Religious arts award winners commended at ceremony

The Al Burda Award ceremony was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.

DUBAI // The winners of a religious arts award were commended this week.

The ceremony for the winners of the Al Burda Award, which is timed to coincide with the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

It featured a speech by a scholar, Dr Ahmed Al Qubaisi, on how Muslims should use the anniversary of the Prophet’s birth to know more about his life and teachings.

The ceremony included a song, The Messenger of Peace, written by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, which was chanted by the Emirati singer Osama Alsafi and set to music by Ibrahim Jumaa.

The ceremony also featured performances from an Emirati band, an Andalusian band and a Syrian band, who each played music in praise of the Prophet.

The annual contest covers three main areas: poetry, Arabic calligraphy and Islamic art. This year’s event was the 11th.

The name of the award comes from a historical poem praising the Prophet, Burda, written by Ka’ab Ibn Zuhair.

Hakkam Al Hashemi, assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, said the awards “provided an opportunity for the participation of a large number of citizens and residents of Dubai and the Northern Emirates to attend the religious celebration in praise of the Prophet Mohammed”.