They are known for the mastery of Arabic maqams (system of melodic modes) and the use of musical expertise to recite the Quran in the most beautiful way, along with soothing and creating pleasure for the listener.

According to a report by Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, all Muslim nations agree that Egyptian qaris are the flag-bearers of the art of Quran recitation, and this excellence is undoubtedly one of the signs of Egypt's cultural, artistic, and literary influence in Islamic and Arab societies.

Today's Muslims, who constitute nearly a quarter of the world's population, differ from each other in terms of belief, jurisprudence, and ethnicity. They also have a wide linguistic diversity and differences in politics and natural resources, economic opportunities, social development, and inherited customs and traditions, but they all agree that Egyptian reciters are at a high level.

Quran recitation in Egypt has several characteristics, the most important of which is accuracy in the rules of Tajweed and the correct pronunciation of the letters. This precision has made the scholars of the science of Quranic recitation in Egypt the main reference for Islamic countries in writing the Quran and coordinating them with the recitation of countries over the past two centuries.

Egyptian qaris use a series of oriental maqams, including bayat, saba, hijaz, nahavand, rast, seghah, and ajam. They also use subsidiary maqams such as shuri, hejaz, besegnagar, chargah, and Egyptian ushhaq in their recitation.

In the recorded artistic history of Egypt, this country has been a pioneer in the field of Quranic recitation since the first decades of the 20th century. The development of technology, from the invention of phonograph records to radio and television, and finally the Internet, has only helped to strengthen this leading role and consolidate its continuity.

Emergence of radio; a turning point in the development of the art of Quranic recitation

The emergence of the Quran radio was a turning point in the development of Quranic recitation in Egypt for two reasons: first, the expansion of the scope of this art; because with the use of radio, the art of Quranic recitation became accessible in distant regions and different countries. Second, a set of strict criteria for the acceptance of new voices on the radio.

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Within the framework of these rules, a relatively large number of great reciters emerged in Egypt and the Islamic world, but the greatest influence, both in terms of public influence and artistic merit, was almost exclusively attributed to a group of prominent qaris including Sheikhs Muhammad Rifaat, Ali Mahmoud, Abdul Fattah Shasha’i, Mustafa Ismail, Abu al-Ainain Shuaisha, Taha al-Fashni, Kamil Yusuf al-Bahtimi, Abdul Basit Muhammad Abdul Samad, Muhammad Siddiq Minshawi, Mahmoud Ali al-Banna, and Mahmoud Khalil al-Husari.

All of these qaris joined the radio between 1934 and 1953, and after that date, the radio did not recognize any Egyptian reciter on the level of this group or other less famous contemporary reciters such as Sheikh Ahmed Suleiman al-Saadani, Abdul Rahman al-Darawi, Muhammad Farid al-Sandiyouni, Ali Hazin, and Mahmoud Abdel-Hakem.

This generation bore the brunt of the burden of building the edifice of Egyptian Quranic recitation and gaining immense fame throughout the world. The radio broadcasts, public meetings, and foreign trips of some of these reciters were among the most important manifestations of Egypt’s soft power and a tacit recognition of Egypt’s religious and cultural position in the Arab and Islamic world.

Sheikh Muhammad Rifaat; Egypt’s Exceptional Talent

When Sheikh Muhammad Rifaat’s voice first resonated over the radio waves in 1934, it filled Egypt with a profound sense of divine blessing. His recitations were full of spirituality and deep emotion, compelling listeners to listen to his recitations with full attention and great respect.

The voice of this blind and emaciated sheikh in the radio's inaugural broadcast was the greatest testament to Egypt's achievements in this field. This voice heralded the arrival of exceptional talents to various parts of Egypt.

Sheikh Rifaat's voice died in 1942 due to a throat disease, and Egypt lost this divine gift. Due to the conditions at that time, he could not travel outside Egypt for treatment, but his voice was broadcast all over the world via radio. He died in 1950, but the train of recitation talents in Egypt was still moving.

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The historical background of Muhammad Rifaat's first appearance on the radio instilled in Egyptian reciters the belief that only great talents and exceptional voices had a place on the radio. But a little later, a voice appeared that could compete with Muhammad Rifaat's recitations on the radio.

Sheikh Abdel Fattah Shasha'i had a powerful, resonant and magnificent voice, accompanied by exceptional expressive abilities. He chose a challenging path for himself, full of strength, courage and self-confidence.

Within a few years, reciters such as Al-Fashni, Shuaisha, Al-Saadani and their contemporaries were introduced to the Egyptian people and the people were accustomed to this high level of recitation. Until 1945, there was relative peace in the world of Quran recitation in Egypt, but then a star like Sheikh Mustafa Ismail shone brightly in the recitation sky and left a tremendous impact.

With these exceptional voices, the Egyptian style of Quran recitation spread everywhere and Egyptian reciters were given a grand welcome at the public and official levels. King Farouk, the then ruler of Egypt, appointed Sheikh Mustafa Ismail as the official reciter of the royal palace, and former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser also had Sheikh Abdul Basit Abdel Samad and Muhammad Siddiq Minshawi accompany him on his trips to India and Pakistan.

Requests from governments for Egyptian reciters became commonplace, and kings and presidents would give the most valuable gifts to Egyptian reciters. The audience of these reciters in various Arab and Islamic countries was influenced by the Egyptian style of recitation. For example, Iraqi reciters, who had maintained their traditional style for several decades, were fascinated by the style of these reciters when Sheikh Abdul Fattah Al-Shasha'i and some other Egyptian reciters arrived in Iraq in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and they began to imitate the Egyptian style, to the point that their inherited style almost disappeared.

Sheikh Abdul Basit Abdul Samad had the greatest influence on the spread of the Egyptian Quranic school. Al-Minshawi also revived the historical nights in the palace of King Idriss Al-Senussi. Al-Bahtimi received the Order of Honor from the King of Malaysia. Mustafa Ismail was also welcomed and encouraged by the Turks.

Mahmoud Ali Al-Banna recited the Quran for hundreds of thousands of Indonesians, and Naqshbandi in Aleppo, Syria, organized exceptional Quranic nights for the people of this city. Al-Husari also recited the Quran in the US Congress, and millions of people in India and Pakistan attended Abdul Basit's Quran recitation gathering.

Revival of Ramadan Quranic nights in other countries

These were several examples of the influence of Egyptian reciters throughout the world. But Egypt is perhaps the only Islamic country that revived the recitation of the Quran on the nights of the holy month of Ramadan in foreign countries, and these foreign trips brought Egypt many appreciations and gifts.

For example, Sheikh Mustafa Ismail received many medals from Arab and Islamic countries, including the Order of the Cedar from Lebanon, the Order of the Liafat from Syria, the Order of the Arts from Tanzania, and the highest medal of Malaysia. He was also honored in Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Pakistan, and in Turkey, Fakhri Korturk, the then president of the country, welcomed him at the presidential palace.

However, for years, the art of reciting the Quran in Egypt has been declining, and this decline is due to the weakness of new voices and the departure of many new reciters from the classical styles of recitation inherited from the great reciters.

The recitation of great qaris has always been a source of artistic inspiration for musicians, composers and singers, but new reciters now take their melodies from famous songs, and the weakness caused by this work has no end.

However, Egypt's history in the field of Quran recitation offers hope for overcoming this stage and this requires continuous efforts.  

The profound impact of this art on Muslim audiences, Egypt's international reputation in this field, and the rich history of recitations by famous reciters throughout the Islamic world all contribute to making the art of Quran recitation a strategic issue that should not be overlooked.

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