Originally from Mahor, this father of three devoted his life to the transmission of the Koran. Imam and teacher at the Atyaboul Massadjid mosque in Saint-Pierre de La Réunion, he trained nearly a thousand students there.
He was, along with other teachers on the Island, the architect of the first victories of the madrassa where he officiated at the prestigious Koran recitation competition in Mecca.
His perfect mastery of tawjid (psalmody) and his recitation of the Quran attracted large numbers of worshipers to the mosque, eager to pray behind him. With his powerful voice, he accurately espoused the Quranic text. When he recited, the ear marveled and the heart bowed to welcome the divine word.
According to Chakil Omarjee, a mufti from Reunion Island, interviewed by Al-Kanz, Qari Saïd Abdou is at the origin of “this soft and singular tone” in the recitation of the Koran and the practice of tawjid, “which is still very present today among the young people” of the Island.
Since the announcement of his death, tributes have multiplied, like that of this faithful, who was close to him: “I still remember his powerful and emotional voice when he led the prayer at the [mosquée] Atyaboul Massadjid in Saint-Pierre. As a child, his recitation made me shiver, just as it touched the hearts of those who listened to him. He managed to make us cry with the beauty and intensity of his recitation, even without understanding Arabic.
al-kanz
