“We must reach for the skies through mastery of new knowledge such as AI and information technology, but at the same time, the foundation of tradition and Islamic values must not be abandoned.
On the global situation, Anwar said conflicts in Gaza, southern Lebanon and attacks on Iran should serve as important lessons on the need for preparedness in knowledge and technology.
He said decades of violence by the Israeli regime showed that without strong faith, character and technological capability, Muslims would continue to face setbacks.
“Previously, attacks by Israel and its ally, the United States, were almost impossible to counter. Only now are we seeing the emergence of new strength, through resilience and determination, coupled with technological sophistication”, he said.
MTHQK 2026, themed ‘Kalam Ilahi Tradisi Diwarisi’, features 108 contestants, comprising 14 male reciters (qari), 14 female reciters (qariah) and 80 participants in the memorisation category, competing over six days from today until April 18.
The competition includes two main categories: recitation (qari and qariah) and three hafazan (memorisation) categories.
