Sheikh Bashir bin Ahmed Siddiq, the senior Quran recitation teacher at Al-Masjid An-Nabawi, passed away on October 1, 2025, after dedicating sixty years to teaching at the Prophet’s Mosque. His students include some of the most prominent reciters and Islamic scholars of recent generations, forming a legacy that extends across the Muslim world.
Among his notable students are former Holy Mosques Imams Sheikh Muhammad Ayyoub and Sheikh Ali Jaber, current An-Nabawi Imams Sheikh Abdul Muhsin Al-Qasim and Sheikh Salah Al-Budair, and Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Shanqiti of the Senior Scholars Council. These figures represent just a portion of the thousands who studied under Sheikh Bashir’s guidance at the Medina mosque.
Sheikh Bashir established himself as a pillar of Quranic education within the sacred premises of the Prophet’s Mosque. His teaching career spanned six decades, during which he maintained a consistent presence in the mosque’s educational circles.
Students traveled from various countries specifically to learn Quran recitation from him, drawn by his reputation for precision and deep knowledge of tajweed rules.
The Sheikh’s methodology combined traditional teaching techniques with deep scholarly insight, creating a learning environment that produced some of the most recognized voices in Islamic recitation.
His students now lead prayers at Islam’s holiest sites and hold positions on scholarly councils, continuing the traditions he preserved and taught.
The autumn issue of Russia’s leading magazine “Tourism and Culture Industry” has published an extensive article on the activities of the Islamic Civilization Center in Tashkent, reports Dunyo IA.
The publication describes the 10-hectare complex, featuring a 65-meter azure dome and built on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as a symbol of the era of the Third Renaissance. Its architecture combines Timurid traditions with modern technological solutions, while the centerpiece of the exhibition is the 7th-century Uthman Quran manuscript, included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World international register.
The magazine provides a detailed overview of the museum concept, “Civilization – Personalities – Discoveries,” which covers historical periods from the pre-Islamic era to New Uzbekistan.
The publication also highlights the center’s key innovations, including the interactive “Wall of Civilizations,” virtual and augmented reality technologies, artificial intelligence and the “1,001 Inventions” children’s laboratory.
Particular attention is given to the center’s international cooperation and research infrastructure. Through systematic cooperation with major international auction houses, private collectors and the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan (WOSCU), more than 1,000 unique artefacts and manuscripts have been returned to Uzbekistan.
According to Tourism and Culture Industry, the project’s international recognition is reflected in the Islamic Civilization Center being included among the “World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2026” by the international Prix Versailles awards, as well as in coverage by prominent international publications including Smithsonian Magazine, BBC Travel and National Geographic.