Gareth Bryant Writes

Everytime some takes any Interest in learning The Qur’ān, there’s Certain-Pitfalls which mostly every Muslim faces. Amongst the most obvious pertains to which Qirā’ah/Recitation-Style should one learn, use, etc. It may seem to the Ignorant: “Just pick one”…it’s not really that simple. While actually studying The Qur’ān, the Recitation of it is in fact an `Ulūm/Science by itself. There’s an actual Minhāj (Method/Methodology) as per memorizing, reciting, etc. which is only respected/appreciated by those whom take the Time to study it.

Sadly, Many/Most-Muslims simply look for a kind of “Go-Along to Get-Along” Type of what they consider “Good-Recitation” of The Qur’ān. They either don’t realize or don’t care (Apathy is worse than Ignorance) that there’s a Right-Way vs. Wrong-Way to recite The Qur’ān. And, don’t get it twisted: this applies equally to Non-Arabic Speakers & Arabic-Speakers alike. Ironically, there’s Certain-Muslims whom’re Arabic-Speakers who think/feel that just because they can speak Arabic they can recite The Qur’ān well…Nope. It’s much more probable that Arabic-Speakers will make more Recitation-Mistakes as opposed to Non-Arabic Speakers…it’s due to Arabic-Speakers literally thinking/feeling that as long as they know Arabic they can recite however they want…clearly not the case.

Proof the Hadith is Not Valid Islamic Law

Suhuf/Qur’ānic-Scripts are based solely on Various Qirā’āt (Recitation-Types). It’s literally no different than/from the Differences between the Various-Scripts (Fonts, Typefaces, etc.) via the English-Language: Times New Roman, Helvectia, Serif, Slab Serif, Sans Serif, Garamond, Baskerville, Bodoni, etc. Respecting/appreciating the Correct-Recitation of The Qur’ān is literally an Issue of al-`Aqīdah/Islāmic-Theology. We know this, because, the Recitation of The Qur’ān was revealed the Same-Way the actual Words of Allah were. There were originally 7-Qirā’āt, revealed by Allah to Muhammad (Peace be upon them) via Jibrīl/Gabriel (Peace be upon them). Several-Companions (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that they learned this via Muhammad directly: `Umar ibn-ul-Khattāb, Hishām ibn-Hakīm, Ubayy ibn-Ka`b, `Abdullah ibn-Mas`ūd, `Abdullah ibn `Abbās, Abū-Juhaym, etc.
(al-Bukhārī, Muslim, at-Tirmidhī)

The Following is a List of Qur’ānic-Academics/Scholars whom mastered the Original 7-Ahruf/Hurūf (Qur’ānic-Recitation Styles). Each of their 2 Most-Famous Students branched-off and made Recitation-Modifications from what they were taught. Eventually the Recitation-Modifications of these 14-Students became the Paramount/Go-To Ways to learn at-Tartīl/at-Tajwīd (Qur’ānic-Recitation).

The 7-Teachers of the Classic 7-Ahruf/Hurūf:

1. `Āsim ibn Abin-Najūd al-Asadī

2. Nāfi` ibn `Abd-ir-Rahmān ibn Abī-Na`īm al-Laythī (Abū-Ruwaym)

3. Abū-`Amr ibn-il-`Alā’ (Abū-`Amr al-Basrī)

4. `Abdullah ibn-Kathīr ad-Dārānī (ibn-Kathīr al-Makkī)

5. `Abdullah ibn-`Amir ibn-Yazīd ibn-Tamīm ibn-Rabī`ah al-Yahsibī (ibn-`Amr ad-Dimashqī)

6. Hamzah ibn-Habīb at-Taymī (Hamzah az-Zayyāt)

7. `Alī ibn-Hamzah ibn-`Abdillah ibn-`Uthmān al-Asadī (al-Kisā’ī)

The 14-Students:

1. Hafs ibn-Sulaymān ibn-il-Mughīrah ibn Abī-Dāwud al-Asadī al-Kūfī (taught by `Āsim)…Hafs-Recitation

2. Shu`bah ibn-`Ayyāsh ibn-Sālim al-Kūfī an-Nahshalī (taught by `Āsim)…Shu`bah-Recitation

3. `Uthmān ibn-Sa`īd al-Qutbī (taught by Nāfi`)…Warsh-Recitation

4. `Īsā ibn-Minā al-Zarqī (taught by Nāfi`)…Qālūn-Recitation

5. Sālih ibn-Ziyād ibn-`Abdillah ibn-Ismā`īl ibn-il-Jarūd ar-Riqqī (taught by Abū-`Amr al-Basrī)…as-Sūsī Recitation

6. Hafs ibn-`Umar ibn`Abd-il-`Azīz al-Baghdādī (taught by Abū-`Amr al-Basrī)…ad-Dūrī Recitation

7. Muhammad ibn `Abd-ir-Rahmān al-Makhzūmī (taught by ibn-Kathīr al-Makkī)…al-Qunbul Recitation

8. Ahmad ibn-Muhammad ibn-`Abdillah ibn-il-Qāsim ibn-Nāfi` ibn Abī-Bazzah (taught by ibn-Kathīr al-Makkī)…al-Bazzī Recitation

9. Hishām ibn-`Ammār ibn-Nusayr ibn-Maysarah as-Salamī ad-Dimashqī (taught by ibn-`Amr ad-Dimashqī)…Hishām-Recitation

10. `Abdullah ibn-Ahmad al-Qurayshī ad-Dimashqī (taught by ibn-`Amr ad-Dimashqī)…ibn-Dhakwān Recitation

11. Khalaf ibn-Hishām ibn-Tha`lab al-Asadī al-Bazzār al-Baghdādī (taught by Hamzah az-Zayyāt)…Khalaf-Recitation

12. Khallād ibn-Khālid al-Baghdādī (taught by Hamzah az-Zayyāt)…Khallād-Recitation

13. al-Layth ibn-`Alī ibn-il-Layth ibn-Khālid al-Baghdādī (taught by al-Kisā’ī)…al-Layth Recitation

14. Hafs ibn-`Umar ibn `Abd-il-`Azīz al-Baghdādī (taught by al-Kisā’ī)…ad-Dūrī Recitation

(`Ulūm-ul-Qur’ān [Qur’ān-Science], Muhammad ibn-Khalaf ibn-il-Marzubān; Tārīkh-un-Nuzūl [The History of Revelatory-Texts], Muhammad Mustafā al-A`zhamī; `Ulūm-Hadīth [Narration-Science], Muhammad Mustafā al-A`zhamī)

This-Dimension of Qur’ānic-History is especially vital, for the Following-Reasons:

1. It proves that the Hadīth/Kitābah (Documentation) of The Qur’ān occured during the Lifetime of Muhammad.

2. It proves that all of the Accepted-Qirā’āt are traceable directly to how Jibrīl taught Muhammad to recite The Qur’ān.

3. It proves that The Qur’ān & the Sunnah/Prophetic-Tradition are jointly at-Tanzīl, because the 7-Ahruf/Hurūf aren’t detailed/mentioned anywhere via The Qur’ān.

4. It serves as a Hujjah/Indictment against Qur’ānism (the Qur’ān-Only Mythos/Pseudo-Narrative).

For More-Info. regarding the Hadīth/Kitābah of The Qur’ān & the Sunnah:

https://gbwrites.com/2022/04/08/quranislife/

https://gbwrites.com/2013/08/17/quranandsunnahjointly/

https://gbwrites.com/2019/11/13/quranism/

Gareth Bryant 1445, A.H./2023, C.E.