mistake and allow another chance.
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If mistake not corrected on second reading, judge may recite the correction.
- Student may ask for clarification
- If student correctly fixes after judge’s correction: -3 points
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If unable to fix after prompting:
- Minor mistakes: -1 point
- Major mistakes: -2 points
- Pronunciation mistakes (not memorization) only penalized once if recurring
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Maximum score: 96 points
- In case of tie, judges may break up to 5-way tie using tie-breaker section
Mistake Categories
Section titled “Mistake Categories”Minor Mistakes
Section titled “Minor Mistakes”| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Heavy vs. Light | Overlooking rules of tafkheem and tarqeeq when reciting Allah’s name and letter Raa |
| Ghunnah | Not adhering to rules of izhaar, idghaam, iqlaab, ikhfaa in their respective places |
| Incorrect Makhraj or Sifat | Not pronouncing letters from correct place of articulation and respective qualities (qalqala, etc.) |
| Prolongation | Not prolonging/stretching a letter when madd is present |
Major Mistakes
Section titled “Major Mistakes”| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Addition | Adding letters to words or adding entire words |
| Omission | Leaving off letters from words or leaving out entire words |
| Replacement | Replacing a letter for another or replacing entire words |
| Change Harakah | Changing fat’ha, dhamma, or kasra |
| Harakah/Sukoon | Replacing harakah with sukoon or vice versa |
Interactive Scoring Ballot
Section titled “Interactive Scoring Ballot”Interactive Ballot
Enter scores to calculate the total automatically.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Passage 1 - Memorization Starting score: 22. Deduct points for mistakes. | |
| Passage 1 - Pronunciation Tajweed and pronunciation quality | |
| Passage 2 - Memorization Starting score: 22. Deduct points for mistakes. | |
| Passage 2 - Pronunciation Tajweed and pronunciation quality | |
| Passage 3 - Memorization Starting score: 22. Deduct points for mistakes. | |
| Passage 3 - Pronunciation Tajweed and pronunciation quality | |
| Tie Breaker Only for students who went through tiebreaker (up to 5 people) | |
| Total Score | 0 / 100 |
Deductions
Enter the number of occurrences for each deduction type.
| Deduction Type | Points | Count | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-correction without being prompted | -1 | 0 | |
| Reminder of beginning of verse from judge | -1 | 0 | |
| Self-correction with audible tap | -2 | 0 | |
| Continuation of verse by judge | -2 | 0 | |
| Major mistake not corrected | -2 | 0 | |
| Self-correction with recitation | -3 | 0 | |
| Unable to continue at all | -10 | 0 | |
| Total Deductions | 0 | ||