Shaban Abdul Aziz Sayyad

The golden voice holder, the sound from heaven, the king of dawn, etc… He has multiple nicknames, and his has a large number of followers all around the Islamic countries. His name is Sheikh Shaban Abdul Aziz Sayyad, one of the most prominent and well known Quran reciters in the Arabic world, especially in Egypt.

Sheikh Shaban Sayyad was born in the village of Sarawah in the center of Ashmoun in the governorate of Menoufia in northern Egypt in 1940. The environment in which he grew up played a major role in influencing his character, as his village was known for the abundance of Quranic books, scholars and schools. Also, his father was a famous Quran reader in Egypt, which helped Sheikh Shaban to devote his life to learn the Quran, its rules, and to memorize it by heart, to become a popular reader.

At the age of four years old, Sheikh Shaban lost his father, to find himself instinctively chosen to complete his father's journey in the path of the recitation of the holy Quran, as he was able to fully memorize the holy Quran at only the age of seven years old. Also, he had joined the primary Islamic institute, and after the completing his primary and secondary studies, he joined the faculty of Osoul El Dine, branch of the A’kida and philosophy in Al Azhar university, and he obtained his license degree with excellence in 1966.

Sheikh Shaban was able to enter the world of the Quranic reciters at a very young age, due to his talent, hard work, and his magnificent voice, as he used to recite the holy Quran during general occasions at the age of 12 years old. He continued on this path even after he joined Al Azhar University, as he combined his studies with the Quranic recitation.

Throughout his career, Sheikh Shaban Abdul Aziz was altering between his teachings at the religious institute in Samannoud, and at the Religious Institute in Pagoor, then the Menouf Secondary Institute, and then the Awqaf Directorate, where he enrolled in several positions before being appointed as a Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Awqaf. Also, he joined the Egyptian Radio in 1979.

Sheikh Shaban was able to make himself a place among the greatest readers, thanks to the sweetness of his voice, as well as his skill in the diversification between readings and tones and his familiarity with musical positions and Maqamat, which made some describe him as a unique school in the Quranic readings field, and his reading style affected many readers including Sheikh Muhammad Al Mehdi Sharaf Eddine and Sheikh Hajaj Hindawi.

Sheikh Shaban devoted his entire life to the Quranic recitations in various countries, as he was awarded with many prizes, medals and certificates of appreciation. In 1994, he was diagnosed and he suffered from the kidney fail disease, which kept him incapacitated until he passed away in 1998.