Get to know Egypt’s ‘Golden Throat’ on his 36th death anniversary

CAIRO - 30 November 2024: Today marks the 36th anniversary of the death of Sheikh Abdul Basit Abdul Samad; a beloved and prominent Egyptian Quran reciter whose name crossed borders, and fame spread far and wide across the world. 

Over the course of his life, and before he died in 1988, Abdul Samad was nicknamed multiple times, as “A Voice From Heaven,” “The Voice of Mecca,” and “The Golden Throat.”

It was obvious since he was a kid that he was gifted with special vocals, in addition to his dedication to learn about the readings of Quran’s and memorize the Holy Quran at the age of 10.

Born in January 1st, 1927 in the village of “Al-Maraza” in Armani city in Upper Egypt’s Qena governorate, Abdul Samad joined his village’s Kuttab (a type of elementary school that was primarily used for teaching children in reading, writing, grammar, and Islamic studies.)  

He studied the readings of the Holy Quran at the hands of the Al-Azhar scholar Sheikh Muhammad Salim Hamada, who used to take him with him to read at evenings and parties, and he used to praise him everywhere he went, until his fame spread in the villages and governorates of Upper Egypt.

Moving to Cairo 

At the age of 27, Abdul Samad joined the Holy Quran Radio station at the end of 1951, to begin his global Quranic career. 

After the fame that Sheikh Abdul Basit achieved in a few months, he had to reside permanently in Cairo with his family, who moved with him to the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood.  

At this time, radios were a main element in homes in Cairo, where owners turn to listen to their beloved singers like Umm Kulthum and favorite reciters, atop of whom was Sheikh Abdul Basit Abdul Samad. 

It was normal back then to hear the echo of his golden recitation in the streets, coming from different radios from 8 - 8:30 pm every day. 

Taking his voice abroad

The Sheikh's first visit outside Egypt after joining the radio in 1952 was to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage with his father. The Saudis asked him to record several recordings for the Kingdom to be broadcast over the radio waves. 

Indeed, Abdul Basit recorded several recitations, the most famous of which were recorded in the Holy Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, after which he was nicknamed "The Voice of Mecca".

Sheikh Abdul Basit also traveled to a number of Islamic and Arab countries, where invitations were directed to him by kings and heads of state and governments to performa at special occasions, or recite during the holy month of Ramadan. 

Among these countries is Syria, where he recited in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, and he also recited the Qur’an in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine. He also visited South Africa, Malaysia, and other countries.

Honoring

For nearly half a century, Abdul Samad literally was the most famous Quran reciter, and gained massive wave of love from people around the world, who deemed him as a legend whose voice will live forever. 

In 1956, Sheikh Abdul Samad was honored in Syria, as he was granted the Order of Merit, as well as the Order of the Cedar in Lebanon, the Gold Medal from Malaysia, an Order from Senegal, and another from Morocco. The last of the medals he received was from latter President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak at the celebration of Laylat al-Qadr in 1987.

Illness and Death

Diabetes took hold of Sheikh Abdul Samad, although he tried to resist with extreme caution and commitment to healthy dietary. But he contacted hepatitis, and he was admitted to a hospital, where his health deteriorated. 

He was advised to receive treatment abroad, so he went to London, where he stayed for a week accompanied by his son Tariq. He returned home, and died on November 30th, 1988. 

An official funeral was held for Sheikh Abdul Samad, where ambassadors from different countries attended the funeral services on behalf of their peoples, kings and presidents of countries, in appreciation of his role in the field of advocacy in all its forms.