Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) hosted the 2026 North Sumatra Inter-University Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an (MTQ PERTI), with the opening ceremony held on Wednesday (June 3) at the UMSU Auditorium, Muchtar Basri Street No. 3, Medan.
The competition was initiated by UMSU to promote the values and teachings of the Holy Qur’an while serving as a preparatory event for the 40th North Sumatra Provincial MTQ in 2026. A total of 129 participants from 32 universities across North Sumatra qualified through a selection process to compete in six categories:
- Youth Qur’an Recitation (Tilawah) – Men’s and Women’s Divisions
- 10 Juz Qur’an Memorization (Hifzhil Qur’an) – Men’s and Women’s Divisions
- 20 Juz Qur’an Memorization (Hifzhil Qur’an) – Men’s and Women’s Divisions
- Youth Murattal Qur’an Recitation (Qira’at) – Men’s and Women’s Divisions
- Scientific Writing on the Qur’an – Men’s and Women’s Divisions
- Qur’anic Interpretation in English (Tafsir) – Men’s and Women’s Divisions
The event was officially opened by UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd., represented by Vice Rector III, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudianto, M.Si., who welcomed participants from universities throughout North Sumatra.
“Welcome to all participants representing 32 universities. The remarkable number of participants demonstrates the strong enthusiasm of young people for promoting and preserving the teachings of the Holy Qur’an,” he said.
According to him, the MTQ is far more than a competition—it is an important component of UMSU’s academic and religious culture.
“UMSU’s Institute for Qur’an Recitation Development (LPTQ) has been very active and has awarded full scholarships to dozens of students admitted through Qur’an memorization (Tahfiz) and Qur’an recitation (Qari/Qariah) pathways,” he explained.
He also emphasized that the support of the North Sumatra Institute for Qur’an Recitation Development (LPTQ Sumut) plays a vital role in preparing participants to compete at higher levels.
“This competition serves as a stepping stone for participants to qualify for the 2026 North Sumatra MTQ and further develop their talents,” he added.
He further noted that Qur’anic development at UMSU is not limited to the Faculty of Islamic Studies but actively involves students from various academic disciplines across the university.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. H. Azhari Akmal Tarigan, M.Ag., Treasurer of the North Sumatra LPTQ, expressed his appreciation for UMSU’s initiative in organizing the 2026 MTQ PERTI.
“The North Sumatra LPTQ highly appreciates UMSU’s initiative in hosting this competition. We recognize the need to revive university-based MTQ contingents, which have not been as active in recent years,” he said.
He explained that North Sumatra has a unique MTQ system, featuring a special university contingent that competes independently of district and municipal delegations.
“North Sumatra is the only province with a dedicated university contingent outside the district and municipal contingents. Even at the national level, no similar model currently exists,” he explained.
Prof. Azhari also praised UMSU’s readiness to host the event, emphasizing that the university’s institutional independence played an important role in ensuring its successful implementation.
“When we realized that the university contingent had become inactive, UMSU stepped forward to organize this competition. The university encountered no funding difficulties, and Muhammadiyah’s institutional self-reliance has given us confidence that this event will be highly successful,” he said.
He added that the winners of the 2026 North Sumatra MTQ PERTI will later be prepared to represent the university contingent at the provincial MTQ competition.
During the same occasion, Prof. Azhari also revealed that the 2026 North Sumatra Provincial MTQ will involve 1,097 participants representing 28 regencies and cities, competing in 14 competition categories.
Earlier, Dr. Abdul Rahman, M.Pd., Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Head of UMSU’s LPTQ, explained that the competition forms part of the university’s strategic program to revitalize Qur’anic learning and religious engagement within higher education institutions.
He noted that the 2026 MTQ PERTI was fully funded by UMSU with a total budget of approximately IDR 159 million. Through this initiative, UMSU aims to strengthen Qur’an-based academic traditions while nurturing future generations of Qari, Qariah, Hafiz, and Hafizah who are prepared to excel at both provincial and national competitions.
The opening ceremony was attended by Chairman of the UMSU Board of Trustees (BPH), Prof. Dr. Agussani, M.AP.; university leaders from across North Sumatra; members of the North Sumatra LPTQ; faculty representatives; and participants of the 2026 MTQ PERTI.
