A Quran Recitation That Made Sheikh al-Sayyid Saeed 'King of Qaris'
It was his spectacular performance in recitation of Surah Yusuf, which many consider to be his best recorded recitation.
In the mid-1990s, this recitation could be heard from all houses, shops, and even public transportation and the cassette tapes containing it were widely sold.
Many believe that this recording of the recitation of Surah Yusuf was a real turning point in the life of the qari, and it was this great success that brought him fame and earned him the title of Sultan al-Qurra, a title that he has carried with him to this day among the Egyptian reciters.
Saeed was born on March 7, 1943 and grew up in a completely Quranic environment. He finished memorizing the entire Quran before reaching the age of seven under the supervision of Sheikh Abd al-Muhammed Osman at the Quranic school in his village.
Although the beginning of his Quranic activity was in the village of Dekhleya, but later his name became famous in the province of Damietta, especially in the region of Kafr Suleiman, about which he often said, “It was the village of Damietta that added the title of 'Sheikh' to my name and I became famous there before my compatriots knew me.”
Sheikh Saeed later joined the circle of major qaris of Egypt and participated in the performance of Quranic programs in various programs.
He recited alongside distinguished masters of recitation such as Mohammed Sidiq Minshawi, Mustafa Ismail, Abdul Fattah al-Shashaai, Mahmoud Ali al-Banna, Abulainain Shuaisha and other famous and renowned Egyptian reciters.
He also recited the Quran in many foreign countries, including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Iran, Switzerland, South Africa and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
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He also trained many students, some of whom are among the new generation of Egyptian Quran reciters who follow his style.
Sheikh Saeed died on May 24, 2025, at the age of 82.
Following is his recitation of Verses 19-31 of Surah Yusuf:
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