The Sky's Lyre Sheikh Muhammad Rifat

Sheikh "Mohammad Rifat" (1882-1950 AD) is considered one of the icons of the twentieth century in Egypt and the Islamic world. He is the singer of the Egyptian radio with a sweet voice that warms the heart when listening to him, and minds are lost in contemplation and reflection on the words of Allah Almighty. He is the Sheikh who possesses David’s flute that satisfied the world with the Quran and spread it with great effort and care. He is the virtue Sheikh "Mohammad Rifat," the man whom Allah endowed with a voice from the sky that filled our homes with warmth and our hearts with security when hearing the call to prayer at sunset with his voice, every day for many years. The voice of Sheikh Mohammad Rifat means for Egyptians and others Ramadan, family, friends, and gathering. Not just a voice, but his voice has become for us tranquility and safety. Moreover, Allah granted him a golden throat and a melody from the melodies of heaven and eternity. He recited the Holy Quran, and the entire Egyptian conscience was shaken by it, and even the conscience of Muslims in the east and west of the earth was moved. His voice became one of the components of authentic Egyptian culture, and in our minds and hearts, it is associated with the moment of sunset in Ramadan and the launching of the iftar cannon. The writer Muhammad Al-Sayyid Al-Moaylihi said about him in Al-Risala magazine: "The master of reciters of this time, naturally and inherently musical, he brings to our souls the highest, purest, and most radiant kinds of music. With his voice alone, he captivates and charms us without needing an orchestra." Anis Mansour said about him: "And the late Sheikh Rifat remains the most beautiful and wonderful of voices, and the secret of the beauty and majesty of Sheikh Rifat’s voice is that it is unique in its tone, and this voice is capable of elevating you to the level of the verses and their meanings. It is unlike any other voice." Composer Muhammad Abdul Wahab described his voice as angelic, coming from the sky for the first time. Writer Mahmoud Sadaqni was asked about the secret of Sheikh Mohammad Rifat’s uniqueness, and he said: "He was filled with conviction and faith in what he recited."