An Alternative Opinion on the Reality of the ‘Seven Aḥruf’ and Its Relationship with the Qirāʾāt – Dr Yasir Qadhi

One cannot speak on the history of the Qur’ān, without making mention of the important notion of the aḥruf and the qira’āt. Although most Muslims recite the Qur’ān in the mode of ʿĀṣim through the transmission of Ḥafṣ, there are other multiple accepted ways of reciting the Qur’ān. Most notably, the seven modes of recitation (qiraāt) that were championed by Abu Bakr ibn Mujāhid (d.936/324) in the eighth/second century.

To this seven, another three were later championed by Ibn al-Jazarī (d.1429/833), bringing the total number of recitations that came to be seen as canonical to ten, with each of these ten recitations being diffused by two primary transmitters. The sole theological justification for the multiple ways of reciting the Qur’ān stem from narrations that speak of the Qur’ān as being revealed according to ‘seven aḥruf’. The precise meaning of which has been the focus of much contention and debate throughout history.

Different scholars have postulated what the differences between the aḥruf represent, from variations in language and syntax to synonymous word changes to differences stemming from the various dialects of the various Arab tribes. From this, further questions are then raised as to the relationship between the aḥruf and the Qur’ān’s history.

How did ʿUthmān’s codification relate to these aḥruf? Did he preserve all of them, or some of them, or as much as the script would allow? This also raises other questions such as to the relationship between the aḥruf and the actual widely accepted codified recitations, the qiraāt.

Overwhelmingly, the most common way the notion of the aḥruf has been understood is through what is termed as the ‘Dictation Model’. According to this model, the Qur’ān was revealed in seven different ways and the Prophet Muhammad then recited the Qur’ān in these different ways. The ten canonical recitations then stem back and encapsulate and relate to these various ways the Qur’ān was revealed. On the other hand, recent scholarship has sought to champion a slightly different model, termed as the ‘Divine Permission Model’ (or qirāʾah bi-l-maʿnā).

According to this model, the seven aḥruf and the narrations that reference it, refer to a divine concession that was granted to the early Muslim community to recite the Qur’ān in their own dialect and to the best of their ability as long as the meaning of the Qur’ān was conveyed correctly.

According to this model, the Qur’ān was only revealed in one way and the Prophet recited the Qur’ān in one way, even though the companions were given permission to deviate slightly from this in consideration of dialectical and practical differences. Hence, the codification of ʿUthmān preserved this original recitation of the Qur’ān and restricted the concession that was given. However, some of the dialectical variances of the companions were still in circulation, which is reflected in the differences in the various qiraʿāt.

In chapter eight, Dr Yasir Qadhi a world-renowned scholar of Islam, focuses on this critical issue and provides an encyclopaedic overview and analysis of how the ‘Divine Permission Model’ has been articulated, and the strengths and challenges it provides. The chapter draws upon fifteen points of contention that are raised in the adoption of the ‘Dictation Model’, the concerns they raise and subsequently, the way they are resolved by the ‘Divine Permission Model’.

The chapter draws upon an expansive array of narrations to encapsulate and give a clear picture of how the notion of the aḥruf was represented in the earliest sources. Dr Qadhi also draws upon intellectual history to show how previous Muslim authorities either alluded to the ‘Divine Permission Model’ or even adopted it themselves. The chapter then ends by examining five possible objections to the ‘Divine Permission Model’ and the potentialities of its adoption.

This excerpt by Yasir Qadhi is from The History of the Qur'an - Approaches and Explorations 

Compiled by Redhwan Karim

Paperback - 9781847742346

Hardback - 9781847742353

The Qur'an's history, from its origins to its modern transmission, is a complex and understudied topic. This book delves into various stages of the Qur'an's history, examining its earliest manuscripts, variant readings, and translations.

It explores the unique orthography of the Qur'an, the codification process, and the theories of Muslim scholars on variant readings. By focusing on understudied aspects of the Qur'an's transmission, this work makes significant contributions to the field of Qur'anic studies.

The book features contributions from F. Redhwan Karim, François Déroche, Éléonore Cellard, Yousry Elseadawy, Nazir Khan, Ammar Khatib, M.A.S Abdel Haleem, Zahed Fettah, Yasir Qadhi, Khairil Husaini Bin Jamil, Stephen Cúrto, Meysam Kohantorabi and Afsan Redwan.