TEHRAN -- Prominent Egyptian Quran reciter Abul Ainain Shu’aisha died Thursday evening in Cairo at age 89.

The news of his death was confirmed by the Egyptian daily Al-Yawm Al-Sabie.
Shu’aisha, who was head of the Egyptian Union of Quran Reciters, was born in Kafr el-Sheikh, north of Egypt in 1922. He started memorizing and reciting the verses of the Holy Quran early in his childhood.
Shu’aisha gained fame as a Quran reciter as early as 1936 when he attended a Quran reciting session in Mansoura city. He began reciting Quran on Egypt’s radio in 1939.
The master was deeply influenced by Sheikh Muhammad Raf’at, an eminent reciter in the Muslim world, and initially followed his style of recitation. But, later on, he adopted his own outstanding style.
He traveled to many countries to recite Quran including Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
In his trip to Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had regarded him as the “Veteran of the Holy Quran”.
In addition, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf awarded Shu’aisha honorary citizenship of the city in 2008.
Mahmoud Al-Tablawy has been selected now as the head of the Egyptian Union of Quran Reciters. He is the Quran reciter at Al-Azhar University of Cairo.
Photo: Egyptian Quran reciter Abul Ainain Shu’aisha in an undated photo