Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary
Encyclopedia
| Shaykh Mahmoud Khalil al-Hussary | |
| Born | February 5, 1910, Tanta Tanta Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
| Died | Monday, November 24, 1980, Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
| [ edit ] | |
Shaykh Mahmoud Khalil al-Hussary is a renowned reciter of the Qur'ân
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. He died in 1980.
He was born in a village called Shobra al-Namla in Tanta
Tanta
Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1917. Mahmoud entered the Qur'ân School at the age of four. At 8, he had already memorized the whole Qur'ân and at 12, he entered to the religious institute and learned the ten qira'aat (recitations) in al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
.
When he was twenty-five years of age he went to Tanta and established himself as a reciter. He was the reciter at the well-known Ahmadî mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
there. Ten years later, in 1944, he moved to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and entered the official radio station as a reciter where he made his first recitation on February 16, 1944. On August 7, 1948, he was nominated Mu'adhin of Sidi Hamza Mosque and then a reciter in the same mosque. He was also supervising recitation centers of al-Gharbia province.
In 1949, Mahmoud Khalil al-Hussary was appointed reciter of Sidi
Sidi
Sidi is a masculine title of respect, meaning "my master" in Western Arabic language and Egyptian Arabic equivalent to modern popular usage of the English Mr....
Ahmed al-Badaoui of Tanta, of al-Ahmadi Mosque and then of al-Imam al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo by 1955.
In Cairo, Shaykh al-Hussary also studied at al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
: he was a well-known religious scholar and author of many books on various aspects of the Qur'ân. He was also involved in the recent Azhari printing of the Qur'ânic text. His status as reciter was somewhat official: he held the title Shaykh al-Maqâri (Scholar of the Reciters), and his opinions were frequently solicited and quoted by the media. He also accompanied the rector of al-Azhar on his travels and was invited to participate in the World of Islam festival in London (1976). Shaykh al-Hussary's recordings are widely distributed outside Egypt. As one of the four top-ranking reciters in Egypt, he recorded the complete Qur'ânic text in both styles of recitation, murattal (tarteel
Tarteel
Tarteel is an Arabic term that is wide in meaning but is commonly translated in reference to the Qur'an as "recitation." It can also be translated as "in proper order" and "with no haste."This word is used in sura Muzzammil, verse 4 of the Qur'an:...
) and mujawwad
Mujawwad
Mujawwad is a melodic style of Qur'an recitation which is known throughout the muslim world. As opposed to Murattal, multiple types of sectioning are used in regards to its phrase lengths. The vocal quality of Mujawwad can be relaxed, tense, or alternate between the two, to create a dramatic effect...
(tajwid
Tajwid
Tajwīd is an Arabic word for elocution, meaning proper pronunciation during recitation, as well as recitation at a moderate speed. It is a set of rules which govern how the Qur'an should be read. It is derived from the triliteral root , meaning to make well, make better, or improve. It is...
) and was the first to record and broadcast the murattal style. Shaykh al-Hussary is known for the correctness of his recitation (tajwid
Tajwid
Tajwīd is an Arabic word for elocution, meaning proper pronunciation during recitation, as well as recitation at a moderate speed. It is a set of rules which govern how the Qur'an should be read. It is derived from the triliteral root , meaning to make well, make better, or improve. It is...
). His son also recites professionally.
Mahmoud Khalil al-Hussary was one of the most esteemed reciters of his time. A serial, “Imam Al Moqr’ine”, starring Hassan Youssef, was dedicated to al-Hussary’s life and performances.