He made this comment while opening the 32nd King Abdul Aziz International Qur'an Recitation and Memorization competition inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
"It is the duty of Muslims to learn and memorize the Qur'an and follow its teachings in all walks of their lives," the minister said and noted the government's support to domestic and international Qur'an contests.
Al-Asheikh said the Qur'an plays an important role in the lives of Muslims all over the world. "The Qur'an has contributed a lot in the development of Islamic civilization," he pointed out.
As many as 188 contestants from 64 countries are participating in the competition organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance.
Mansour Al-Sumaih, secretary-general of the competition, said it is for the first time the contest is held inside the Grand Mosque to encourage Muslim youth to learn the Qur'an.
He thanked the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques for making arrangements for the contest. "We have also organized a course for judges for the first time on the sidelines of the competition," he said. Experts from 16 countries are taking the course.
The contests are held in five categories. The ministry has allocated SR888,000 as cash prizes to winners. The first-prize winner in the first category will get SR75,000 while the second and third prize winners will get SR72,000 and SR69,000 respectively. The fourth place finisher will receive SR66,000 and the contestant finishing fifth SR63,000.
In the second category the first five winners will receive SR55,000, SR52,000, SR49,000, SR46,000 and SR43,000 respectively. In the third SR40,000, SR37,000, SR34,000, SR31,000 and SR28,000. In the fourth SR25,000, SR22,000, SR19,000, SR16,000 and SR13,000. Winners of the fifth category will receive SR10,000, SR8,000, SR6,000, SR5,000 and SR4,000.
