Table Of Contenta short course brought to you
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DO YOU REALLY KNOW
W HAT THE QURAN IS
TAUGHT BY USTADH ABDULRAHMAN HASSAN
CHAPTER ONE
Do You Really Know What The Qur’ān is?............ 4
Definition of Qur’ān .............................................. 4
Definition of Qira’āt............................................... 6
What Are The Differences Between The Two? ...... 7
CHAPTER ONE
Do You Really Know What The Qur’ān is?
Definition of Qur’ān
According to the language, there are five views of the Scholars regarding the lexical
origin.
َ
َ
1. A verbal noun from the word: Recited (َأرق).
This was then used as a noun for the Speech of Allāh. The grammarians call this
‘naming the object with the verbal noun’. They based this view on two pieces of
evidence.
The first is the statement of Allāh ():
﴾ُ هَنآرْ ُق عِْبَّتاَف ُهنََْأرَ َق اَذإَِف﴿
“So once We have recited a revelation, follow its recitation.”1
The second is the statement of the noble companion Hassān Ibn Thābit () when
he was praising ‘Uthmān Ibn ‘Affān () for his prolonged recitation of the Qur’ān:
ً ّ َ ُ
"انآرقو احيبست ليللا عطقي"
“He spends the night glorifying Allāh and reciting the Qur’ān”
2. It is an adjective from the word: To gather (ءرق)
This was then used for the Book of Allāh because it gathers within it; chapters and
verses.
The evidence they use for this is the statement of ‘Amr Ibn Kalthūm – the pre-islamic
poet – who said:
َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َّ َ
"اـنينِ ج أرقت مل نِ وللا نِ اـجهِ "
“A beautiful woman who hasn’t gathered any children [i.e. not been pregnant]”
In both the first two views, the letter Hamza is an ‘Asl.
Ibn al-Qayyim () stated that in the first two views the Hamza is an ‘Asl.
1 al-Qiyāmah: 18
3. It is rooted from the word: To combine (تنرَق)
The difference between this view and the second view is that in this case the ‘Asl is
the letter Nūn not Hamza.
4. It is rooted from the word: Indicator (نئارق)
This was used for the Book of Allāh because it contains indications in the form of
proofs and evidences of the Prophet Muhammad () or that portions of the
Qur’ān strengthen and support other portions.
In the third and the fourth views the Nūn is the ‘Asl.
Ibn al-Qayyim () stated that in the next two views the Nūn is an ‘Asl.
5. It is a name which was not rooted from anything.
This is the view of Imām al-Shāfi’ī. He stated that this is similar to the Tawrah and
the Injīl. It is said regarding Imām al-Shāfi’ī that he is a proof in the Arabic language.
The overwhelming majority of Scholars are of the view that it originates from the
َ
َ
verbal noun, from the word: Recited (َأرق). The view that it means to gather was then
placed below.
According to the technical definition: The miraculous2 speech of Allāh that was
revealed to Muhammad (); it is written in the Masāhif, transmitted via
Tawātur (multitude) and one worships by reciting it.
2 The previous Prophets came with miracles to their people. The miracle that was given to the Prophet
Muhammad () for the people to believe in him was the Qur’ān. Through the Qur’ān Allāh challenged
the Arabs, the most eloquent of people:
﴾ يَ ِقدِاصَ مُْتنكُ نِإ للََِّّا نِو ُد نمِِ مكَُءادَهَشُ اوُعدْاوَ هِِلْثمِِ نمِِ ٍةرَوسُِب اوُتْأَف نََدِْبَع ىَٰلَع اَنْلزَّ َن اَّمِِّ بٍ ْيرَ فِِ مُْتنكُ نِإوَ﴿
“And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a sûrah like it and call
your helpers other than Allah, if what you say is true.” [2:23]
Definition of Qira’āt
Linguistically, it is considered a feminine plural. It comes from the singular word: al-
َ
َ
Qirā’ah. The word al-Qirā’ah is original taken from the root word: (َأرق). As we
previously mentioned, it is a verbal noun which has two uses:
1. To gather and combine.
2. To recite
Technically, there are many definitions. However, we will take the Imām’s definition,
since he is an expert of this science.
Imām Ibn al-Jazarī (d.833AH) said:
ًّ ٌ
"هلقانل اوزعم اهفلاتخاو نآرقلا تاملك ءادأ ةيفيكب ملع وه"
“It is a science wherein one learns how to articulate the word of the Qur’ān and their variations
whilst attributing it to the one who recited to it”
What Are The Differences Between The Two?
There are three views regarding this:
1. The Qur’ān and the Qira’āt are two different matters.
Those who took this view did so because they stated that the Qur’ān was a revelation
sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad; as a clarifier and a miracle. However, the
Qira’āt are the variations which are present in the Qur’ān.
This view is held by Imām al-Zarkashī (d.794AH), Shihāb al-Dīn al-Qastalānī
(d.923AH), and Shihāb al-Dīn al-Dimyātī (d.1117AH).
2. The Qur’ān and the Qira’āt are the same.
Those who took this view did so based on a number of arguments:
(a) The lexical origin of both these words are from the same root word; meaning
recitation.
(b) The Ahādīth regarding the ‘Ahruf al-Saba’’ clearly and categorically show that
there are no differences between the two.
3. A detailed explanation is required regarding the Qur’ān and the Qira’āt.
The Qira’āt are two types:
(a) The accepted Qirā’ah; transmitted by multitude narration, are in line with the
Arabic language and are in line with one of the Masāhif of ‘Uthmān (). This is a
synonym of the Qur’ān. It is obligatory upon everyone to believe that this is Qur’ān
and if one rejects even a letter then they have disbelieved.
(b) The rejected Qirā’ah; this is not considered to be Qur’ān.
Imām Ibn al-Jazarī (d.833AH) said:
ً
يوحي لاامتحا مسرلل ناكو *** وحن هجو قفاوم لكف"
ً
ناــــــــــكرلأا ةثلاثلا هذهف *** نآرقلا وه ادانسإ حصو
"ةــــــعبسلا ف هنأ ول هذوذش *** تبثأ نكر لتخي امثيحو
ي
“Anything which is in line with the Arabic grammar and is in line with the ‘Uthmānī Mushaf
With an authentic chain3, then with these three pillars it is considered as al-Qur’ān
3 Imām Ibn al-Jazarī has two conflicting opinions. One is mentioned in Munjid al-Muqri’īn and the other is
mentioned in his al-Nashr; which contained his last and final views. In the first he conditioned an authentic
When any of these affirming pillars are missing then it is considered strange, even if it is from the
seven”4
chain with multitude narrations, and in the second he conditioned an authentic chain which is wide spread.
We will speak about the reconciliation at a later point.
4 Taybah al-Nashr
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W HERE DID THE QIRA'AT
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