THE IDEAL MUSLIMAH

Sheikh Mahmûd Khalîl al-Husarî

Sheikh Mahmûd Khalîl al-Husarî (d. 1980) was born near Tanta, north of Cairo. When he was twenty-five years of age he went to Tanta and established himself as a reciter. He was the reciter at the well-known Ahmadî mosque there. Ten years later he moved to Cairo, joined the Radio in 1944, and became the reciter at the Husayn mosque in 1955. In Cairo Sheikh al-Husarî also studied at al-Azhar University: he was a well-known religious scholar and author of many books on various aspects of the Qur'ân. He was also involved in the recent Azhari printing of the Qur'ânic text. His status as reciter was somewhat official: he held the title Sheikh al-Maqâri, and his opinions were frequently solicited and quoted by the media. He also accompanied the reciter of al-Azhar on his travels and was invited to participate in the World of Islam festival in London (1976). Sheikh al-Husarî's recordings are widely distributed outside Egypt. As one of the four top-ranking reciters in Egypt, he recorded the complete Qur'ânic text in both styles of recitation, murattal and mujawwad, and was the first to record and broadcast the murattal style. Sheikh al-Husarî is known for the correctness of his recitation and adherence to the Sunnah, his distinctive deep voice and his long breath. His son also recites professionally.

During his lifetime he not only recorded the Qur'ân six times in the transmission of Hafs (three murattal, two mujawwad and one mu'allim), but also recorded it in the transmissions of Qâlûn 'an Nâfi', Warsh 'an Nâfi' and ad-Dûri 'an Abî 'Amr.

Full Qur'an Recitation