Sunday 05/April/2026 – 02:25 PM
Al-Azhar regions across the Republic witnessed the launch of the activities of the Junior Al-Azhari Competition for the academic year 2025/2026 AD, under the patronage of the Grand Imam, Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, and under the supervision of Sheikh Ayman Abdel-Ghani, Head of the Al-Azhar Institutes Sector, and His Eminence Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Sharqawi, Head of the Central Administration for Educational Affairs in the Al-Azhar Institutes Sector, within the framework of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif’s interest in developing children’s skills in memorizing the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, building humanity, and instilling positive moral values in children. The souls of young people from childhood.
The launch of the Junior Al-Azhari Competition activities in all Al-Azhari regions for the academic year 2025/2026
The competition targets kindergarten children in Al-Azhar institutes of various types: regular, typical (Arabic and languages), and private, as it includes four diverse levels that take into account the age and educational differences of children, and combines memorization and understanding, as it includes – for the first time – a simplified interpretation of some verses of the Holy Qur’an in a way that contributes to developing the child’s religious awareness in an integrated manner.
The competition is implemented by the General Administration of Kindergartens in the Al-Azhar Institutes Sector, in cooperation with the General Administration of Holy Qur’an Affairs, in an institutional integration that aims to provide a balanced educational model that combines memorization, understanding, and behavioral application of values.
The first level includes memorizing more than three parts, including the last third of the Holy Qur’an, in addition to memorizing 20 hadiths, and studying the interpretation from Surat Al-Fil to Surat Al-Nas. While the second level includes memorizing three parts (Am, Blessed is He, and He has heard), with 15 hadiths, and the interpretation of Surahs Al-Fil, Quraysh, Al-Ma’un, and Al-Masad. The third level includes memorizing two parts (Amma, Tabarak), with 10 hadiths, and an interpretation of Surah Al-Fil, Al-Asr, Al-Nas, while the fourth level focuses on memorizing Juz Amma, with 5 hadiths, and an interpretation of Surah Al-Asr, Al-Ikhlas.
In this context, Dr. Shaima Hassan, Director General of Kindergartens in the Al-Azhar Institutes Sector, confirmed that the competition represents an important step in building the integrated personality of the Al-Azhar child, noting that it is not limited to memorization only, but rather aims to develop understanding and consolidate moral values and positive behaviors in children using modern educational methods.
For his part, Dr. Abu Al-Yazid Salama, Director General of Holy Quran Affairs, explained that including the simplified interpretation within the levels of the competition is a qualitative addition this year, which contributes to connecting the child with the meanings of the Holy Quran, stressing that cooperation between the two departments enhances the quality of implementation and achieves the desired educational goals.
The implementation of the competition also witnesses the organization of convoys from the Al-Azhar institutes sector that tour various governorates. To follow up on the competition’s activities on the ground, provide technical and educational support, and ensure the efficient and regular progress of work in all Al-Azhar regions.
