His Excellency Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, attended the opening of the international academic symposium organized by the Holy Quran Academy in Sharjah under the title: “Pausing and Initiating in the Holy Quran: Foundations and Applications.” The event brought together a number of distinguished scholars and researchers from across the Arab world. Over the course of two days, the symposium explored a series of specialized academic topics, most notably:
• The relationship between the science of pausing and initiating (waqf wa ibtida') and Quranic recitation sciences (qira’at) from both theoretical and practical perspectives
• Principles for determining preferred positions of pausing and resuming in Quranic text
• The impact of pausing on Quranic interpretation and the clarification of verbally similar verses
• A linguistic and rhetorical exploration titled “Fayd Al-Alaa in the Eloquence of Pausing and Initiating”
The symposium was attended by several prominent academic and religious figures, including:
• H.E. Dr. Abdullah Khalaf Al Housani, President of the Holy Quran Academy
• Dr. Mohammed Safi Al Mosteghanemi, Secretary General of the Arabic Language Academy
• H.E. Sultan Matar Bin Dalmouk, Chairman of the Board of the Sharjah Foundation for the Holy Quran and Sunnah
• Mr. Omar Al Shamsi, Director of the Sharjah Foundation for the Holy Quran and Sunnah
• Mr. Khalifa Hassan, Director of the Quran Radio and TV Channel in Sharjah
• Dr. Issa Saleh Al Hammadi, Director of the Educational Center for the Arabic Language in the GCC
• Mr. Hussein Al Hammadi, Director of the Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi Center for Quranic Services
In addition, a wide group of university professors, specialists, and enthusiasts in Quranic studies were in attendance.
H.E. Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi affirmed that the department’s engagement in such specialized academic symposia stems from its mission to serve the Holy Quran and its sciences, and to support collaborative institutional efforts across the UAE. He emphasized that such participation contributes to reinforcing the UAE’s position as a leading hub for disseminating Islamic knowledge and promoting the values of moderation and balance within Islamic teachings.