2022 FIFA World Cup Begins with Quran Recitation
The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony was held at Al Bayt stadium in Qatar on 20 November 2022.
What captured the world and enthralled the spectators was the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by 20-year-old Quran reciter Ghanim Al Muftah, who is also a FIFA World Cup ambassador.
“Oh mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another,” Ghanim said. This is probably the first time that a FIFA World Cup opened with Quranic verses.
Ghanim, born with a rare condition that impairs the development of the lower spine, appeared alongside Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman. The American actor sat on the pitch beside the Qatari qari (a person who recited the Quran with the proper rules of recitation).
"When you call here, we welcome you into our home," Ghanim said, referencing the 'bayt al sha'ar' or tent that nomadic bedouins of the Arabian peninsula once used for shelter, which inspired the stadium design.
( Source: Text adapted from Khaleej Times | Video Fox Sports 1 )
Topics: 2022 Fifa World Cup, Qatar, Quran
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