NAHW: focuses on words and the harakah on the last letter of each word in a sentence

SARF: focuses on how different words are conjugated from one source and defines the harakah of every letter in a word except the last letter

How did the science of nahw come about? During the caliphate of ‘Ali ibn Abee Taalib, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu, a Bedouin man came from the desert to the town and was praying behind one of the Imaams and the Imaam was reciting soorah at-Tawbah and when he recited the following aayah:

أَنَّ اللَّهَ بَرِىءٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُ

And a declaration from Allah and His Messenger to mankind on the greatest day of Hajj that Allah is free from obligations to the Mushrikin and so is His Messenger. (at-Tawbah aayah 3)

Instead of reading the last word as rasoolUhu, he recited it as rasoolIhi with a kasrah on the laam changing the meaning of the aayah to mean that Allaah, subhaanahu wa ta’aala, is free from the mushrikeen AND free from the Messenger of Allaah, ‘alayhis-salaatu was-salaam. This was a grave mistake and the Bedouin man because of the fact that the lughah amongst the Bedouins was preserved and not perverted like the people of the town who mixed with people from all regions, the Bedouin man understood straight away this grave mistake and he broke his salaah and made a commotion. Some of the Muslims narrated this incident to the Ameer, ‘Ali, radhiyallaahu ‘anhu and due to his foresight, he wanted to prevent such an incident happening again. So he ordered for a man who was known to be highly learned in the lughah. His name was Abul-Asad ad-Duwalee and asked him to write down the foundations of the lughah and its sciences. And when ‘Ali requested this from him, he said to Abul-Asad:

انحو هذا النحو

Unhoo haadha-nahw

Meaning ‘Go forth in this direction’ and this is where the name NAHW came from.

And its clear from that incident just how important knowing nahw is because there are many other examples of the Qur’aan where simple changing the last harakah of one letter can have a grave implication on the meaning. Of these examples are:

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَـتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ

(And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim tried him with (certain) Words (commands), which he fulfilled) (al-Baqarah aayah 258)

If the harakaat on the two highlighted letters are interchanged it would change the meaning to being that Ibraaheem, ‘alayhis-salaam, is the one who tried Allaah, subhaanahu wa ta’aala.

Another example, in soorah faatir, aayah number 28:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

(It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.)

Again in this aayah interchanging the highlighted harakaat will render the meaning of this aayah to be that Allaah, subhaanahu wa ta’aala, fears the people of knowledge!

So i think these example suffice and it also suffices that no one who has treaded the path of ‘ilm has ever done so by learning the lughah without nahw so how can we all of a sudden think we can do that?

As for the knowledge of sarf, it also came about due to an incident involving a Bedouin passing through town. I cant remember fully but I believe it also took place during the caliphate of ‘Ali, radhiyallahu ‘anhu. Anyway this time in the salaah, the Imaam was reading soorah al-Baqarah, the following aayah, verse number 221:

…وَلاَ تَنْكِحُواْ الْمُشْرِكَـتِ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ

وَلاَ تُنكِحُواْ الْمُشِرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُواْ

(221. And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (idolatresses) till they believe … And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikin till they believe ….

The two highlighted words were mixed up by the Imaam so he read the aayah as such:

…وَلاَ تُنكِحُواْ الْمُشْرِكَـتِ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ

وَلاَ تَنْكِحُواْ الْمُشِرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُواْ

What did this do to the meaning? Well, the aayah now said, ‘And do not give (ie your daughters) in marriage to the Mushrikaat (idolatresses) till they believe….and do not marry the mushrikeen till they believe’

So if we go with the new meaning it would mean Allaah is permitting marriage of men to men and women to women, wal-‘iyaadhu billaah! So the Bedouin who was praying behine the imaam exited the salaah and shouted in the masjid saying ‘Wallaahi I will never marry them even if they believe!’

The Imaam did not have knowledge of sarf so he didn’t realise the difference between the two verbs. The first one TANKIHOO is from the verb NAKAHA and it is thulaathi and means to marry (ie a man on his own witout being given away) whereas the verb TUNKIHOO is a derivative from NAKAHA and it is rubaa’ee upon the wazn AF’ALA and the past tense of the verb is ANKAHA which means to give away  in marriage.

So this time the Ameer of the Muslims when he heard of this set about preventing it by outlining the principles of conjugating words and verbs from three (or in few cases four) lettered roots. So for example the verb DARASA, it is through sarf that we learn and know the difference between all the following words that are derived from it:

درس, يدرس, ادرس, دراسة, مدرس, مدرسة, تدريس

Darasa, tadrusu, udrus, diraasah, mudarris, madrasa, tadrees

At the end of the dars our teacher explained to us what I’raab meant. When someone asks you to give the I’raab of an aayah or sentence what do they mean and what do they want from you. So this is what he told us:

I’raab is to state the type of the word (naw’ul kalimah), its hukm (ruling) and its ‘alaamah (its sign).

So these are three things that are requested and as a rough guide this is what each of the three things mean:

1.       Type of Word    – Is it faa’il, maf’ool bihi, mudhaaf ilayhi etc

2.       Hukm of the word  – there are only four (marfoo’, mansoob, majzoom or majroor)

3.       The ‘alaamah – dhammah, fathah, kasra, sukoon, alif, waaw etc…
Then he gave us a brief mention about those words that do not have I’raab and how we do not say they have no I’raab, instead we say they are mabniyyun and have an alaamah but no hukm etc.

This article translated from the works of shaykh ‘uthaymeen, rahimahullaah, may also help the brother out:

http://quranicarabic.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/studying-nahw-by-shaykh-ibn-uthaymeen/

And this is the three principles we have always used when doing i’raab of any sentence. It may appear hard at times but all you need to get over that is revise, practice applying it in your speech and one thing that helped us a great deal is that after starting the second book of bayna yadayk, our teacher started to get us to make i’raab of aayaat from the Qur’aan. So for about two weeks or more, we started every lesson with 30 mins or so of him giving us random aayat from the qur’aan and we would have to do i’raab on the spot. Obviously there are things we haven’t learnt yet so he would only focus on those things that we do know and at times mention things we haven’t studied yet to introduce the concept. If the brother can do this with his teacher or someone else who is more advanced than him, it will help him a great deal in getting to grips with nahw inshaaAllaah.

• Al-Qur’an (theRecital),
• Al-Furqaan (the Criterion between Truth and falsehood),
• at-Tanzeel (the Revelation),

• Al-Kitaab (the Book).

Allaah has also given the Qur’an many descriptions in His verses and amongst them are:

• Noor (Light),
• Huda (Guidance),
• Mau’idhah (Admonition),
• Shifaa’ (Healing),
• Rahmah (Mercy),
• Mubaarak (Blessing),
• Mubeen (Clear, Manifest),
• Bushraa (Good Tidings),
• Azeez (Mighty),
• Majeed (Glorious),
• Basheer (Bringer of Glad Tidings),
• Nadheer (Warner),
• Kareem (Noble),

• Ahsanul-Hadeeth (the Best of Speech)

Allaah the Exalted said, in describing His Book:

Allaah has sent down the most beautiful of speech, a Book, (parts of it) resembling (others) oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it. Then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allaah (Zumar 39:23)

Originally from: Kayfa Nafhamul-Qur’aan of Jameel Zainoo, with slight modification.

http://www.thenoblequran.com/sps/

Ibn Katheer (rh) said in his Tafseer Qur’an il-Adheem, regarding the saying of Allaah:

“Those to whom We have given the Book recite it as it truly should be recited, they are the ones who (truly) believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it, then they are the losers.“[1]

“Qataadah said: “They are the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam).”

Umar ibn al-Khattaab (radiallaahu anhu) said: “When he comes across the mentioning of Paradise, he asks Allaah for Paradise and when he comes across the mentioning of the Fire, he seeks refuge in Allaah from the Fire.”

Ibn Mas’ood said: “By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, verily its truthful recitation is that a person treats as lawful what is lawful therein, treats as unlawful what is unlawful therein, that he recites it just as Allaah had revealed it, that he does not give its words other than their proper meanings and does not give an interpretation to any part of it which is not its proper interpretation.”

Al-Hasan al-Basree (rh) said: “They act according to and upon its clear and manifest verses (whose meanings are clear and apparent) and they believe in its allegorical verses (whose meanings are unclear) and they entrust whatever is difficult for them (to know) to its Knower.”

Ibn Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu) said regarding “as it truly should be recited…“: “They follow it as it truly should be followed.[2]” And then he recited the verse: And by the Moon when it follows it (the Sun)[3]. He said: “Follows it.”

Ibn Mas’ood (radiallaahu anhu) said about the same verse: “They follow it as it truly should be followed.”

Umar ibn al-Khattaab (radiallaahu anhu) said: “They are the ones who when they pass by a verse mentioning mercy, they ask for it from Allaah and when they pass by a verse mentioning punishment, they seek refuge from it.”

And His saying: “They are the ones who (truly) believe in it”: is a description of the ones ‘to whom We have given the Book’ and who “..recite it as it (truly) should be recited..“[4]“

So dear reader, the meaning of reciting the Book of Allaah (Tilaawah) is to memorise it, to recite it as it was revealed to the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), to study it and to follow it, acting upon its clear and explicit verses (following its orders and refraining from its prohibition), to believe in its allegorical verses avoiding false interpretations of such verses and to submit the knowledge of their meanings to their Knower in truth, Allaah the Exalted. If you do that then you are guaranteed Paradise as Ibn Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu) has said: “Allaah guarantees the one who reads the Qur’aan and acts upon whatever is contained within it that he will not go astray in this life and will not be wretched in the Hereafter.”

NOTES

1 Soorah Baqarah 2:121
2 “Yattabi’oonahu haqqa ittibaa’ihi” So the meaning of Tilaawah in this verse as Ibn Abbaas and Ibn Mas’ood explain is Ittibaa’
3 Soorah Shams 91:2
4 Tafseer Ibn Katheer (1/168-169)

Original Source: http://www.thenoblequran.com/sps

1) To facilitate the memorisation of the Qur’aan. This is the only benefit that is explicitly narrated in the hadeeth. The Arabs did not all speak Arabic in the same way; each tribe and locations had slight variations and peculiarities unique to it. If the Qur’aan had only been revealed in one harf, it would have been difficult for the many different Arab tribes to memorise the Qur’aan properly. However, since the Qur’aan was revealed in seven ahruf, this greatly eased its memorisation. This was of primary importance in its preservation and propagation.

2) To prove the miraculous nature of the Qur’aan. For despite all of these differences, the meanings of the ahruf did not contradict one another, but rather were complementary.

3) To prove the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), for despite the fact that he was illiterate, the revelation of the Qur’aan occurred in different tribal dialects and different words, all of which consisted of the most fluent and eloquent speech of his time.

4) To honour the ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and show its superiority over all other nations. No other nations had been given its book in such a manner, in varying ahruf, to ease the process of preservation. Thus, the revelation of the Qur’aan showed the unique status that the Prophet (PBUH), and his ummah, occupied over other nations. In one hadeeth, the Prophet (PBUH) remarked, “The earlier books would be revealed from one door (of heaven), in one harf, but the Qur’aan was revealed from seven doors (of Heaven), in seven ahruf.”

Part 1:The Ahruf of the Qur’aan

Part 2:What is Meant by the Ahruf of the Qur’aan?

Part 3: Three Categories of Opinions regarding the Ahruf of the Qur’aan

Part 4: Are the Ahruf in existence today?

Footnotes:

(1) cf. Itr, pps. 216-228

Extracted from ‘An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’aan’

Of course, this question in essence depends upon how one defines the ahruf. For example, az-Zarqaanee strongly argues that all the ahruf have been preserved, but this goes back to his definition that the ahruf represent seven ways that the verse can be changed (opinion (3) above). Thus, since these variations are still present in today’s qira’aat, he argues that all seven ahruf have been preserved. (1) The present discussion will, of course, utilise the definition that was concluded upon in the previous section.

The scholars of Islaam are divided into three opinions with regards to this issue.

The first group of scholars, composed of at-Tabaree (d. 310 A.H.), at-Tahaawee (d. 321 A.H.), Ibn Hibbaan (d. 354 A.H.) and those who follow them, argue that only one harf is in existence today. At-Tabaree holds that the recitation of the Qur’aan in seven ahruf was a concession given to the Companions at the time of the Prophet (PBUH), but when ‘Uthmaan oficially compiled the Qur’aan, he specifically ordered the committee assigned to write the mus-haf to preserve only one harf. He writes, “The only recitation that the Muslims have today is the one harf that their pious Imaam (‘Uthmaan) chose for them, leaving the remaining six.” (2) He is alluding to the statement of ‘Uthmaan to the committee that wrote the mus-haf, “… if you differ in (the spelling) of a word, then write it in the script of the Quraysh.” (3) Thus, according to at-Tabaree and those who follow his opinion, shows that ‘Uthmaan preserved only one harf.

In response to the question, “How could ‘Uthmaan and the Companions purposely have left out the other six ahruf?” at-Tabaree answers: (4)

“The seven ahruf were revealed by Allaah during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) to facilitate the memorisation of the Qur’aan, since the dialects of the Arabs were many. This facilitation (i.e., the ahruf) was not necessary to preserve, and eventually there was no need of it. In fact, it became the cause of dissension amongst the Muslims, as those people new to Islaam began arguing over the differences in the recitation of the Qur’aan. Therefore, Allaah inspired (5) ‘Uthmaan to discard the other six ahruf and collect the Qur’aan in one harf, so that the ummah would be united in its recitation. The Companions agreed to this action of his, and the agreement of the Companions is binding on the ummah.”

The second group of scholars holds that all of the ahruf are in existence today, and the mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan was written to preserve all seven ahruf. This was the opinion of Aboo Bakr al-Baaqillaani (d. 403 A.H.), and a small group of scholars. They claim that the Companions would never abandon a recitation that they used to recite during the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), and that they would not discard any knowledge that the Prophet (PBUH) had given them.

The third group of scholars is composed of Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 724 A.H.), ash-Shaatibee (d. 790 A.H.), ar-Raazee (d. 606 A.H.), Ibn Katheer (d. 774 A.H.), Ibn al-Jazaree (d. 832 A.H.) and others. They argue that ‘Uthmaan preserved the ahruf to the extent that the script of his mus-haf allowed him to do so. Thus, these scholars hold that a portion of the seven ahruf are preserved.

The question then arises: On what basis did ‘Uthmaan decide which portion of the ahruf to preserve? The answer to this is twofold: First, Zayd ibn Thaabit was in charge of the collection of the mus-haf. Zayd had been present when the Prophet (PBUH) recited the whole Qur’aan for the last time, only months before his death. (6) It can be assumed, then, that Zayd was aware of the portions of the ahruf that the Prophet (PBUH) recited, and he must have chosen those to the exclusion of the others. Secondly, the Companions unanimously agreed to discard all readings that conflicted with the mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan. Obviously, they would eliminate only that which they knew was not a part of the Qur’aan, and their consensus is binding on the ummah.

Ibn al-Jazaree (d. 832 A.H.) writes, (7)

“The majority of the scholars of the salaf and the later generations are of the opinion that the ‘Uthmaanic mus-hafs contains of the seven ahruf only that which its script allows. (What is preserved) are the recitations that the Prophet (PBUH) recited to Jibreel (during the last year of his life). The present mus-haf contains all this reading, and not a single letter from it is missing.”

The third opinion (i.e., that a portion of the seven ahruf have been preserved) seems to be the strongest one, for the following reasons:

1) The Companions were meticulous in preserving the knowledge that they recieved from the Prophet (PBUH). They understood their responsibility in transferring this vast knowledge to the ummah. It is because of this concern of theirs that detailed information exists about every topic of Islaam, so much so that the Muslims even know how many while hairs the Prophet’s (PBUH) beard contained! (8)  Therefore, it cannot be said that the Companions purposely left out six ahruf and preserved only one of them in the mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan without bringing forth some strong, unequivocal proof. Al-Qaaree writes,

“This opinion (that the Companions left out six ahruf) is strange, and extremely weak, for it claims that a part of the Qur’aan was removed by consensus of the Companions, since each of the ahruf is part of the Qur’aan. Therefore, how could ‘Uthmaan, or any of the Companions for that matter, or rather all of the Companions, discard something from the Qur’aan without a clear proof from the Creator? Even if we say that the Companions were given the concession of choosing one harf to recite in, as at-Tabaree (d. 310 A.H.) claims, and they were not accountable for all seven ahruf since it was a concession from Allaah, we say: This concession was given so that they could chose to recite the Qur’aan in any one of these seven ahruf, whichever was the easiest for them. There was no concession, however, in preserving these ahruf, rather they were responsible for preserving all of them… that were not abrogated…” (9)

2) The ‘Uthmaanic mus-hafs, as was mentioned earlier, were devoid of dots and vowel points. Since this knowledge was available to the Arabs at that time, (10) it seems likely that the mus-haf was purposely written without these dots or inflection points so that it would encompass different readings, and hence the different ahruf. Also, as was mentioned in the relevant chapter, the script of the ‘Uthmaanic mus-haf was written with specific rules in mind, apparently in order to accommodate the various recitations, and this shows that the mus-haf was written with the intent to preserve more than one harf.

3) If, as at-Tabaree holds, only one harf has been preserved, from where then do the differences in the ten qira’aat originate from? All scholars are unanimous that these ten qira’aat originated from the Prophet (PBUH) himself; therefore it seems apparent that the qira’aat have some integral relationship with the ahruf (as shall be discussed in the next chapter). Concerning this issue, Imaam at-Tabaree is forced to contradict his stance, as Makkee ibn Abee Taalib (d. 437 A.H.) pointed out:

“At-Tabaree concedes to the fact that the various qira’aat that conform to the mus-haf of ‘Uthmaan are a part of the seven ahruf, and this is what we also believe. However, he also claims… that the mus-haf (of ‘Uthmaan) has only preserved one harf, to the exclusion of the other six. These two positions are contradictory…” (11)

4) The different mus-haf that ‘Uthmaan ordered to be written were not identicle to each other, for in a number of places, the addition or deletion of a word or letter occurred in some of the mus-hafs. (12)  This change is reflected in the various qira’aat in existence today, for within the ten qira’aat, there exist word changes and word additions that could not have originated from the same mus-haf. It seems apparent this was done with a goal in mind, and the strongest conclusion seems to be that, by these differences in the mus-hafs, ‘Uthmaan had intended to preserve the differences in the ahruf.

These same four arguments, however, cannot be used for the second opinion (that all the ahruf were actually preserved), because of that fact that certain variations that the Companions used to recite as part of the Qur’aan are now no longer a part of the Qur’aan (as will be explained in the chapters of naskh and qira’aat). These variant readings can be explained as having been a part of the seven ahruf before the final reading of the Qur’aan by the Prophet (PBUH) to Jibreel. This reading, which took place before Zayd ibn Thaabit, cancelled the ahruf that ‘Uthmaan did not preserve. (13) Imaam al-Qistillaanee (d. 923 A.H.) said, “In this (last) recitation of the Prophet (PBUH) to Jibreel, there were two benefits: First, to strengthen and preserve the Prophet’s (PBUH) memorisation of the Qur’aan, and, second, to affirm those verses that were not abrogated and to indicate which verses were.” (14)

Part 1:The Ahruf of the Qur’aan

Part 2:What is Meant by the Ahruf of the Qur’aan?

Part 3: Three Categories of Opinions regarding the Ahruf of the Qur’aan

Footnotes:

(1) az-Zarqanee, v. 1, p. 170-172.

(2) al-Hamad, p. 147.

(3)  See Chapter 8 for a discussion of the collection of the Qur’aan.

(4)  Ubaydaat, p. 162.

(5)  The Arabic is ilhaam, which is the type of inspiration that is given to pious people, and is not the wahy that is given to the prophets. The mother of Moosaa recieved this type of inspiration when she was commanded by Allaah to let Moosaa adrift in the river. Refer to Chapter 3 for more details.

(6)  Actually, the Prophet (PBUH) recited the whole Qur’aan twice to Jibreel, and heard it from him twice. Some scholars held the view that these recitations of the Qur’aan occurred in different ahruf. See Itr, pp. 263-73.

(7)  Ibn al-Jazaree, an-Nashr, v. 1, p. 31, with changes.

(8)  Anas ibn Maalik stated, “I could not count more that fourteen white hairs in the Prophet’s (PBUH) beard and hair.” Reported by at-Tirmidhee in his Shamaa’il, # 31.

(9)  al-Qaree, p. 71.

(10)  Although there is a strong difference of opinion over this. See al-Hamad, p.151, where he tries to prove that this knowledge did not exist until the Muslims invented it.

(11)  al-Hamad, p. 140.

(12)  See Ch. 8, “The Compilation of the Qur’aan”, for further details and examples.

(13)  Ibn al-Jazaree, p. 31.

(14)  Uwais, p. 8.

Extracted from ‘An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’aan’

A. THOSE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE NO BASIS WHATSOEVER:

In this category fall those opinions which do not have any hadeeth to support them, nor do they make logical sense. Some of these are:

1) Seven different categories of text. For example: constrained and unconstrained, general and specific, literal and metaphoric, naasikh and mansookh. Other categories include those given by grammarians and linguists, specifying different verb forms.

2) An esoteric interpretation by certain Soofi groups, claiming that there are seven levels of knowledge, or seven degrees of meanings to each verse.

3) Seven different branches of knowledge, such as tawheed, sharee’ah, etc.

All these opinions contradict the purpose of the ahruf, namely to make the recitation of the Qur’aan easier for the Ummah. Also, there is no proof for these opinions, and they contradict common sense.

B. THOSE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE SOME APPARENT BASIS, BUT ARE WEAK OPINIONS:

Included in this category are the following opinions:

1) These ahruf are seven different ways to pronounce the words, without actually changing the letters. However, this opinion contradicts the variations in words that occur in the qira’aat.

2) The ahruf are seven types of verses in the Qur’aan: apparent, command, recommendation, specific, particular, general and parable. There is a weak hadeeth to support this.

3) Similar to the above, and also based on a weak hadeeth, the different types are: commands, prohibitions, promises, occurrences, halaal and haraam, clear and ambiguous. (1)

4) The seven ahruf are the same as the seven qira’aat. This is contradicted historically, as there are more than seven qira’aat, and the collection and codification of the qira’aat occurred four centuries after the Prophet’s (PBUH) death. (2) None of the major scholars of Islaam held this view, as Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 A.H.) said, “There is no difference of opinion among the scholars that the seven ahruf are not the same as the seven famous qira’aat.” (3)

Unforunately, most of the Muslim masses understand hadeeth of the ahruf to refer to the qira’aat.

C. THOSE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE STRONG EVIDENCE:

These opinions are the ones that are worthy of serious inspection, as they have strong evidence historically and from the meanings of the ahaadeeth. There are three opinions in this category.

1) The seven ahruf refer to the seven dialects (lughaat) of the Arabs prevalent at the time of the Prophet (PBUH). Each of these dialects belongs to a tribe among the Arabs, namely, the Quraysh, Hudhayl, Tameem, Hawaazin, Thaqeef, Kinaanah and Yemen. (other scholars gave the names of other tribes). Thus, under this opinion, various verses would be pronounced according to the pronunciation of that particular tribe, and words from one dialect would be replaced by other words used by that particular tribe.

Some scholars say that these seven dialects are spread throughout the Qur’aan, meaning that part of the Qur’aan is in the dialect of the Quraysh, other parts are in the dialect of Hudhayl, and so forth. Others say that the entire Qur’aan is recited in each of these dialects, thus forming the seven ahruf.

This was the opinion of Aboo ‘Ubayd al-Qaasim ibn Sallaam (d. 224 A.H.), al-Bayhaqee (d. 458 A.H.), Ibn ‘Attiyah (d. 541 A.H.) and others.

2) The seven ahruf denote seven ways of recitation (lahajaat) such that words are replaced by their synonyms. In other words, the seven ahruf have the exact same meanings but different wordings.

This was the opinion of Imaam at-Tabaree (d. 311 A.H.), at-Tahaawee (d. 321 A.H.), Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (d. 463 A.H.) and others.

3) The seven ahruf refer to seven different ways that the verse can be changed. In other words, whenever a difference is found between these ahruf, this type of difference will fall into one of the following seven categories: (4)

1. Change in wording. For example, in 101:5, ka al-’ihni il-manfoosh is changed to ka as-soof il-manfoosh, both of which mean the same thing.

2. Differences in wordings or letters such that they conform to the vowelless, dotless script of ‘Uthmaan. (5) For example, fatabayanoo is changed to fatathabatoo in 49:6, just by changing the dots. Also, in Sooral al-Faatihah, maaliki is changed to maliki without any change in the script of ‘Uthmaan.

3. Change in word order. For example, in 2:159, wa qaatalu wa qutilu is changed to wa qutilu wa qaatalu.

4. Addition or subtraction of a letter or word. For example, in 57:24, fa inna Allaahu hoowa al-ghaniyul hameed is recited without the pronoun, fa ina Allaah al-ghaniyul hameed.

5. The form of the word structure is changed. This change could be from plural to singular or dual (or other variations), or from feminine to masculine. For example, in 23:8, the plural li amanaatihim is changed to the singular li amanatihim.

6. Differences in inflection points. For example, 2:125, wa attakhadhoo mim maqaami Ibraaheema musallaa is read in the command wattakhidhoo.

7. Differences in pronunciation. For example, lessening the effect of certain hamzahs (called tas-heel) or pronouncing certain alifs and yaas differently (called imaalah).

This was the opinion of Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276 A.H.), al-Baaqillaani (d. 403 A.H.), Makkee ibn Abee Taalib (d. 437 A.H.), ar-Raazee (d. 606 A.H.), Ibn al-Jazaree (d. 832 A.H.), and others. Some of them give different categories, but their general thesis is the same.

Among these three opinion, the third one seems to have the least weight. Despite the fact that it classifies the differences in the ahruf into ingenious categories, it does not explain the essence of what the ahruf are. In other words, when Hishaam was reciting a different harf from ‘Umar, he was probably differing with ‘Umar in more than one of these seven categories. Therefore, the third definition does not really answer the question as to the meaning of the ahruf.

The first two opinions, on the other hand, have very strong evidences to support them. (6) It seems — and Allaah knows best — that both of these opinions have an element of truth in them, and there does not exist any grounds for rejecting either of them.

Therefore, it is concluded that the seven ahruf represent variations based upon, but not limited to, the most fluent Arab tribes of that time. These variations occurred in words, letters, and pronunciations, such that all these variations made it easier for the Companions to memorise the Qur’aan. These variations did not always reach seven different ways of recitation for each verse, but whenever such variations existed, the different ways of recitation never exceeded seven. (7)

Part 1: The Ahruf of the Qur’aan

Part 2: What is Meant by the Ahruf of the Qur’aan?

Footnotes:

(1)   For a discussion of the weakness in the above two hadeeth, see Itr, p. 138.

(2)   See the next chapter for further details on the qira’aat.

(3) Zarzur, p. 186.

(4) All of these variations, except for the first, are found in the present-day qira’aat.

(5) The manuscript of ‘Uthmaan did not have dots or diacritical marks to distinguish between certain letters and vowels. See Chapter 8, on “The Collection of the Qur’aan.”

(6) See Itr, pps. 168-177.

(7) cf. al-Qaree, p. 79, and al-Hamad’s conclusion, p. 144, which is very similar to this one.

Extracted from ‘An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’aan’

Before discussing the answer to this question, it would be useful to mention some points that can be inferred from the above narrations:

1) The different ahruf are all directly from Allaah, and not from the Companions. In all the narrations where the Companions differed from each other, it was clear that each one had been taught directly from the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), who was inspired by Allaah. This is why the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said to each one of the ahruf recited by ‘Umar and Hishaam, “It was revealed this way.”

2) The reason the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) requested the number of ahruf to be increased was to make the memorisation and recitation of the Qur’aan easier for his Ummah. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) prayed to increase the ahruf because in his ummah were “…old and young men and women, and those who have never read any writing.” Therefore, the limitations of the Qur’aan being in only one harf have been removed by Allaah as a blessing for this Ummah.

3) The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) used to teach the different ahruf to different Companions, depending on the condition and situation of that Companion. It can be assumed that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) chose the particular harf to recite to a Companion depending on which one would be the easiest for that particular Companion to memorise, since the purpose of the ahruf was to simplify recitation and memorisation. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) did not teach all the ahruf to all the Companions, for ‘Umar and Hishaam did not know about the existence of the different ahruf. Also, the cause for Ubay’s doubt was the fact that he was unaware of these ahruf, and the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) had to pray to Allaah to remove his doubts.

4) The differences between these ahruf were not so great as to prevent recognition of what was being recited. In other words, even though Hishaam was reciting the Qur’aan in a different harf than ‘Umar, ‘Umar could still recognise that Hishaam was reciting Soorah al-Furqaan, thus showing that the ahruf were not radically different from each other. Also, the narration of Ibn Shihaab shows that the basic meaning of all these ahruf was the same.

5) Each one of these ahruf is complete in and of itself. The proof for this is the statement of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him)“…so whichever one of them they recite, they are correct.” This is not to say that the ahruf do not complement one another in meaning, but rather that the recitation of the Qur’aan in one harf is sufficient.

6) The number of ahruf is exactly seven – not more, not less. The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him)asked Jibreel to increase the number of ahruf until Jibreel reached seven ahruf; therefore interpretations to the effect that ‘seven’ indicates an unspecified plurality (this is the opinion of Qaadee ‘Iyaad (d. 504 A.H.)) are false.

However, one narration in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad states that the Qur’aan was revealed in three ahruf, and yet another narration states that it was revealed in ten ahruf. Some scholars have tried to explain the first narration as meaning that, in the Makkan stage, the Qur’aan was revealed in three ahruf, whereas in the Madeenan stage, Allaah increased this to seven ahruf. Other scholars have given different interpretations to reconcile these hadeeth. 388 However, there is no need to resort to such explanations, since both of these narrations are weak. 389 Therefore, the Qur’aan was revealed in exactly seven ahruf.

7) The revelation of the Qur’aan in seven ahruf started in Madeenah, after the hijrah. In one of the narrations, the phrase, “…while the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him)was on the outskirts of Madeenah,” indicates that this occurred after the hijrah.

8)  A last benefit that can be inferred from these hadeeth (although this is not relevant to the ahruf) is the concern shown by the Companions in the preservation of the correct recitation of the Qur’aan. In all the cases quoted above, the Companions were not content with listening to recitations that were different from theirs – despite the fact that these recitations were said to have been learnt from the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) – until they had taken the matter to the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) himself.

As for what is meant by these seven ahruf, there is a great deal of difference on this issue. Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276 A.H.) recorded thirty-five opinions on this issue, and as-Suyootee listed over forty. Ibn Sa’adan (d. 231 A.H.), a famous grammarian and reciter of the Qur’aan, even declared that the true meaning of the ahruf was known only to Allaah, and thus to attempt to investigate into this issue was futile! On the other hand, Imaam Muhammad ibn al-Jazaree (d. 832 A.H.), perhaps the greatest scholar of the qira’aat after the era of the salaf, said, “I have sought to discover the meaning of these hadeeth (about the ahruf), and have pondered over them, and contemplated this topic for over thirty years, until Allaah opened my mind to that which is the correct answer in this matter, Inshaa Allaah!” (1)

The reason that such a great difference of opinion exists concerning the exact meaning of the ahruf is due to the fact that there does not exist any explicit narration from the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), or the salaf, concerning the exact nature of the ahruf; these various opinions are merely the conclusions of later scholars, based upon their examination of the evidences and their personal reasoning (ijtihaad).

Therefore, it should be understood from the outset that to arrive at one specific conclusion, and claim with certainty that it alone is correct and all else is wrong, is pure folly. What is desired, however, is to narrow down the various opinions and eliminate as many as possible based upon evidences.

All of these opinions can be divided into three broad categories, which will be discussed in the following weeks. (2)

A. THOSE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE NO BASIS WHATSOEVER

B. THOSE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE SOME APPARENT BASIS, BUT ARE WEAK OPINIONS

C. THOSE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE STRONG EVIDENCE

Footnotes

(1) Itr, p. 10.

(2) cf. al-Hamad, pps. 133-144; az-Zarqaanee, v.1, pps. 137-191; Itr, 122-190.

Extracted from ‘An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’aan’

Ramadhaan has a special relationship with the Qur’aan, of course:

“The month of Ramadhaan is the one in which the Qur’aan was sent down, a guidance for mankind, clear proofs for the guidance, the Criterion; so whoever amongst you witnesses this month, let him fast it.” (cf. Surah al-Baqarah 2:185)

The word ’so’ (fa) in this ayah leads to the following paraphrase of one aspect of its meaning: “Fast this month because it is the one in which the Qur’aan was sent down” — see Fasting in Ramadaan by Ali al-Halabi & Saleem al-Hilali, Al-Hidaayah, 1414/1994, pp. 11-12.

Ibn ‘Abbas narrates “that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadhaan because Jibril would come to him every night and he would rehearse the Qur’aan with him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Eng. trans. 6/486)

This hadith contains recommendation of the following:

• Studying the Qur’aan in Ramadhaan;
• coming together for this purpose;
• checking (one’s memory/knowledge of) the Qur’aan with someone who has preserved it better;
• increasing recitation of the Qur’aan in Ramadhaan;
• that the night time is the best time to recite, when other preoccupations decrease and it is easier to concentrate, as in Surah al-Muzzammil 73:6.

Further, Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated from her father (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who told her that Jibril would rehearse the Qur’aan with him (in Ramadhaan) once every year, and he did so twice in the year of his death. (Bukhari 6/485)

After mentioning the above aspects of the Sunnah, Ibn Rajab talks about the situation of the Salaf (the early Muslims) during Ramadhaan:

“… Some of the Salaf would complete reciting the whole Qur’aan during the night prayer of Ramadhaan every 3 days, others every 7 days e.g. Qataadah, others in 10 days e.g. Abu Rajaa’ al-Atardi. The Salaf would recite Qur’aan in Ramadhaan in Prayer as well as outside it. Al-Aswad would finish the Qur’aan every 2 nights in Ramadhaan; Ibrahim an-Nakh’I would do likewise in the last 10 nights specifically, & every 3 nights during the rest of the month. Qataadah would regularly finish the Qur’aan in 7 days, but in 3 days during Ramadhaan, when he would study the Qur’aan especially, and every night during its last 10 days. Al-Zuhri would say when Ramadhaan began, ‘It is recitation of the Qur’aan and feeding of people.’ When Ramadhaan began, Imam Malik would cease narrating Hadith and sitting with the people of knowledge, and stick to reciting the Qur’aan from its pages, while Sufyan al-Thawri would leave other acts of worship and stick to reciting the Qur’aan. ‘Aishah would recite from the pages of the Qur’aan at the beginning of the day in Ramadhaan (i.e. after Dawn), until when the sun had risen, she would sleep. Zayd al-Yaami would bring copies of the Qur’aan when Ramadhaan began and gather his companions around him. …”

It is also narrated that ash-Shaafi’ee would complete the Qur’aan sixty times during Ramadaan, while reciting it outside of prayer. And well known amongst the muslims is that the rightly guided Khaleef ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (radiallaahu anhu) would complete the recitation of the (whole) Qur’aan once a day.

Ibn Rajab later continues, “The forbiddance of completing recitation of the Qur’aan in less than 3 days applies to this being made a regular practice, but as for favoured times such as Ramadhaan, esp. the nights in which Laylat al-Qadr is sought, or favoured places such as Makkah for the visitor, it is recommended to increase reciting the Qur’aan to avail the time and place. This is the view of Ahmad, Ishaq & other Imams, and the practice of others indicates this too.”

The purpose here is not to discuss whether or not the latter view is correct or not, since that is purely academic for most of us, as we do not get anywhere near reciting the whole Qur’aan in three days! However, the practice of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), his Companions, and those who followed their path, should be clear enough. As a further example, Bukhari (3/79) quotes from the noble Companion Zaid bin Thabit who answered the question, “How much time was there between the pre-dawn meal and the Dawn Prayer?” by saying, “Enough time to recite fifty ayat”; since the practice of the Arabs was to measure time in terms of everyday actions, this shows that the Sahabah were pre-occupied with the Qur’aan, especially in Ramadhaan.

Compare all this with our sad state, when we talk so much about establishing Islam, implementing the Qur’aan, etc. and yet have such little contact with it, maybe not completing its recitation ever at all since childhood, or perhaps never! Hence we become imbalanced in our understanding of Islam, because there are ayat which we rarely or never hear or think about; we repeat only certain selected ayat over and over again; we lost the context of the verses, the overall flow, argument and balance of the Qur’aan, all of which is beautiful & miraculous. Because of this ignorance we go astray from the Straight Path, split up into sects, lose the blessings of Allah …

“We took a covenant from those who said: we are Christians, but they forgot part of the message with which they had been reminded, so we ingrained amongst them enmity and hatred until the Day of Judgment…” (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:14)

In Sahih Bukhari (6/521), there is an amazing piece of advice from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): “Recite the Qur’aan as long as your hearts agree on it; if you disagree about it, stop reciting it (for the time being)” — studying the Qur’aan should bring people together!

In Surah al-Mu’minoon (23:53), there is mention of the people before us (in whose footsteps we would follow), who broke up their Deen into sects (zuburan), each party rejoicing in what it had. One understanding of this, from the word zuburan meaning literally ‘books’, is that each sect left the Book of Allah, & concentrated solely on the books of its own sect, so “they split their deen up into books”!

The most twisted, ridiculous, shallow ideas, innovations and superstitions are propagated amongst Muslims when they are away from the Qur’aan, because any little knowledge of the Qur’aan would be enough to dispel them.

Hence, O slave of Allah, leave aside secondary books and concentrate on studying the Blessed Book of Allah in this Blessed Month (use a good translation/commentary if needed), for it is the source of all Knowledge in other books, and keep away from wasting time, especially in futile discussions and arguments which lead nowhere, for that is a sure sign of being misguided, as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whenever a people went astray after they had been on guidance, they were given to argumentation (jadl).” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah – Sahih al-Jami’ al-Saghir, no. 5633)

The person reciting the Qur’aan must observe the proper etiquettes of recitation. Some of them are that: He make his intention sincerely for Allaah, that he recite it whilst being in a state of purity, that he use the Siwaak and that he recite it while pondering on its meaning and observing total consciousness. Allaah says: “A Book, which We have revealed to you in order that its verses may be pondered upon, so that the people of understanding may be reminded.” Also, from the etiquettes of the recitation is that one does not stop his reciting in order to speak to someone else. Indeed, when many people sit to recite the Qur’aan, and there are people sitting next to them, a majority of the time, they stop their recitation and speak to their neighbors. This is not proper since it is turning away from the recitation without a valid reason.

And it is on the one who recites, to act upon the Qur’aan, making permissible its Halaal and forbidding its Haraam, so that the Qur’aan can be a proof for him on the Day of Judgement and intercede for him in entering the gardens of bliss.

Finally, remember that the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) will complain to Allah on the Day of Judgment that his people neglected the Qur’aan (Surah al-Furqan 25:30). Neglect of the Qur’aan is of different levels, as Ibn al-Qayyim writes:

• not reciting or listening to it;
• not studying and understanding it;
• not conveying its message;
• not judging by it in personal and communal matters, at all levels of society;
• not believing in it.

All Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

Original work by  Br. Abu Dharr based on Ibn Rajab’s “Lata`if al-Ma`arif” and other sources (and we have included additions from Ahaadeeth As-Siyaam: Ahkaam wa Adaab (pg.63-65) (trans. Ahl ul-Qur’aan was-Sunnah Association, NY) Article ID : IBD090007 [5299])

The word ahruf is the plural of harf. Linguistically, ‘harf’ has a number of meanings, including:

1) ‘A letter or a word.’ Al-huruf al-abjadiyya, for example, means the letters of the alphabet.

2) ‘The border, the edge of something, the brink.’ For example, Allaah says,

“And among mankind is he who worships Allaah (as it were) upon a harf (i.e., upon the very edge, or in doubt)” [22:11]

3) ‘To swerve from the truth, to distort.’ Allaah says concerning the Jews,

“…they have displaced (lit., yaharifuna) words from their right places…” [4:46]

Its exact definition in Qur’aanic sciencs is the subject matter of this chapter, and therefore cannot be defined at this point. However, a temporary definition maybe given as follows: The ahruf are the various ways that the verses of the Qur’aan are read. Imaam al-Qurtubee (d. 671 A.H.) said, “Every variation of a word in the Qur’aan is said to be a harf. So, for example, when we say the harf of Ibn Mas’ood, it means the way that Ibn Mas’ood used to recite that verse or word.” (1)

Most English authors translate ahruf as ‘modes’ or ‘dialects.’ However, in this book the word will be left in Arabic since the meaning is broader than these translated words.

II. The Number of Ahruf of the Qur’aan

The Qur’aan was revealed in seven ahruf. The proof for this is found in many narrations from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), so much so that it reaches the level of mutawaatir. (2) Jalaal ad-Deen as-Suyootee lists twenty-one Companions who narrated that the Qur’aan was revealed in seven ahruf. (3) Some of these narrations are as follows:

1) Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Jibreel recited the Qur’aan to me in one harf, and I recited it back to him, but I requested him to increase (the number of harf) and he continued to increase it for me, until we stopped at seven ahruf.” Ibn Shihaab az-Zuhree (d. 124 A.H.), one of the narrators of the hadeeth, said, “It has reached me that these seven ahruf are essentially one (in meaning), they do not differ about what is permitted or forbidden.” (4)

2) ‘Ubay ibn Ka’ab reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was once on the outskirts of Madeenah (near the tribe of Banoo Ghifaar) when Jibreel came to him and said, “Allaah has commanded that you recite the Qur’aan to your people in one harf.” The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied, “I ask Allaah’s pardon and forgiveness! My people are not capable of doing this!” Jibreel then came again and said, “Allaah has commanded you to recite the Qur’aan to your people in two ahruf.” The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) again replied, “I ask Allaah’s pardon and forgiveness! My people are not capable of doing this!” Jibreel then came a third time and said, “Allaah has commanded you to recite the Qur’aan to your people in three ahruf.” The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied for a third time, “I ask Allaah’s pardon and forgiveness! My people are not capable of doing this!” At last, Jibreel came for the fourth time, and said, “Allaah has commanded you to recite the Qur’aan to your people in seven ahruf, and in whichever harf they recite, they would be right. (5)″

3) ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated, “I was sitting in the masjid when I heard Hishaam ibn Hakeem recite Soorah al-Furqaan. I was almost about the jump on him in his prayer, but I waited until he finished, and then grabbed him by his garment and asked him, ‘Who taught you to recite in such a manner?’” He replied, ‘It was the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) himself!’ I responded, ‘You are mistaken, for indeed I learnt this soorah from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and it was different from your recitation!’ Therefore, I dragged him to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and complained to him that Hishaam had recited Soorah al-Furqaan in a manner different from what he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) had taught me. At this, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) told me to let go of Hishaam, and asked him to recite Soorah al-Furqaan. Hishaam recited the Soorah in the same way I had heard him before. When he finished, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‘It was revealed this way.’ He then asked me to recite the same soorah. When I had finished, he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‘It was (also) revealed this way. Indeed, the Qur’aan has been revealed in seven different ahruf, so recite whichever one is easy for you.’” (6)

4) In a story similar to ‘Umar’s, ‘Ubay ibn Ka’ab also heard two people reciting the Qur’aan in a manner different from what he had learnt. After some discussion, both parties went to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and recited the same portion to him. He (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) approved of both parties’ recitations. At this point, Ubay narrates, “…there occurred in my mind a sort of denial and doubt that did not exist even in the time of Jaahilliyah (before Islaam)! When the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) saw how I was affected, he struck my chest, whereupon I started sweating, and felt as though I were looking at Allaah in fear! Then the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‘O Ubay! A message was sent to me to recite the Qur’aan in one harf, but I requested (Allaah) to make things easy on my nation. A second message came that I should recite the Qur’aan in two ahruf, but I again made the same request. I was then ordered to recite the Qur’aan in seven ahruf.’” (7)

5) Ubay ibn Ka’ab narrates that once the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) met Jibreel, and sais, “O Jibreel! I have been sent to an illiterate nation. Among them are old and young men and women, and those who have never read any writing!” Jibreel answered him, “O Muhammad, the Qur’aan has been revealed in seven ahruf!” (8)

There are many other hadeeth that confirm that the Qur’aan was revealed in seven ahruf, but these narrations will suffice for the present discussion.

Footnotes:

1. Ubaydaat, p. 153.

2. A mutawaatir hadeeth is one that is reported by a large number of narrators in every stage of the chain, so much so that they could not all be mistaken or agree upon a lie.

3. as-Suyootee, vol. 1, p. 45.

4. Narrated by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

5. Narrated by Muslim.

6. Narrated by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

7. Narrated by Muslim

8. Narrated by at-Tirmidhee

Extracted from ‘An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’aan’

Qiraa’aat technically: Articulation of the words of the Qur’aan as they were articulated by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and was taught or heard from him by his companions.

The subject matter of this science is the words of the Glorious Qur’aan with regards to the manner and method of pronunciation of such words as well as that of implementing the said method. It is from the Noblest of sciences since it guards one from making mistakes when pronouncing the Qur’anic  vocabulary, thus protecting it from distortion and alteration, as well as helping to distinguish between that which is read and that which is not.

Qiraa’aat and Revelation: The sole source for the “Qiraa’aat” is the revelation send down from the heavens to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. [The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] then relayed this revelation in minute detail, with every diacritical mark, to his companions. He would recite to his companions as it was revealed to him; Ibn Mas’ood may Allaah be pleased with him, narrates: “He would recite to them ten [verses] and they would not continue on to ten others until they had learned that which was contained in them from knowledge and actions. After this, if he had taught them the Qur’aan and they had perfected its recitation, he would like to listen to them recite to confirm [their ability to recite properly.]“

Qiraa’aat and alteration: A Qiraa’ah (a varying recitation) is a followed Sunnah. It was transmitted through both oral and written narration from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It is the Qur’aan in and of itself, not in any way separate from the Qur’aan, nor is there any difference to be made [between one recitation and the other]. A Qiraa’ah are different wordings [and or pronunciations] which the Holy Spirit was sent down with on various occasions [to recite to the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam].

Imam Muslim narrates from Ubay Ibn Ka’b may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: “I was in the Masjid and a man walked in to pray, he then recited in a manner which caused me to censure him. Then another man entered and recited in a manner different than the manner in which the first one recited. After each of us had finished praying we went to the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; I said to him “this man recited so I censured him, then another entered and recited differently than the first” The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam then ordered both of them to recite. They did and he endorsed both of the manners [in which they recited]“.

The scholars of “Qiraa’aat” have divided the Qur’anic  recitations into two main categories: Acceptable Recitations and irregular recitations.

As for the Acceptable Recitations, then they are those in which three pillars are fulfilled:

1-     That it agrees with a sound principle from the principles of the Arabic language.

2-      That it agrees with the written scripture as collected by Uthm’aan may Allah be pleased with him

3-     That it has reached us through an authentic successive chain of transmission.

Every Qiraa’ah wherein these three pillars are met is then to be considered a Qur’anic recitation, permissible to recite in Prayer, as well as to recite separately as an act of worship. This is the opinion of the vast majority of the people of knowledge.

As for the irregular recitations, they are those in which one or more of the previous pillars are missing.

Those Qiraa’aat (recitations) that have reached us through an authentic successive chain of transmission are ten in number. They were transmitted by a group of Reciters who were known for precise narration and accurate pronunciation, as well excellent proficiency. Those mentioned in the following are the Narrators of these recitations along with their most famous students:

1.      The recitation of Naafi’ Al-Madani. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Qaaloon and Warsh.

2.      The recitation of Ibn Katheer Al-Makki. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Al-Bazzi and Qunbul.

3.      The recitation of Abu Amru Al-Basri. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Ad-Doori and As-Soosi.

4.      The recitation of Ibn ‘Aamir Ash-Shaami. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Hishaam and Ibn Thakwaan.

5.      The recitation of ‘Aasim Al-Koofi. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Shu’bah and Hafs.

6.      The recitation of Hamzah Al-Koofi. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Khalaf and Khallad.

7.      The recitation of Al-Kisaa’ee Al-Koofi. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Abu Al-Haarith and Hafs Ad-Doori.

8.      The recitation of Abu Ja’far Al Madani. The most famous of those who narrated from him are ‘Eesa Ibn Wardaan and Jimaaz.

9.      The recitation of Ya’qoob Al-Basri. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Ruwayis and Roouh.

10. The recitation of Khalaf Ibn Hishaam Al-Bazzaar Al-Baghdaadi. The most famous of those who narrated from him are Is-Haaq Ibn Ibraaheem andIdrees Ibn ‘Abdul-Kareem.

When attributing the Narration of a narrator from among those mentioned to the Imam which he narrates the recitation from we call the said narration a “Riwaayah”. Thus, for example, we would say this is the Qiraa’ah of ‘Aasim with the Riwaayah of Hafs, or the Qiraa’ah of Naafi’ with the Riwaayah ofWarsh, et cetera.

Attribution of the seven recitations to the seven reciters is one of selection and fame, not one of opinion and desire; rather it is done through following transmission and narration. The Qiraa’aat are based on learning and narration, not opinion and interpretation. All of the Qiraa’aat which have reached us with an authentic chain are revelation from Allah the Most High, having been revealed to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It is for this reason that we find the scholars warning about learning the Qur’aan in a method other than one based on education, audition, and oral transmission.

Allah Alone grants success and guides to the right path. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

Taken from: Islamweb