SPEECH BY THE RECTOR OF UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH RIAU AT THE OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL HIFZ QUR'AN COMPETITION

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Respected Rectors from Local, National, and International Universities, distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Most Importantly, All Participants of the International Musabaqah Hifzul Quran, It is an honor and a privilege to welcome you all to this prestigious event, where we come together to celebrate the beauty and significance of the Holy Qur’an.

As far as we know, al-Quran is the divine revelation revealed to the prophet Muhammad SAW through the angel Jibril. It is also the holy book of Islam that provides guidance for all aspects of human life as individual and social, material and spiritual, political and economic, this world and the hereafter. This book contains a pattern of a complete way of life for human beings to achieve their goal of life; the eternal happiness.

The purpose of the existence of humankind is to worship God. The Quran declared:  وما خلقت الجن و الانس الا ليعبدون (I do not create the Jin and Mankind except to worship Me). One of the best ways to gain Allah's interest is reciting or memorizing the Quran. Because it is the words of God. On the other hand reciting the Quran also can strengthen a muslim connection to Allah. 

There are many blessings Allah grants to those who memorize the Quran, one of them is nobility and rank, as our prophet said:   مثل الذى يقرء القرآن و هو حافظ له مع السفرة الكرام البررة  (Such a person as recites the Quran and master it by heart, will be with noble righteous scribes in heaven)

The Quran is a miracle. There are many journals discussing the benefits of memorizing the Quran for human health. For example the article written by Nurul Fazrena Kamal in Procedia social and behavioral Science with title modelling brain activities during reading working memory task: comparison between reciting the Quran and reading books. She stated that reciting the Quran leads to the state of resting and calming the minds of human beings. Similarly, in the journal of Neurobehavioral Science in 2021, Sirin wrote the article " the effect of memorizing the Quran on Cognitive Functions. The conclusion is, memorizing the Quran has positive impacts on verbal and visual memory. In other words, reciting the Quran not only contains the pure ritual but also all dimensions of human life.

On behalf of Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau, I extend my deepest appreciation to all participating universities for their dedication to this noble competition. For us, this event is more than just an annual gathering. It is a testament to our love and devotion to the Quran.

With that, I now declare the International Musabaqah Hifzul Quran officially open. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Nasrun minallah wa fathun qorib.
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Pekanbaru, 16 Ramadhan 1446 H./16th March 2025 M.

Rector,

Dr. H. Saidul Amin, MA.