Thanks to his joining the Egyptian Radio, citizens in Egypt came to acquire radios to listen to his voice that reverberates beyond Egypt.
Abdul Basit was born in 1346 AH {1927) in the village of Al-Marazza Armant, Hermonthis, in the province of Qena in southern Egypt. His mother was an Egyptian and his father was of Kurdish descent.
At age 10, he finished learning the entire Quran by heart and subsequently learned 7 styles of Quran recitation by the age of 12 and the 10 styles by 14. In his childhood, he displayed ability for speedy comprehension, naivety, and attention to follow-up reading and recitation. He went on to become known for his recitation styles not only in Egypt but around the Islamic world and beyond.
In 1950, he came to Cairo where Muslims in many mosques were touched by his recitations. On one ocassion, as he was reciting verses from Sura al-Ahzab, (The Confederates). He was requested to recite for longer than 10 minutes by his audience, but he continued to recite for over an hour. His listeners were captured by his mastery of pitch, tone and the rules of tajweed (Qur’anic recitation), as well as his ability to accurately control and master the exits of the words, which added sweetness to his voice and talent.
His voice and beautiful styles of reading the Holy Quran earned him many sobriquets; the “Golden Throat” “Voice of Heaven” and ‘’Voice of Mecca’’. His high performance on the Egyptian radio in 1951 revolutionized radio programming; millions of Egyptians became die-hearted with his presentations. He was taken as an official reader of the Egyptian radio and many Egyptians came to acquire radios to listen to him and his voice spread throughout and beyond Egypt. His dexterity made the then President of Egypt, Gamel Abdel Nasser, invite him to recite a part of the Qur’an in front of Soviet Union officials, who were left in tears after the recitation. Indira Gandhi, a one-time Indian Prime Minister, always felt touched by his recitation and would stop by to appreciate his recitation.
Abdul-Basit travelled extensively outside Egypt; in 1961, he recited at the Badshahi Masjid, in Lahore, Pakistan as well as reciting in one of the biggest Madrasa’s in Bangladesh, Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam in Chittagong. He once visited Jakarta Indonesia and recited the Qur’an in that country’s then-biggest Mosque, where over 250,000 people gathered inside the mosque and streets around it to listen to his recitation. He gained the reputation for his melodious style, remarkable breath control and unique tone in which the listener is able to feel the words being recited. Many people converted to Islam just by listening to his recitations.
His legacy remains unmatched in the Muslim world, as Qur’an reciters attempt to imitate his unique style. Abdul Basit was a great man whose character was outstanding and who was known for humbleness and dignity. He “recited the Quran with his heart and soul, and that is one of the main reasons why his recitations have been timeless.
He died 30 November, 1988 and the burial of this enigma personality attracted thousands of people and was attended by officials from many Islamic countries. He was survived by his three sons (from oldest to the youngest): Yasir, Hisham, and Tariq. And following their father’s footsteps, two also became Qari.
Abdul Basit was honored with many honors and honors in his life, including: a medal by the Syrian Prime Minister, head of the Malaysian government and Sama. the Order of Merit by the Senegalese President, the Golden Medal of Pakistan.the first huffaz to make commercial recordings of his recitations, and the first president of the Reciters’ Union in Egypt He is the only Qari to have won three world Qirat competitions in the early 1970s.