Mohamed Mahmoud al-Tablawi

Mohamed Mahmoud al-Tablawi (14 November 1934 – 5 May 2020) was an Egyptian Qur'an reciter, one of the leading names of Egyptian recitation in the later twentieth century. He recited at al-Azhar Mosque and at state ceremonies, judged many international Qur'an memorisation competitions, and headed the Egyptian Syndicate of Quran Reciters from 2011 until his death. ^{1 2}

He was born at Mit Oqba in Giza; his family came from the governorates of Sharqia and Monufia, and the Arabic article places him in the Tala district of Monufia. He memorised the Qur'an by the age of nine under teachers including Abd al-Fattah al-Qadi, Ahmad Mar'i, Rizq Khalil Habba, Mahmud Hafiz Baraniq and Abd al-Hamid al-Misiri. ^{1 3}

From twelve he led evening Qur'an gatherings on his own and was invited to recite at the mourning ceremonies of senior officials and well-known families; his recitations were recorded in the manner of the radio's famous reciters before he was fifteen, the age at which he turned professional. ^{1 2}

He recited at major religious ceremonies, including occasions attended by Egypt's presidents. His recitation was noted for its vocal modulation and breath control; he recorded the Qur'an in several of the canonical readings and served as a reciter at al-Azhar. ²

He travelled widely in Europe and Asia as what the Arabic article calls an ambassador of the Qur'an and as a judge of international competitions. The English article, citing Ahram Online and IQNA, says that on a visit to Saudi Arabia he entered the Kaaba at the invitation of King Khalid bin Abdulaziz and recited there. ^{1 2}

In 2011 he was elected head of the reciters' syndicate in succession to Abul Ainain Shuaisha, a post he held until his death; Mohamed Saleh Hashad succeeded him. He retired from professional recitation at 84. ²

He died on Tuesday 12 Ramadan 1441, 5 May 2020, after an illness. Prayers were said outside his home in Agouza, and on 6 May he was buried in the family cemetery at al-Basatin in southern Cairo; COVID-19 restrictions limited the funeral to his family and the reciters' representatives. ^{1 2}

The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, called him a major figure in the modern history of Qur'an recitation, and the Minister of Awqaf, Muhammad Mukhtar Gomaa, recalled his contribution and his leadership of the syndicate. ²

Wikidata listed articles on him in three Wikipedia editions (Arabic, Egyptian Arabic and English) on 6 November 2026. ³

• Arabic Wikipedia article, revision of 16 June 2026. ¹

• English Wikipedia article, revision of 6 November 2026. ²

• Wikidata item Q12240983. ³