Sheikh Abdul-Basit was born in 1927 in a village called Armant in southern Egypt. In 1950, he became a popular Quran reciter in the mosques of Cairo. In the early 1970s, he became the only Qari to have won three world Qirat competitions.
Sheikh Abdul-Basit traveled throughout the world, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria, South Africa, the UK, the US, India, Senegal, Morocco, Malaysia, France, and Jerusalem. Sheikh Abdul-Basit died in 1988 of complications from diabetes. He is survived by his three sons: Yasir, Hisham, and Tariq.
Recitation of the Quran: Sheikh Abdul-Basit's popularity as a Quran reciter is based on his mastery of of pitch, tone and the rules of tajweed (Quran recitation).
He was one of the first Quran reciters to make radio programs and commercial recordings of his voice. His tapes and CDs have been sold throughout the Muslim world.
