Our Children and “The State of Recitation”
It is reported
from the noble Companion `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace
be upon him) once asked him to recite the Quran to him. Ibn Mas`ud was astonished and said, “Shall
I recite it to you although it had been revealed to you?”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “I like to hear (the Quran) from others.”
So Ibn Mas`ud recited from Surah An-Nisa’, until he reached the verse: “So how will it be when We bring a witness from every
faith-community and bring you ˹O Prophet˺ as a witness against yours?”
(Surah An-Nisa’ 4:41)
At that moment,
the eyes of the Prophet (peace be upon him) overflowed
with tears, and he said to him, “Stop.”
The Prophet (peace
be upon him) taught us, through this moment, heartfelt interaction
with the recitation of the verses of Allah — a humility that transforms the
states of our hearts, purifying and refining them, and reshapes the conduct of
our limbs to align with the path of Allah and His will. He (peace
be upon him) taught us that reciting the Quran is an act of
worship in and of itself, through which the believer is rewarded with
tranquility of the heart, goodness in this world, and elevation in the
Hereafter with every verse he recites and ascends by.
This spiritual purification produced by the verses of the Noble Reminder does not
stop at the individual level; its impact extends to society when it becomes a
collective way of life — steering communities away from violence, family
disintegration, crime, and sin. Children are raised upon it, growing firm upon
a divine methodology in an age where youth are besieged by temptations and
prohibitions pouring in from screens.
This essence
explains why many Arab families compete to enroll their children in kuttab
schools, mosques, and Quran memorization centers, especially after the decline
of Quranic religious education within modern school curricula.
It is therefore
not surprising to witness the joy and widespread popularity accompanying the
Egyptian program “Dawlat At-Tilawah” (The State of Recitation), produced
in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf. Nearly 14,000 child and
youth reciters compete around the table of the Quran, with melodious voices
that humble hearts and send shivers through bodies.
The judging
panel consists of distinguished scholars and master reciters, combining Islamic
knowledge, precision in tajwid, and deep understanding of vocal maqamat. The
program offers generous financial prizes to winners, along with opportunities
to record a complete muṣḥaf in their
voices and to lead Tarawiḥ prayers in
Ramadan. It clearly benefits from the widespread culture of competitions,
channeling it into the service of the Book of Allah and reviving the Prophetic
Sunnah of reciting the Quran melodiously and with excellence.
The School of Recitation
Egypt has a
glorious history in establishing the foundations of the School of Quranic
Recitation that spread throughout the Arab world. In his book “Mazamir Al-Quran”
(The Psalms of the Quran), journalist Ayman Al-Ḥakim explains why Egypt became the capital of Quranic
recitation, due to the profound global influence of its school, distinguished
by refined performance, mastery, perfect memorization, and the sweetness of
voice that delivers meanings directly to the depths of hearts.
In his book “Alḥan As-Samaʾ” (Melodies of the Sky), writer Mahmoud As-Sa`dani asserts that Quranic recitation after Shaykh Aḥmad Nada became a profession with its own recognized
principles and arts. Reciters carved the riverbed of Quranic recitation, among
them Shaykh Muḥammad Al-Qahawi — the preferred
reciter of leader Sa`d Zaghlul — and the role
model for his student Shaykh Muḥammad Rif`at.
They were
followed by Shaykh al-Damnahuri, Manṣur Ash-Shami, Ḥamdi Al-Zamil, Kamil Al-Baḥtimi, Ṭaha Al-Fashni,
and many other giants of recitation.
In the mid-20th
century, the pioneers of the Egyptian school shone brightly, especially with
the launch of Quran Radio Cairo during the era of President Jamal `Abd An-Naṣir. The station broadcast the voices of Shaykhs Muhammad Rif`at, Muṣṭafa Isma`il, `Abd Al-Basiṭ `Abd al-Ṣamad, Muḥammad Siddiq al-Minshawi,
and Maḥmud Khalil Al-Ḥuṣari — the first
to record the entire Quran in Egypt — upon whom generations of Arab reciters
were trained.
Al-Ḥakim notes the Egyptian school’s responsiveness to maqamat
flowing naturally from the reciter’s voice due to deep emotional engagement
with the verses. An example is Shaykh Muṣṭafa Isma`il’s recitation
of: “I wish I had died before this and was in
oblivion, forgotten.” (Surah
Maryam 19:23)
Here, the voice
embodies the overwhelming anguish experienced by Maryam in that moment of
trial. Then, when he reaches: “And shake the
trunk of this palm tree towards you, it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you.” (Surah Maryam 19:25)
The emotional
state and maqam shift, and the Shaykh’s voice rises joyful and full,
accompanying her into the moment of gladness at the birth of `Isa (peace
be upon him), who would change the world.
Stars of Arab Recitation
In the
twentieth century, many Arab Quranic recitation schools emerged — especially
the Ḥijazi, Levantine, Moroccan, and Iraqi schools — each
retaining unique vocal and spiritual characteristics that earned global
recognition. Far from fanatical rivalries that sometimes flare up online,
reality shows harmony among these schools in the ears of new generations, who
choose exemplary reciters from each as symbols of precision, humility, and
beautiful voice.
In Arab
streets, one hears Al-Ḥuṣari and Al-Minshawi alongside the reciters of the Two
Holy Mosques such as `Ali Jabir, `Abd Ar-Raḥman al-Sudays, Mahir Al-Mu`Ayqli, and Aḥmad Al-`Ajami; alongside Levantine reciters like Karim Rajiḥ and Zuhayr Ghanim; Iraqi masters such as Walid Ad-Daylami
and Aḥmad Ni`mah; and North African reciters with
their dignified, resonant performance in the Warsh narration — among them Aḥmad At-Tijani, `Umar Al-Qazabri, and Rashid Ghulam.
This is one
great Arab school of recitation, diverse in performance, maqamat, and canonical
readings, yet united in precision, sweetness of voice, and serenity — the
ultimate aim of the student of the Quran.
The Lesson of Recitation: Humility
The Prophet (peace
be upon him) once passed by Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari while he was
reciting the Quran at night, and he had a beautiful voice. The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “This man has been given a Mizmar among the Mazamir
of the family of Dawud, peace be upon him.” (Al-Bukhari)
When Abu Musa
was informed of this the next morning, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, had I
known you were listening, I would have beautified it even more.”
For this
reason, scholars permit attention to vocal beauty and maqamat, provided they do
not dominate the recitation, violate tajwid rules, distort articulation, or
distract the reciter from humility — lest it turn into a pursuit of fame that
destroys its bearer. Natural beautification of the voice, aligned instinctively
with proper recitation, is recommended for the profound impact it leaves upon
the heart.
The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “Beautify the Quran with your voices.”
Al-Qurṭubi said: “Beautifying the voice is not the same as
corrupt melodic chanting that alters meanings,” and Ibn Ḥajar said: “Natural melodiousness is praiseworthy;
artificial affectation is blameworthy.”
Ultimately, the
joy of recitation is inseparable from the humility and reflection it engraves
upon the soul, as Allah says: “˹This is˺ a blessed Book which We have revealed
to you ˹O
Prophet˺
so that they may contemplate its verses, and people of reason may be mindful.” (Surah Sad 38:29)
No one denies
that recitation programs are part of the civilizational soft power of Arab and
Islamic nations. Thus, these countries have risen to revive schools of
recitation anew, alongside the revival of kuttab institutions, striving to
compensate for the absence of Quranic education among today’s generations.
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