Nur Syakura dedicated the victory to Amnah Ayup

KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Oct: Nur Syakura Mohamad Musa's achievement earned him the title of johan qariah at the International Council for Translation and Interpretation (MTHQA) dedicated to his teacher, Allahyarhamah Amnah Ayup.

Syakura said Allahyarhamah Amnah, the last qariah from Sarawak to win the title in 2007, has always been her idol and source of inspiration for pursuing taranum science.

"Ever since I was on the bench, I've always been my teacher. He guided me to the end of his life", he told a press conference after the closing ceremony of MTHQA here today.

He believes that success is not something easy to achieve, but rather the result of a long journey since 2017.

Syakura said preparations for the competition included intensive training with qari and qariah of the homeland for several months, including special guidance from his teacher, Ustaz Yahya David and wife.

"Exercises in Kelantan are held on a regular basis, about 10 days per month with sessions from morning to evening, through the initiative of MIS through Darul Hana Quranic Centre.

"The competition is fierce because all the participants are great. I also followed the readings of other participants and studied their reading patterns. Thank God, this success is thanks to the guidance of teachers and the support of Sarawak's families and people", he said.

Commenting on the challenges during the preparation, the superintendent of Quran teachers at Sarawak Islamic Council (MIS) said that he had to keep his physical and mental health awake, especially when the turbulence in Sarawak was affecting his voice quality.

After achieving this meaningful success, he was determined to strengthen his mastery of Quranic knowledge and share his experience in producing a generation of laymen who were able to elevate the art of Quran reading to higher levels.

"I hope this success will be a catalyst for expanding the study and understanding of the Quran", he said.

Previously, Syakura was crowned as the winner of the Qur'an Excerpt category for women in MTHQA 2026 after earning 91.83 marks.

Second place was taken by Singaporean Qariah A'Til Qah Suhaimi with 91.00 marks, while Brunei representative Dayangku Siti Ummi Syazana Pengiran Haji Marjuki came third with 90.83 points. - TVS