Taking
part in the competition were Muslim children from the three
neighboring oblasts of Kirov, Samara and Orenburg.
Tatarstan
is situated in the centre of the Russian Federation on the
East-European Plain at the confluence of the two greatest rivers - the
Volga and the Kama.
"Contestants
have been categorized into four age groups," Tatarstan's deputy
Mufti Khazrat Valiulla Makhmutovich told IslamOnline.net.
According
to the results, a copy of which was obtained by IOL, Zahra Kashabova
won the first place in the four-year category after memorizing 20
Juz's (part) of the glorious Qur'an.
Nael
Habib El-Rahman,7, came first in the second category after memorizing
23 Juz's, followed by Noria Salahova with 20 Juz's.
Ten-year-old
Vanis Abdullah and Aysilu Said Garifa shared the first place in the
third category with each memorizing 24 Juz's of the holy Qur'an.
In
the 14-year category, Taimour Halikov and Malka Safina shared the
trophy with each memorizing 26 Juz's.
Since
the early days of Islam, individual Muslims and delegation visited the
region of Volga-Bulgaria, today's Tatarstan.
By
the year 922, Islam had spread in the region and had been voluntarily
adopted as an official religion.
At
the beginning of the 13th century, Volga-Bulgaria was captured by the
Mongols and forcibly included into the Golden Horde.
By
the beginning of the 15th century, the Golden Horde, which by then was
a Muslim state, had broken down into several states the strongest of
which was Kazan Khanate.
In
1552, Kazan fell to the invading troops of Ivan the Terrible and Islam
was persecuted until the end of the 18th century.
The
MRB was established in 1789 by the empress Ekaterina (Catherine) II
and since then Islam began gaining force and dozens of medreses
(religious schools) were established.
