Introduction to the Science of Qirā’ātThe Variant Transmitted Readings of the Noble Qur’an

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presents

Instructor: Ustadh Tulaib

Objectives

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By the end of the webinar, you will:

► Understand the historical development of the Qirā’āt from the Ahruf► Gain a sense of the methodology ► Understand how Qirā’āt texts such as the Shātibiyya and the Durra are read► Become familiar with Qirā’āt pedagogy

The Ahruf

ِ صلى هللا علیھ وسلم َقاَل " أَْقَرأَِني َعِن اْبِن َعبَّاٍس ـ رضى هللا عنھما ـ أَنَّ َرُسوَل هللاَّ

ِجْبِریُل َعَلى َحْرٍف، َفَلْم أََزْل أَْسَتِزیُدهُ َحتَّى اْنَتَھى إَِلى َسْبَعِة أَْحُرٍف "

Ibn Abbas (ra) reports that the Messenger of Allah ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص said, “Jibreel (as) recited to me in a single harf, and I continued asking

him to increase until he reached seven ahruf.

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The Ahruf (cont)

It is reported on the authority of ˘Umar ibn al-Khattāb who says: I heard Hishām ibn Hakīm reciting Sūrah al-Furqān during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, so I listened attentively to his recitation. I found him reciting many readings which the Messenger of Allah had not taught me. I was tempted to pounce upon him during salāh but was patient until he made salām (terminated his salāh). I grabbed him by his shawl and questioned him: Who taught you this Sūrah which I heard you reciting? He replied: The Messenger of Allah. (˘Umar then said): You have lied (since he) taught it to me in a manner different to what you have read. I then dragged him with me to the Messenger of Allah and said: I heard this one reciting Sūrah al-Furqān with readings which you have not taught me. He said: Leave him! Recite, O Hishām. He then recited in the same manner which I heard him recite. The Messenger of Allah said: In this manner it was revealed. He then said: Recite, O ˘Umar. I then recited in the manner that (he ) taught me. (Upon this) he stated: In this manner it was revealed, for verily the Qur`ān was revealed (to be read) in seven ahruf, recite whichever (of it) is easiest for you.

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The Ahruf: Points of Discussion5

► What differentiates the ahruf?- Various theories on what the ahruf are (tribes, dialects, subjects, categories,

etc.)- Differences of actual words and phrases- The story of Umar and Hisham (ra)- Ibn al-Jazari’s interpretation

► Literal seven or rhetorical seven?- Rhetorical seven: Ali, Ibn Abbas, Qadhi ʿIyādh, Dr. Ghanim Qadoori

► What is the purpose of the ahruf?► So how do the ahruf develop into the qirā’āt

The Standardization of the Mushaf6

► The first compilation project during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (ra)► The goals and method of the first project► The second compilation project during the caliphate of Uthman (ra)► The goals and method of the second project► The concern of Ibn Mas’ūd (ra)► The consensus of reciters, theologians, and jurists on the mushaf and rasm of Uthman (ra)

The Early Development of the Qirā’ātPre Ibn Mujāhid

► The oral tradition works with the rasm tradition. “The reading of the Qur’an is a followed sunnah. The successors transmit it from from the early generations.”

► Ibn Masʿūd (ra): There is no error in reciting part of a [harf] with another. Rather the error is adding to [the Qur’an] what is not from it.

► The concept of ikhtiyār► Certain reciters become very popular in their cities and their readings are named after

them► Many people begin to compile books on the various prevalent qirā’āt during their times.

Ibn Mujāhid is the first to compile a book on the famous seven we know today.

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Al Madinah Al Munawwara

Imam Abu Jafar al-Madani Yazid b. al-Qaqa’a (8)

Imam Nafi’ b. Abdur Rahman al-Madani (1)

Makkah Al-Mukarramah Imam Abdullah b. Kathir (2)

Basrah Imam Abu Amr b. al-’Ala (3)

Imam Yaʿqūb b. Ishaq Al Hadhrami al-Basri (9)

Shaam Imam Abdullah b. ‘Amir b. Yazid b. Tamim (4)al-Yahsabi al-Damashqi

Kufa Imam ‘Asim b. Abi Nujood al-Kufi (5)

Imam Hamza b. Habib b. Amara Az Zayyat al-Kufi (6)

Imam Ali b. Hamza b, Abdullah b. Uthman al-Kisai (7)

Imam Khalaf b. Hisham al-Bazzar (10)

NAMES OF THE TEN QURRĀ’

AND THEIR CITIES

Ibn Mujāhid (245-324 AH)

► Abū Bakr Ahmad b. Mūsā b. al-ʿAbbās b. Mujāhid al-Tamīmī al-Baghdādī► He authors Kitāb al-Sabʿ. Why these particular seven?► Ibn Mujāhid intended to compile the single most prevalent reading for each major city► He faces a dilemma when trying to choose one from Kufa, so he notes down all three► He is extremely popular and has a plethora of students. His book gains fame and

authority; other readings are gradually overshadowed by these seven

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Abū ʿAmr al-Dānī (381-444 AH)

► Abū ʿAmr ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd b. ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd b. ʿUmar al-Dānī► He authors al-Taysir fi l-qirā’āt al-sabʿ. It is a textbook version of Ibn Mujāhid’s work with

additional information regarding sub-transmitters.► It is adopted by the Qurrā’ to teach the science to students.► Ibn al-Jazarī says: Whoever looks in his books will realize the aptitude of this individual

and how much talent Allah gave him.

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Imam al-Shātibi (538-590 AH)

► Abu l-Qāsim Qāsim b. Fīrruh b. Khalaf b. Ahmad al-Shātibi ► He authors the extremely well-known Hirz al-Amāni wa wajh al-Tahāni, better known as

the Shātibiyya, which is based on al-Dāni’s al-Taysīr► It gradually replaces the Taysīr as the most popular textbook for teaching qirā’āt► He also authors other nazms on rasm and ʿadd al-āy

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al-Muhaqqiq Ibn al-Jazarī (751-833 AH)

► Abu l-Khayr Shams al-Dīn Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Muhammad b. ʿAlī b. Yūsuf al-Damashqī, famously known as Ibn al-Jazari

► He authors numerous well-known books on tajwīd and qirā’āt, including: al-Muqaddima, al-Durra al-Mudhiyya, Tayyiba al-Nashr, al-Nashr fi l-Qirā’āt al-ʿAshr

► He is known as al-Muhaqqiq due to his immense contributions and research in the field► He demonstrates and proves the authenticity of the three additional qirā’āt so decisively

that it is accepted by consensus► His work al-Durra is meant to supplement the Shātibiyya

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Qirā’āt, Riwāyāt, Turuq13

► Qirā’a: A reading attributed to a particular Qāri of the ten Qurrā’. It consists of two riwāyāt

► Riwāya: Subcategory of qirā’a; a reading attributed to a particular Rāwi (transmitter) of a Qāri.

► Tarīq: Subcategory of riwāya; a reading attributed to a particular Rāwi of a Qāri. ► Every subcategory below riwāyāt will be counted among the turuq.

The Shātibiyya

● In the tawīl meter of poetry● Every line ends with the

syllable /lā/, which is why it is also known as the lāmiyya

● The introductory chapter explains how the poem is to be read and deciphered

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The Shātibiyya (cont.)

● Every reciter is represented with a letter from the Western Abjad system. Reciters are divided into Qurrā’ and Ruwāt

● The wāw is excluded because it is used as a divider.

● The rules of opposites: Imam Shātibi will mention a reading, and the other reading can be deduced through his system of opposites.

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The Organization of the Shātibiyya16

► This is a book of qirā’āt, not tajwīd. The author assumes that the reader is already familiar with the rules and theory of tajwīd.

► It is divided into two parts: Usūl al-qirā’āt and Farsh al-hurūf. These are what constitute the differences among the qirā’āt.

► The usūl are to do with general rules for the qirā’āt pertaining to things like imāla, idghām, madd, etc. It will apply to differences in accents and pronunciations, and will generally not affect the meaning. It can also apply to practices and traditions e.g. al-hāll wal-murtahil, takbīr bayn al-sūratayn, basmala silently or loudly, etc.

► The farsh are to do with differences among the qirā’āt that do not fall under a particular rule or pattern, but are individual differences that usually will affect the meaning. Differences of gender case, grammatical case, verb conjugations, singular or plural nouns, differences in letters, etc. will apply here. E.g. maliki vs. māliki

17An Example of Deciphering Farsh from the Shātibiyya

ۤ اَۡنفَُسھُۡم َوَما یَۡشُعُرۡوَنؕ َ َوالَِّذۡیَن ٰاَمنُۡوا ۚ َوَما یَۡخَدُعۡوَن اِالَّ یُٰخِدُعۡوَن ّهللاٰ

لَھُۡم َعَذاٌب اَلِۡیٌمۙۢ بَِما َكانُۡوا یَۡكِذبُۡونَ ُ َمَرًضا ۚ وَّ َرٌضۙ فََزاَدھُُم ّهللاٰ فِۡى قُلُۡوبِِھۡم مَّ

The Durra

● Written to supplement Imam Shātibi’s book. Mimics its meter and features

● It is not a standalone text. It needs the Shātibiyya to be deciphered

● If a Qāri’s reading is left unmentioned, that implies he will agree with his pair from the Shātibiyya

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The Durra(cont.)

● Abū Jaʿfar corresponds with Nāfiʿ

● Yaʿqūb corresponds with Abū ʿAmr

● Khalaf corresponds with Hamza

● Only those instances will be mentioned where they differ from their pairs

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20An Example of Deciphering Farsh from the Durra

ۤ اَۡنفَُسھُۡم َوَما یَۡشُعُرۡوَنؕ َ َوالَِّذۡیَن ٰاَمنُۡوا ۚ َوَما یَۡخَدُعۡوَن اِالَّ یُٰخِدُعۡوَن ّهللاٰ

Methods of Jamʿ

► Jamʿ: To combine the various qirā’āt at once while reciting► Jamʿ bi l-waqf: One recites an entire verse or portion of a verse according to the first

qirā’a. Then they restart the verse for the next reading and continue to where they stopped. They do this until all variants have been exhausted.

► Jamʿ bi l-harf: One begins reciting a verse. When they reach a point of ikhtilāf, they cycle on the word until all variants have been completed and then move forward.

► The method of Imam Safāqusī: One recites a verse for a single Qāri until reaching an appropriate pause. Then they work their way backward to account for all the differences.

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22Sūra al-Fātiha in the Shātibiyya

23Sūra al-Fātiha in the Durra

َراطَ اۡلُمۡستَقِۡیمَۙ اِۡھِدنَا الصِّ

ِصَراطَ الَِّذۡیَن اَۡنَعۡمَت َعلَۡیھمۙ

آلِّۡینَ َغۡیِر اۡلَمۡغُضۡوِب َعلَۡیھم َوَال الضَّ

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ِحۡیِم ۡحٰمِن الرَّ بِۡسِم هللاِ الرَّ

ِ َربِّ اۡلٰعلَِمۡینَۙ اَۡلَحۡمُد ّٰ

ِحۡیمِۙ ۡحٰمِن الرَّ الرَّ

ۡیِنؕ ملِِك یَۡوِم الدِّ

اِیَّاَك نَۡعبُُد َواِیَّاَك نَۡستَِعۡیُنؕ

عاصم الكسائي یعقوب خلف

(س) قنبل

رویس إشمام حمزة

إشمام خلف عن

حمزة

صلة قالون ٢ ابن كثیر

ھم بالضم حمزة یعقوب

Additional Points

► The way this science is taught depends on the teacher. Some require memorization of the texts.

► Ijāzāt will vary► Methods of jamʿ will vary from teacher to teacher.► Khilāf wājib vs. Khilāf jā’iz► Some teachers will not allow you to learn all the qirā’āt at once.

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Beyond the Shātibiyya and Durra

► The above mentioned texts are what constitute al-Qirā’āt al-ʿAshar al-Sughrā► Imam Ibn al-Jazari collects more turuq of each of the ten qirā’āt and authors Tayyibat

al-Nashr, which constitutes al-Qirā’āt al-ʿAshar al-Kubrā► Beyond the Kubrā are the four al-Qirā’āt al-Shādhdha► Other related subjects

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Additional Reading

► The article on Yaqeen Institute► An Approach to the Qur’anic Sciences by Mufti Taqi Usmani► An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an by Yasir Qadhi► Variant Readings of the Qur’an by Ahmad Ali al-Imam► The books of Qari Saleem Gaibie

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