The footage was recorded in an Egyptian TV studio in 1978.

It features his recitation of Verses 49 to 75 of Surah Al-Hijr, the 15^th chapter of the Holy Book:

“Declare (O Muhammad ) unto My servants, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful.

And that My Torment is indeed the most painful torment.

And tell them about the guests (the angels) of Ibrahim (Abraham).

When they entered unto him, and said: Salaman (peace)! [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Indeed! We are afraid of you."

They (the angels) said: "Do not be afraid! We give you glad tidings of a boy (son) possessing much knowledge and wisdom."

Ibrahim said: "Do you give me glad tidings (of a son) when old age has overtaken me? Of what then is your news?"

They (the angels) said: "We give you glad tidings in truth. So be not of the despairing ones."

Ibrahim said: "And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?"

Ibrahim again said: "What then is the business on which you have come, O Messengers?"

They (the angels) said: "We have been sent to a people who are Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners).

(All) except the family of Lout (Lot). Them all we are surely going to save (from destruction).

‘Except his wife, of whom We have decreed that she shall be of those who remain behind (i.e. she will be destroyed).’

Then, when the Messengers (the angels) came unto the family of Lout (Lot).

He said: ‘Verily! You are people unknown to me.’

They said: ‘Nay, we have come to you with that (torment) which they have been doubting.

‘And we have brought to you the truth (the news of the destruction of your nation) and certainly, we tell the truth.

‘Then travel in a part of the night with your family, and you go behind them in the rear, and let no one amongst you look back, but go on to where you are ordered.’

And We made known this decree to him, that the root of those (sinners) was to be cut off in the early morning.

And the inhabitants of the city came rejoicing (at the news of the young men's arrival).

Lot] said: ‘Verily! these are my guests, so shame me not.

And fear Allah and disgrace me not.’

They (people of the city) said: ‘Did we not forbid you to entertain (or protect) any of the 'Alamin (people, foreigners, strangers, etc. from us)?’

Lot said: ‘These (the girls of the nation) are my daughters (to marry lawfully), if you must act (so).’

Verily, by your life (O Muhammad ), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly.

So As-Saihah (torment - awful cry) overtook them at the time of sunrise;

And We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down and rained down on them stones of baked clay.

Surely! In this are signs, for those who see (or understand or learn the lessons from the Signs of Allah).”

Abdul Basit Abdul Samad is known as one of the greatest Quran reciters in the world.

He was born in 1927 in the village of Al-Maza’iza, south of Egypt. His grandfather was a pious man, a Quran expert and a memorizer of the Quran.

At 10, Abdul Basit finished learning the entire Quran by heart in his village. He also learned 7 styles of Quran recitation by the age of 12 and the 10 styles by 14.

He started reciting the Quran in mosques and religious centers and soon became very popular.

In 1951, at the age of 19, he went to the capital Cairo for the first time and recited verses from the Quran at Magham Zeynab. Famous Quranic figures and reciters like Abdul Fattah Sha’shaie, Mustafa Esmaeel, Abdul-Azim Zaher, and Abolainain Shoaisha were present at the event. His performance was so outstanding that the crowd requested him to recite for longer than his allotted 10 minutes by his audience, and he continued to recite for over an hour and a half; his listeners were captured by his mastery of pitch, tone and the rules of Tajweed.

In the same year, he started reciting the Quran in Egypt’s national radio.

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Abdul Basit travelled to many countries around the world for reciting the Quran. Once in Jakarta, Indonesia, over 250,000 people gathered in a mosque and streets around it to listen to his recitation.

In 1952 he made the Hajj pilgrimage and recited the Quran in the Masjid-al-Haram in Makkah and Masjid-un-Nabi in Medina.

Listening to his inspiring recitations of the Quran, many non-Muslims are said to have embraced Islam, including 6 in Los Angeles and 164 in Uganda.

Master Abdul Basit Abdul Samad died of diabetes and liver disease in November 1988.

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