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Textual History of the Qur'an (view source)
Revision as of 14:22, 27 September 2016
, 27 September 2016New section on the Qira'at including interesting example, and improved list in the Hafs-Warsh section
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Visit [http://web.archive.org/web/20070309000028/http://www.geocities.com/pentaur2001/index.html this] site to see the differences between Samarqand Codex and Uthmans Codex. | Visit [http://web.archive.org/web/20070309000028/http://www.geocities.com/pentaur2001/index.html this] site to see the differences between Samarqand Codex and Uthmans Codex. | ||
==Differences in the Qira'at (readings of the Qur'an)== | |||
According to some hadith literature, the Qur'an was revealed in seven ahruf, or dialects of the different Arab tribes, and only one, that of the Quraysh was retained by Uthman (there are, however, different opinions on the nature of the ahruf). | |||
What we have today are seven or ten Qira'at, which are slightly different early recitations or readings of the Qur'an by famous readers, believed by Muslims to be based on the Quraysh ahruf. Each of the Qira'at has two transmissions (riwayat) named after its transmitters, one of which is the basis for any particular text (mushaf) of the Qur'an. For example, the mashaf used mainly in North Africa is based on the riwayah of Warsh from Nafi because it is based on the reading of Nafi transmitted by Warsh. | |||
Muslims are commonly told that the differences between the Qira'at can be explained away as styles of pronunciation or dialects and spelling. Yet in many cases the variations added or ommitted words, or are completely different words or contradict each other in meaning. The Corpus Coranicum database<ref>[http://corpuscoranicum.de/lesarten/index/sure/1/vers/1 Corpus Coranicum - Lesarten tab]</ref> can be used as a neutral online source for verifying the existence of such variations in the Qira'at. An interesting example is given below, and more of them are listed in the next section about the popular Hafs and Warsh transmissions. | |||
In {{Quran|18|86}}, Dhu'l Qarnayn finds the sun setting in a '''muddy''' spring, according to the Qira'at used by today's most popular transmissions of the Qur'an. However, in around half of the various Qira'at the sun intead sets in a '''warm''' spring. The latter variant is even used in some English translations. It is easy to see how the corruption arose (whichever one is the variant). The arabic word حَمِئَة (hami'atin - muddy) sounds very similar to the completely different word حَامِيَة (hamiyyatin - warm). Al-Tabari records in his tafseer for this verse the differing opinions on whether the sun sets in mud or warm water. | |||
The reading of ibn Amir, which is one of those qira'at containing hamiyyah instead of hami'ah, is still used in some parts of Yemen, and used to be more widespread.<ref>Leemhuis, F. 2006, 'From Palm Leaves to the Internet' in McAuliffe J. D. (ed.) ''The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.150 [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=F2oLiXT_66EC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150#v=onepage&q&f=false Google books preview]</ref>. In written form this difference is not just a matter of vowel marks. Even the consonantal text with dots is different. A scan of a printed book containing the mushaf of Hisyam's transmission from ibn Amir's reading can even be read online and it can be seen that حَامِيَة (warm) is used in verse 18:86<ref>[http://read.kitabklasik.net/2010/12/mushaf-al-quran-al-karim-riwayat-hisyam.html kitabklasik.net] Click one of the links labelled download to view in pdf format and see page 307 of the 630 page pdf</ref>. | |||
==Differences in the Hafs and Warsh Texts== | ==Differences in the Hafs and Warsh Texts== | ||
Apart from other earlier variant text, there are two different texts of the Qur'an currently in print, named after their respective 2nd-century transmitters Hafs (from Kufa) and Warsh (from Medina). | Apart from other earlier variant text, there are two different texts (mushaf) of the Qur'an currently in print, named after their respective 2nd-century transmitters Hafs (from Kufa) and Warsh (from Medina). | ||
The Hafs text is the more common and used in most areas of the Islamic world. Warsh is used mainly in West and North-West Africa as well as by the Zaydiya in Yemen. Here are some of the differences | The Hafs text is the more common and used in most areas of the Islamic world. Warsh is used mainly in West and North-West Africa as well as by the Zaydiya in Yemen. Here are some of the differences. | ||
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center" width = "60%" class=wikitable | {| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="center" width = "60%" class=wikitable | ||
| Line 143: | Line 156: | ||
! Warsh | ! Warsh | ||
! Notes | ! Notes | ||
|- | |||
|2:125 | |||
|watakhizu (you shall take) | |||
|watakhazu (they have taken) | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
|2:132 | |2:132 | ||
| Line 151: | Line 169: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|3:133 | |3:133 | ||
|wasari'u | |wasari'u (And hasten) | ||
|sari'u | |sari'u (Hasten) | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 161: | Line 179: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|3:81 | |3:81 | ||
|ataytukum | |ataytukum (I have given) | ||
|ataynakum | |ataynakum (We have given) | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
|2:259 | |2:259 | ||
|nunshizuha | |nunshizuha (We grow them) | ||
|nunshiruha | |nunshiruha (We spread them) | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
|2:140 | |2:140 | ||
|taquluna | |taquluna (You say) | ||
|yaquluna | |yaquluna (They say) | ||
| | |||
|- | |||
|7:57 | |||
|bushra (good tidings) | |||
|nushra (disperse) | |||
| | |||
|- | |||
|57:35 | |||
|Allaha huwa alghaniyyu (Allah, He, is self sufficient) | |||
|Allaha alghaniyyu (Allah is self sufficient) | |||
| | | | ||
|} | |} | ||
A much more extensive study of differences between the Hafs and Warsh transmissions and comparisons with Qur'an manuscripts can be read online<ref>[http://www.free-minds.org/sites/default/files/WhichQuran.pdf Which Qur'an? by Layth Al-Shaiban]</ref>. | |||
Some apologetics say that variants (corruption to put it another way) of the dots and vowel marks may have occured when the text was written down, but the simple consonantal text without these diacritics is preserved (even though not all examples, including those above depend on the placement of dots and vowel marks). Yet the Qur'an itself is more than simply a written text, even in its earliest written form with unmarked consonants. There are clearly corruptions in the recital of the actual words as they were originally spoken, which became more apparent as the written Arabic language developed to include vowel sounds and to distinguish similar looking consonants with dots. | |||
==Diacritical Marks and Grammatical Mistakes== | ==Diacritical Marks and Grammatical Mistakes== | ||
The Qur'an was written without [[Diacritical Marks of the Qur'an|diacritical marks]]. At the time of Muhammad, Arabic orthography was yet to develop into what we have known for centuries. | The Qur'an was first written without [[Diacritical Marks of the Qur'an|diacritical marks]]. At the time of Muhammad, Arabic orthography was yet to develop into what we have known for centuries. | ||
For the early | For the early interpreters who added diacritical marks, to read the Qur'an as it was originally written, would lead the reader to interpret and choose for themselves from the many possible meanings available. | ||
Muslims began using diacritical marks because reading "errors" began to appear,<ref>"''The companions (Muhammad’s friends or “Sahaba”) did not vocalize or provide diacritical points for the letters of the Qur’anic copies which they wrote, but later during the last part of the companions’ era, when reading errors came into being, they began to provide diacritical points for the copies of the Qur’an and to vocalize them. This was admissible by the authority of the majority of the scholars, though some of them disliked it. The truth is, it should not be disliked because the situation necessitated it, and the diacritical points distinguish the letters from each other while vocalization explains the grammatical inflection.''" - Ibn Taymiyyah, "Sheik of the Muslims" vol. XII, pp. 576 and 586</ref> and the differences this created had led to differences in Islamic law.<ref>As-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fii Ulum al-Qur'an, p.226</ref> | Muslims began using diacritical marks because reading "errors" began to appear,<ref>"''The companions (Muhammad’s friends or “Sahaba”) did not vocalize or provide diacritical points for the letters of the Qur’anic copies which they wrote, but later during the last part of the companions’ era, when reading errors came into being, they began to provide diacritical points for the copies of the Qur’an and to vocalize them. This was admissible by the authority of the majority of the scholars, though some of them disliked it. The truth is, it should not be disliked because the situation necessitated it, and the diacritical points distinguish the letters from each other while vocalization explains the grammatical inflection.''" - Ibn Taymiyyah, "Sheik of the Muslims" vol. XII, pp. 576 and 586</ref> and the differences this created had led to differences in Islamic law.<ref>As-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fii Ulum al-Qur'an, p.226</ref> | ||