Late reciter Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary named Global Quranic Personality

Late reciter Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary has been named the Global Quranic Personality in the 28th edition of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award.

It recognises Sheikh Al-Husary's vast knowledge of the holy Quran, which left a profound impact across the Islamic world, as well as his outstanding contributions to the science of Tajweed and the contemporary Quranic school.

Taking to social media platform X, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, highlighted that Sheikh Al-Husary was "one of the most prominent reciters of our modern era... the first to record a complete murattal recitation of the entire Mushaf... and one of the most widely followed reciters across the world".

The $1 million title will be unveiled during a ceremony on March 2, along with the winners of the $1 million most beautiful Quran recitations (male and female). 

In his post, Sheikh Mohammed urged the public to vote for the best voice from among the six "exceptional Quranic" reciters from around the world. 

"We are now open for public voting to allow the audience to select the Most Beautiful Quranic Voice for the year 2026," Sheikh Mohammed wrote. 

Public can vote via quran.gov.ae

Unique school of recitation and mastery

Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, highlighted that Sheikh Al-Husary "established a unique school of recitation and mastery, and laid the foundations for a rigorous scientific methodology in Tajweed from which generations across the world have benefited".

He was the first to produce an officially approved radio recording of the recited Mushaf according to Tajweed rules.

Born on September 17, 1917, in the village of Shubra Al-Namla in Egypt's Gharbia Governorate, Sheikh Al-Husary memorised the Holy Quran before the age of eight and later studied the ten Qira’at at Al-Azhar.

In 1957, he was appointed inspector of Egyptian Quran recitation centres and served as the Chief of Egyptian Reciters and former head of the Mushaf Revision Committee. 

Sheikh Al-Husary also served as President of the World Union of Quran Reciters. He was the first to recite the Quran at the United Nations in 1977, the Royal Palace in London in 1978, and the first reciter to read the Quran at the White House and the United States Congress, where he was received by US President Jimmy Carter.

He played a leading role in establishing the world’s first Holy Quran radio station and in the audio compilation of the Quran. His voice was the first broadcast on Quran Radio on 25th March 1964.

Sheikh Al-Husary's most prominent works include Rules of Quran Recitation, The Ten Qira’at from Al-Shatibiyyah and Al-Durrah, Guidelines for Understanding Stops and Starts in Recitation, The Finest Legacy in the History of the Fourteen Reciters, With the Holy Quran and The New Approach to the Science of Tajweed.

He passed away on November 24, 1980.