Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad

Sheikh Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad (1927 in Armant - 1988) (عبد الباسط عبد الصمد), was an Egyptian Qari.He was born in a village called Armant in the southern part of Egypt.He memorized quran before he was 10 year old and learnt all the seven reading of Quran.He used to be invited in the local mosques during Ramadan nights when he was just 14 year old.He was influenced by then famous recitor Muhammad Refat and used to walk miles to listen Refat recitation on radio.In 1950 he came to Cairo where his star shone with the recitation that rocked the mosque and kept the audience baffled.He recited some of Surat Al Ahdab(the conferates)that reads "Oh you belivers , Allah and his Angels praise the Prophet".Audience was listening speechless as his legendary voice echoed throughtout the mosque.Though he was supposed to recite for 10 minutes,he was requested to go on with his recitation for more than 1 hour and half.The audience were utterly thrilled by tone of this miraculous recitor. He was one of the first Haffiz to make commercial recordings of his recitations, and the first president of the Reciters' Union; as well, he was ranked as one of the top Huffaz in Egypt.He is consider by many the most influecial recitor for more than last 150 years.Even more than 20 year of his death he is still one of the most regarded recitor and many modern day recitor try to immitate him.He is only qari who won three time world qirat competition in early 70's. Abdul Basit is also best known with his famous Sura Al-Fatiha recitation.

He traveled extensively outside Egypt; in 1961, he recited at the Badshahi Masjid, in Lahore, Pakistan.

Abdul Basit Abdul Samad is survived by his three sons (from eldest to the youngest): Yasser, Hisham, and Tariq. Yasser has also became a Qari following his father's footsteps.

External links

* [http://www.qarivideos.com/ Abdul Basit Videos]
* [http://quran-e-majid.com/qari_abdul_basit_abdul_samad.html Quran Recitation by Abdul Basit abdul samad]
* [http://www.muslimwiki.com/mw/index.php/Abdul_Basit Abdul Basit on MuslimWiki]
* [http://www.abdulbasitonline.com/ Site Dedicated To Abdul Basit]
* [http://www.islamicwave.com/1/4/ Recitations by Abdul Basit's]
* [http://www.quran-voice.com/quran.php?uid=37 Link to some of Abdul Basit's recitations]
* [http://audio.islamweb.net/audio/index.php?page=souraaview&qid=462&tid=2 Link to some of Abdul Basit's recitations]
* [http://www.moroccanmp3.com/modules.php?name=video_echoben&page=video&cid=110 Abdul Basit's videos]
* [http://www.abdalbasit.com Dedicated website]