Al-Azhar Supports Quranic Legacy of Late Qari Muhammad Rif’at
Hana Hussein, the granddaughter of late Sheikh Muhammad Rif’at, said she had met with Al-Azhar Chief Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, during which he promised to cooperate in restoring 100 audio tapes of Sheikh Rif’at’s recorded recitations that have not been published anywhere yet, Cairo 24 reported.
She added that al-Tayeb not only promised to cooperate in restoring the audio collection of Sheikh Rif’at’s recitations, but also announced the publication of this legacy through the Al-Azhar website so that the original recorded versions can be preserved for future generations.
Hana noted that this rare treasure trove of recorded Qurans was discovered by chance during the production of a documentary about Sheikh Rif’at.
It was discovered when the documentary team reached the grandchildren of Zakaria Pasha Mehran, the man who recorded Sheikh Rifat’s voice about 75 years ago inside his house, she stated.
Sheikh Rif’at’s family found a box containing 100 audio tapes of his recitations that had never been heard or published before, according to Hana.
“This collection constitutes a large percentage of the recorded recitations of this unique Quranic voice, and with the restoration of this collection, we will have 70 percent of Sheikh Mohammad Rif’at’s recitations of the Holy Quran.”
She described the recitations as “a real treasure” and emphasized that she was deeply moved when she learned of the existence of these lost audio tapes.
Hana stated that work is currently underway to complete the restoration and publication stages, in the hope that this heritage will be revived before the next Ramadan.
Muhammad Rif’at was born in Cairo’s Maghriblin district in 1882. Muhammad turned blind at the age of two. His father, who was a police officer, sent him to Fazil Pasha Mosque in Cairo to memorize the Holy Quran and he managed to learn the entire Holy Book by heart before he was ten. Muhammad also learned the rules of Tajweed in a few years.
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At 15, he gained fame as a Quran reciter after reciting Surah Al-Juma at Fazil Pasha Mosque. He would recite the Quran for 30 years at that mosque and people from all over the country would come to listen to his beautiful recitations. His voice shook the audience’s hearts and his fame remained so great that there was no place left at the mosque or at the neighboring areas. A large crowd used to rush to listen carefully to that angelic voice. It also happened that some people fainted or lost conscience while listening to that unique voice. Muhammad was also the first to recite the Quran on the Egyptian radio.
As well as mastery over Quran recitation, Muhammad Rif’at had mastery over Adhan (call to prayers) and was considered the best Muezzin. He recited the Adhan so beautifully that many embraced Islam after hearing his Adhan.
Sheikh Muhammad Rif’at passed away on May 9, 1948, after a long illness, but his outstanding Quran recitations remain inspiring long after his death.
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