Why this variation ?? Different Qiraat

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Why ?

There are many reasons , but I will only mention one that is the most important and may concern us .

The Arab nation at that time in the Arabian peninsula was made up of many tribes قبائل , and even some of these tribes consisted of smaller ones called butoon بطون ( correct translation needed ! ) . Prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him , was not only sent to all these tribes & sub-tribes ( I coined this word ) but to the whole world which , of course , has other nations beside the Arab . Furturmore , there are sounds in Arabic that cannot be pronounced in the other foreign languages ; that is , they have no equivalents .

To get the extreme variation in dialects within the Arab nation itself , it may be helplful to know that Egyptians for instance cannot easily understand Khaliji ( from the Arabian peninsula ) dialects , nor the Moroccan . Even within the Arabian peninsula the dialects notably vary from one country to another . Even in Egypt , there is the Caireen , the Alexandrian , the Asuti & many other dialects .

It comes , then , as a valid reason to have various Qiraats to correspond to the varieties of the Arab nation and the difference of the world languges and tongues .

We can trace this reason in the Hadithes

" هون على أمتي "
Make it easy for my Ummah (nation)


" أسأل الله معافاته و مغفرته ، إن أمتي لا تطيق ذلك "
... My nation will not bear up with that .


" يا جبريل ، إني أرسلت إلى أمة أمية فيهم الرجل و المرأة و الغلام و الجارية و الشيخ الفاني الذي لم يقرأ كتابا قط "
Gabriel ! I was sent to an illiterate nation ( Ummi ) , amongst which there are men , women , boys , girls & even the aging sheik who never read a book at all


It may be helpful to mark out that although there are Caireen , Alexandrian ,... etc. dialects , they all belong to the SAME broader Egyptian dialect going under Arabic language . It is easy however to distinguish these dialects depite belonging to the same category . This shows how varieties can matter even within the same country . So how about different countries in the same region , or different regions in the world ??

The smae goes for Qiraats which are piled under the Arabic language . There are variations in recitation , uttering sounds , tone , intonation but are all Arabic . Just like varieties within all other languages .

What exactly are the different Qiraat? (3)

I was wondering why Qiraat appear to be such a problematic issue . After going through all the reliable sources & resources I could reach , it turned out to be indeed a thorny subject . It is only God's Mercy that helped me come out with my faith intact , . I put within your reach what I have concluded to , not saying that this is the best reply , but it is simply my very best . In the Name of Allah do I start :

* The Ahruf are different from Qiraat .

* There are ONLY 7 Ahruf but up to 14 Qiraat ( even more )

* The Ahruf are what you may call in Eng : aspects أوجه . What are these 7 aspects : well they are connected with grammar or lexical rules in Arabic ; that is Alnahw & Alsarf النحو و الصرف & Al-erab الإعراب & other rules . In short , they are seven aspects hard to explain in Eng (at least for me ) because they are connected with the properties of the Arabic languages which have no equivalents in the foreign ones ( those studying Arabic may understand )

* The Qiraat may amount to 14 or more , but the major & most reliable of which are 7 still in use . For those who learn the science of Qiraat , they stop at number ten and that is it . An example is the famous Qiraa of Hafs an Asem : حفص عن عاصم

* To make it more conceivable : let's imagine a circle . This circle represent Ahruf ( the 7 aspects ) . The centre of the circle represent th Qiraat . The centre of the circle ie emitting rays . The rays spread only within the circle . Hence , all the various Qiraat are limited within those seven aspects .

* Another example : In Arab countries we have three famous kinds of cheese : white , istanboli & roumie . All these various types fall within the same category : cheese . All the various ways of Qiraa fall in one of theses 7 categories .

* No matter how many variations there are , they are all limited within these seven categories or aspects .

* then , where did this seven Ahruf came from ? Why ? & can this be taken as a proof that the Quran -God Forbid- has been falsified or altered ??!! Please keep reading patiently if you wish to know the answers .

* The seven Ahruf were revealed to the Prophet through Gabriel by the command of God . There are over ten Hadith Sahih حديث صحيح from Bukhari , Muslim , Mustadrak & Musnad Amhad telling us that the Ahruf were reavelation from Allah to the Prophet , not some modern invention or Bidaa بدعة

I do not Know how to get the English translation of those Hadithes , so I just put them in Arabic ( in case anyone can help ) and the general meaning in English ( my cracked Eng so please bear with me & keep reading)

All those Hadithes revolve around the same story that the companions sometimes heard pronunciation of words or Qiraa in general different from that they heard from the Prophrt directly . the other side who are reading in another Qiraa are also companions and said they had heard the Prophet directly reciting like that . What would the companions do ?? Quite obvious , immediately rush to the Prophet .

These companions mentioned in the Hadithes are all relaible & trustworthy of course : Abu Bakr , Omar , Hisham bin Hakim , Ubai Bin Kaab , Amru , Zaid , ...

The first story with Omar & Hishm about Surat Alfurqan . They went to the Prophet , he listened to each of them at a time , then said (not quoting)
It was revealed like this (meaning with these Qiraat) This Quran have been revealed in Seven Ahruf , read what you can ( again my translation is not precise )

" هكذا أنزلت ، إن هذا القرآن أنزل على سبعة أحرف فاقرؤوا ما تيسر منه

"

Another story with Ubai . When he heard two men in the Masjid reciting in two Qiraat unlike his . They went to the Prophet , he listened to each of them and he approved all of them . The interesting here is that Ubai had a flashing tinge of ... doubt ! The Merciful Prophet understood from his look what was struggling inside him . He gently ...poked ( this may not be the correct word ) him in the chest and said that it was him ( the prophet ) who asked Allah for those Ahruf , and was granted seven (ways of reciting) . Why ?? this comes later , don't rush me !

فقال لي : يا أُبَيّ ، أرسل إلي أن إقرأ القرآن على حرف ، فرددت إليه أن هوِّن على أمتي ، فرد إلى الثانية : اقرأه على حرفين ، فرددت إليه أن هون على أمتي ، فرد إلي الثالثة أن اقرأه على سبعة أحرف ..."

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What exactly are the different Qiraat? (2)

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Quote:

Please refer to the following: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/i...nt.aspx?id=571 Please read the attached appendices as well.

Quote:

With all due respect, the following link represents the more standard, classical view held by Qur'anic exegesis and people of tajwid for the past 1,200 years: http://islamthought.wordpress.com/20...-of-the-quran/

The articles cited offer totally different views. Ihsan I was not able to access the appendices. Can you please post them here.

Quote:

I also highly recommend An Approach to the Qur'anic Sciences by Mufti Taqi Usmani, which is a masterful summary of the subjects related to ulum al-Qur'an, which also answers your question and was written with the expressed intent to dispel the most common contemporary misunderstandings, which is especially relevant to this thread given that Mufti Taqi Usmani is a Pakistani scholar and the previous article cited represents a contemporary Pakistani school of thought. The book more directly addresses the misconception that the ahruf and qira'at are synonymous, which seems to be the basis upon which the article Ihsan quoted revolves. If I can find an online copy of it, I will be sure to post it, in sha Allah.

Ihsan's article does not treat the ahruf and qirat as the same. Rather, it seems to reject both! It only recognises what it calls the Qir‘āt al-‘Āmmah (the universal reading) which I understand to be the Hafs qiraat.

As far as my question was was concerned, I think that recitors of the different qirat would not be able to read in their respective ways from one mushaf because of the actual mismatch of words between the qirat.

The classical viewpoint seems more interested in trying to unify the various recitations by claiming that all the different qiraat have mutawatir chains of narrations extending upto the Prophet (saw) but the other article clearly shows that these chains are mutawatir only uptill their respective qaris. Moreover it was ironical to know that many of these qaris are not deemed fit for reporting hadith.

Quote:

May I just point out that the Qiraat are different from recitation : we recite the Holy Quran following one certain Qiraa ( Some learn more than one Qiraa) . There are only ten qiraats but many many recitors . For instance I have learned Quran by heart following the Qiraa of Hafs حفص عن عاصم . Inshallah I intend to recite the Quran in the ten Qiraats .

After going through both the articles I feel that it is more reasonable to conclude that there is only one qirat of the quran. So you should remain content with what you have learnt.

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What exactly are the different Qiraat? (1)

Assalam Alaikum

Lately I came to know that the Quran today exists in 7 different Qiraats or readings and that all seven of them are being taught at Islamic madarsas.

What is the nature of the difference between these readings? Are these Qiraats merely different styles of reading the Quran, such that reciters of the seven qiraats would all be able to recite in their particular style from the same written text or is it a difference of pronunciation of the sounds of the various Arabic letters (like duad pronounced as zuad, as in the Indian subcontinent) or is it a difference in

pronunciation of words (like mlk can be pronounced as maliki or muliki or miliki etc) or is it a case of the presence of the some words in one reading and their absence in another.

If you have researched and sorted out this issue then help me out.

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Please refer to the following:

http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/i...nt.aspx?id=571

Please read the attached appendices as well.

As a side note, the references link seem sto be confirmed by modern archaeological ecxcavations as well. Early Quranic scripts found on such things as rocks, reveals the use of orthography, which rejects the view that the orthography was introduced later on to sttandradize a reading. The Quran was obviously revealed in one standard dialect, the languae of Quraysh, which was the common language of all of Arabia.

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"A single leap of love wrapped up the whole story; these heavens and earth I had taken to be boundless."

- Iqbal

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May Allah be pleased with you Sister Ihsan . Indeed great & reliable source . I was just thinking : how on earth am I going to translate the answer into English ??!! You saved me the trouble , Jazaki Allah Khairan .

May I just point out that the Qiraat are different from recitation : we recite the Holy Quran following one certain Qiraa ( Some learn more than one Qiraa) . There are only ten qiraats but many many recitors . For instance I have learned Quran by heart following the Qiraa of Hafs حفص عن عاصم . Inshallah I intend to recite the Quran in the ten Qiraats .

I do not know how to put it more clearly >> is it clear like that ??

You may want to check this link , if you please :
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Text/Qiraat/

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You may find this helpul as well

http://www.altafsir.com/index.asp

As salamu `alaykum,

With all due respect, the following link represents the more standard, classical view held by Qur'anic exegesis and people of tajwid for the past 1,200 years:

http://islamthought.wordpress.com/20...-of-the-quran/

I also highly recommend An Approach to the Qur'anic Sciences by Mufti Taqi Usmani, which is a masterful summary of the subjects related to ulum al-Qur'an, which also answers your question and was written with the expressed intent to dispel the most common contemporary misunderstandings, which is especially relevant to this thread given that Mufti Taqi Usmani is a Pakistani scholar and the previous article cited represents a contemporary Pakistani school of thought. The book more directly addresses the misconception that the ahruf and qira'at are synonymous, which seems to be the basis upon which the article Ihsan quoted revolves. If I can find an online copy of it, I will be sure to post it, in sha Allah.

And Allah knows best.

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Qiraat Yang Masyhur

Pengertiannya dan perkembangannya dari awal hingga para tokoh yang ada di dalam pengembangannya.
Pada pembahasan yang terakhir ini kami menganggap penting untuk membicarakan sekelumit tentang qira'at-qira'at. Bagaimana timbulnya dan siapa tokohnya yang terkenal.

1. Pengertian Qira'at
Al-Qira'at adalah bentuk mashdar dari qara'a - yaqra'u - qirâ'atan. Menurut istilah qira'at ialah salah satu aliran dalam mengucapkan Al-Qur'an yang dipakai oleh salah seorang imam qura' yang berbeda dengan lainnya dalam hal ucapan Al-Qur'anul Karim. Qira'at ini berdasarkan sanad-sanadnya sampai kepada Rasulullah SAW.

2. Apakah pada masa Sahabat sudah ada qari-qari?
Benar ada. Periode qura' yang mengajarkan bacaan Al-Qur'an kepada orang-orang menurut cara mereka masing-masing adalah dengan standard dari masa sahabat yang mulia.

Diantara sahabat yang populer dengan bacaannya adalah: Ubay, Aly, Zaid ibnu Tsabit, Ibnu Mas'ud. Abu Musa al-Asy'ary dan lain-lain. Dari mereka itulah kebanyakan para sahabat dan tabi'in di seluruh daerah belajar. Mereka itu semuanya berpedoman kepada Rasulullah SAW sampai dengan datangnya masa tabi'in pada permulaan abad ke-2 H. Selanjutnya timbul golongan-golongan yang begitu memperhatikan adanya tanda baca secara sempurna manakala diperlukan dan mereka menjadikannya sebagai satu cabang dari ilmu sebagaimana halnya ilmu-ilmu syari'at yang lain.

Bagaimanakah sejarah timbulnya Qira'at??

Telah kami ketahui terdahulu bahwa periodesasi qurra' adalah sejak zaman sahabat sampai dengan masa tabi'in. Orang-orang yang menguasai tentang Al-Qur'an ialah yang menerimanya dari orang-orang yang dipercaya dan dari imam demi imam yang akhirnya berasal dari Nabi.

Sedangkan mushhaf-mushhaf tersebut tidaklah bertitik dan berbaris, dan bentuk kalimat di dalamnya mempunyai beberapa kemungkinan berbagai bacaan. Kalau tidak, maka kalimat itu harus ditulis pada mushhaf dengan satu wajah kemudian ditulis pada mushhaf lain dengan wajah yang lain dan begitulah seterusnya.

Tidaklah diragukan lagi bahwa penguasaan tentang riwayat dan penerimaan adalah merupakan pedoman dasar dalam bab qira'at dan Al-Qur'an.

Kalangan sahabat sendiri dalam pengambilannya dari Rasul berbeda-beda. Ada yang membaca dengan satu huruf sedang yang lain ada yang mengambilnya dan huruf/bacaan. Dan bahkan yang lain lagi ada yang lebih dari itu. Kemudian mereka bertebaran ke seluruh penjuru daerah dalam keadaan semacam ini.

Utsman r.a. ketika mengirim mushhaf-mushhaf ke seluruh penjuru kota ia mengirimkan pula orang yang sesuai bacaannya mempunyai satu segi bacaan dan yang lainnya ada pula yang lebih dari itu. Oleh karena itulah timbulnya banyak perbedaan dan kurang adanya keseragaman antara sesamanya.

Pada masa itu himbauan tokoh-tokoh dan pemimpin ummat untuk bekerja keras sesuai dengan kemampuan yang dimilikinya sehingga bisa membedakan antara bacaan yang benar dan yang tidak benar. Mereka mengumpulkan huruf dan qira'at, mengembangkan wajah-wajah dan dirayah, menjelaskan yang benar dan yang salah serta yang berkembang dan yang punah dengan pedoman-pedoman yang mereka kembangkan dan segi-segi yang mereka utamakan.(1)

(1). Manahilul 'Irfan, juz I, hal: 407

-http://my.opera.com/iqma_sa/archive/monthly/?day=20071124