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Textual History of the Qur'an: Difference between revisions
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Textual History of the Qur'an (view source)
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, 27 September 2016→Differences in the Qira'at (readings of the Qur'an): Better reflection of the hopeless confusion over the nature of the seven ahruf
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==Differences in the Qira'at (readings of the Qur'an)== | ==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 | According to some hadith literature, the Qur'an was revealed in seven ahruf, or modes of recitation. The nature of these ahruf generated a wide range of theories, some more plausible than others. A popular, though problematic theory is that these were 7 Arabic dialects of different Arab tribes, and only one, that of the Quraysh was retained by Uthman. | ||
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, | 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. According to the most common explanation of the ahruf, these qira'at are based on the Quraysh ahruf. There were once many more qira'at, which were reduced to twenty-five in number two centuries after Muhammad's death, and down to seven after three centuries by Abu Bakr Ibn Mujahid. A futher three qira'at make up a second tier held in less high regard. | ||
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 (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. | 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. | ||