History of MTQ: From Surabaya Qari Assembly to National Event

The Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur'an (MTQ), now a national agenda in Indonesia, originated from the tradition of reading the Qur'an that grew in the community. From the assembly of qaris, the activity developed into a musabaqah, institutionalized by the government, then held in stages up to the national level. The traces of MTQ in Indonesia have been visible since the 1940s, among others through the activities of Jam'iyyatul Qurra wal Huffadz which was established by Nahdlatul Ulama. The Minister of Religion for the period 2014-2019, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, once said that one of the precursors of MTQ came from the qari assembly at the Sunan Ampel Mosque, Surabaya, in the 1950s. "Initially, this activity was initiated by the qaris at the Sunan Ampel Mosque in Surabaya in the 1950s," said Lukman at the opening of the 26th National MTQ in Mataram in 2016 as quoted from the Kemenag website on Sunday, September 13. According to Lukman, the high public interest then prompted Kiai Bashori Alwi to convey the idea of a Qur'an reading competition to the government. President Soekarno responded to the idea by holding an international musabaqah during the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in 1965. "President Soekarno then welcomed the proposal by holding an international musabaqah during the Asian-African Islamic Conference in Bandung in 1965," said Lukman. Three years later, the first National MTQ was held in Makassar in 1968. At that time, the branches that were contested were still limited to adult tilawah. MTQ then took place every year until its implementation in Aceh in 1981. After that, the pattern of implementation changed to every two years and alternated with the Tilawatil Qur'an Selection or STQ. The branches that are contested are also continuing to grow. MTQ is no longer only testing the art of reading the Qur'an, but includes memorization, interpretation, syarh, fahm Al-Qur'an, calligraphy to scientific writing. "The diversity of this competition indicates that MTQN is not only an activity that showcases the art of voice. But it is a scientific forum on how to interpret, interpret, and narrate the Quran," said Lukman. At the XXXI National MTQ in Semarang, 11-20 September 2026, changes were made again. Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar announced that the MTQ would be held every year and the STQ would no longer be held. "We have decided that MTQ will be held every year. Because, the energy expended in the implementation of STQ is relatively the same as MTQ," said Nasaruddin. According to Nasaruddin, the regional waiting list to host is also long. Central Java, for example, only returned to host after 47 years since the 1979 MTQ. MTQ 2026 also presents an exhibition for the Muslim Deaf community. A total of 28 participants from 14 communities participated in the Tilawah and Kitabah Al-Qur'an Isyarat on September 14-16. Since the first National MTQ in Makassar in 1968, the event has been held 31 times. Semarang will host the 31st event in 2026.