Previous defeats not setback for national qari winner Aiman Ridhwan

TAIPING: Not making the cut in previous Quran recitation competitions only made Aiman Ridhwan Mohamad Ramlan more determined to do better and this was proven when he was finally crowned the 1443H/2020 national-level Quran Recitation qari (male reciter) champion yesterday.

Aiman Ridhwan, 24, said the defeats had instead spurred him on, adding that his parents' encouragement and prayers were also the driving force for his success.

"I thank my mother Umi Kalsum Sukri, 46 and father Mohamad Ramlan Dali, 50, who had always encouraged me to learn to read and recite the Quran properly," he told Bernama today.

He said his mission now was to prepare for the competition at the international level and to meet judges for talaqi sessions.

Meanwhile, in Johor Bahru, qariah (female reciter) winner, school teacher Sofizah Mousin admitted that she did not focus on preparation for the tilawah because her son fell sick two weeks before the competition.

"I would do my own voice training while driving every day," she said when met after the competition at the Pusat Islam Iskandar last night.

The Selangor qariah said her family, especially husband Ahmad Asrol Saidi, 35, had been her pillar of strength in the competition.

Aiman Ridhwan and Sofizah each received RM15,000 cash and an additional RM10,000 to perform the haj, along with souvenirs and a certificate of participation.

-- BERNAMA