According to the draw, Seyed Mostafa Hosseini’s turn was to recite as the 17^th qari but he was called by the organizers to perform his recitation earlier than scheduled.

He recited verses 21 and 22 of Surah Ibrahim (the 14^th chapter of the Quran) as demanded by the panel of arbiters.

The competition was launched in a ceremony in the Russian capital city on Friday.

The Muftis Council of Russia has organized the event in cooperation with the World Union of Muslims.

The Moscow Cathedral Mosque is hosting the international competition.

According to Ismail Gundulin, the coordinator of the organizing committee, representatives of 21 countries are taking part in this year’s event.

Kuwait, Iraq, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Syria, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Yemen are among the countries represented in the contest.

Members of the panel of arbiters are Quran experts from Yemen, Turkey, Lebanon, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.

The contest will run in the Russian capital until Monday, according to the organizers.

The following footage features Hosseini’s recitation at the competition:

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