Abdul Basit Abdus-Samad facts for kids
Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad (born 1927, died 1988) was a very famous Qari. A Qari is someone who recites the Quran beautifully. Many people who recite the Quran today try to sound like him. He was the only Qari to win three world Quran recitation competitions in the early 1970s.
Abdul Basit was one of the first Hafiz to make recordings of his recitations for people to buy. A Hafiz is someone who has memorized the entire Quran. He also became the first president of the Reciters' Union in Egypt. He is especially known for his amazing recitation of Sura Al-Fatiha. This is the first chapter of the Quran and is very important in daily Islamic prayers. His mother was Egyptian, and his father was of Kurdish background.
Early Life and Amazing Talent
Abdul Basit was born in a village called Armant in southern Egypt. He showed incredible talent for reciting the Quran from a young age.
In 1950, he moved to Cairo, the capital city of Egypt. There, many people in mosques were deeply moved by his beautiful recitations. One time, he was reciting verses from Sura al-Ahzab (The Confederates). His audience loved it so much that they asked him to keep going for more than 10 minutes. He ended up reciting for over an hour and a half! His listeners were completely amazed by how well he controlled his voice and followed the rules of tajweed. Tajweed are the special rules for reciting the Quran correctly and beautifully.
Worldwide Travels and Impact
Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad traveled to many countries outside Egypt. In 1961, he recited the Quran at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. His voice touched people all over the world.
In 1987, during a visit to America, Abdul Basit shared a story about a trip he made to the Soviet Union. He was with the Egyptian president at the time, Gamal Abdel Nasser. Abdul Basit was asked to recite for some leaders of the Soviet party. He remembered that four or five of these leaders, who were from the Communist Party, started crying when they heard his recitation. They didn't even understand the Arabic words, but they were deeply moved by his voice and the feeling he put into it.
Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister of India, also felt very touched by his recitations. She would often stop what she was doing just to listen and appreciate his beautiful voice.
Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad passed away on November 30, 1988. He is survived by his three sons: Yasir, Hisham, and Tariq. Following in his father's footsteps, his oldest son, Yasir, has also become a Qari.
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Abdul Basit Abdus-Samad
