Usool at Tafseer Chapter 9

(A Masjid in Fresno California)

Usool at Tafseer
The Methodology of Qur’aanic Explanation
Summary

Chapter 9 Dialects and Recitations

Of all the dialects in the Arabian Peninsula, the Qurayshee dialect became the most respected of all for the following basic reasons:

1. The spiritual centers of the Arabs are in their lands
2. In Hajj season they provide siqaayah to pilgrims
3. Makkah is located in junction of trade routes

SAB’AH AHRUF (THE SEVEN FORMS/dialects)

Ahruf of well known tribes

Qurasyh
Huthayl
Thaqeef
Hawaazin
Kinaanah
Tameem
Yemen

Jibreel was instructed to recite the verses that he brought in seven forms corresponding to the dialects of the major tribes. The various forms represented the various ways in which the same word with the same meaning might be said according to the various dialects. The Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم said:

“Jibreel recited (the Qur’aan) to me in one form, and after I had revised it I asked him to recite some more, which he did, until he completed seven forms.”[1]

Not all companions are aware of this. Once Umar heard Hishaam ibn Hakeem reciting Soorah al Furqan in salaah. Noticing that Hishaam is reciting it differently from the way which the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم taught him, he wanted to jump on him but he restrained himself. He grabbed him by the neck of his cloak after finishing prayer and asked him who taught him this Soorah. Hishaam replied that it was the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم himself. Umar accused Hishaam of lying for he was sure that the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم taught him a different way. So he dragged him to the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم and related what happened. Thereupon the Prophet asked both men to recite Soorah al Furqan to him, confirming both recitations by reciting, “It was revealed in this way” Then the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم said,

This Qur’aan has been revealed in seven forms, so recite whichever is easiest for you[2].

Ibn ‘Abdul Barr however said that interpreting the seven forms as meaning seven tribal dialect is flawed since Umar and Hishaam were both from the Qurayshee tribe. He opined it as meaning seven facets of harmonious meanings conveyed by varying words (synonyms perhaps). Ibn Hajr offered the opinion that the two interpretations are not mutually contradictory. It may be that the variations consist of differing words for the same meanings and that the variations are from the dialects of seven Arabic tribes.

Ibn Qutaybah’s different interpretation

1. Variations in vowel markings while the letters and meaning are unchanged.
2. variations in the form of a verb
3. Variations in dots and letters
4. Variations due to substitution of one letter for another that is pronounced from a nearby location in the mouth or throat
5. Variation due to the transposition of words in a phrase
6. Variation due to addition or subtractions of letters or words
7. Variation due to the use of synonyms in place of another

Ar Razee: The variation of Language does not go outside seven aspects

1. Variations of nouns between singular, dual and plural and between masculine and feminine
2. Variation in verb tenses
3. Variation in I’raab
4. Addition and deletion of letters
5. Flipped word order
6. Substitution of one word for another
7. Variation in pronunciation

Ibn Hajr pointed out that there is considerable overlap between all these various explanations.

Significance of the Seven Forms

1. Played a vital role in actual preservation of Qur’aan (by ease of recitation and memorization: memorized by lots of people)
2. Played a key role in the accurate compilation of the Qur’aan (by lots of people who memorized it)

The Dialect of the Quraysh

The Qur’aan continued to be read according to seven forms until midway through Caliph ‘Uthmaan’s rule. After having problems in the provinces where some Arabs were boasting about the superiority of their dialects and some non Arabs new converts having problems with reading that changes the meaning of the Qur’aan, with the approval of all the sahaabah he decided to make an official copy of the Qur’aan according to the Qurayshee dialect and sent copies and official reciters to these provinces. All unofficial copies were destroyed and readings in different dialects were dropped and began to be read in only one dialect – this has what become our Qur’aan today recited and written according to the Quraysh dialect. Remember that the Sahaabah were given a choice to recite the Qur’aan in any seven forms. Discontinuance of one form does not in anyway represent a loss or any part of the Qur’aan. All these are with the unanimous approval of all the Sahaabah who would not allow any loss of even the smallest part of the Qur’aan[3].

QIRAA’AAT (RECITATIONS)

Qiraa’aat is a method of pronunciation used in the recitation of the Qur’aan. The Sahaabah Ubayy ibn Ka’ab, ‘Ali ibn Abee Taalib, Zayd ibn Thaabit, Ibn Mas’ood, Aboo ad-Dardaa’, and Aboo Moosa al-Ash’aree were most noted for their recitations. They recited the Qur’aan to the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم or in his presence and received his approval.

These Sahaabah dispersed throughout the Islaamic lands and had students under them who learned their recitations. In due time centers of Qur’aanic recitation developed in Madeenah, Makkah, Koofah, Basrah, and ash-Shaam.

10 best preserved Qira-aats from:

1. Aboo ‘Amr ibn al Aas 2. Ibn Katheer (a tabi’ee) 3. Naafi’ 4. Ibn ‘Aamir
5. ‘Aasim 6. Hamzah 7. Al Kisaa’ee 8. Aboo Ja’far 9. Ya’qoob 10. Khalaf

Conditions for Qiraa to be Saheeh

1. Authenticity of Narration
Unbroken chain of narrators
Narrators were known to be righteous
Known to possess good memories
Mutawaatir
2. The recitation variations match known Arabic grammatical constructions
3. Coincides with the script of Uthmaan

TAJWEED (PROPER QUR’AANIC RECITATION)

Great stress was placed on the recitation of the Qur’aan. The Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم encouraged us to read all of it once per month but not less than seven days. Scholars of Islaam has formulated rules of recitation based on the authentic recitations. These rules form the basic science of Arabic phonetics. Tajweed is defined as the articulation of each Arabic sound correctly and distinctly and the pronunciation of each consonant, vowel, word and sentence according to the standard Arabic spoken by the Prophet’s generation.

[1] Bukhari
[2] Bukhari
[3] (The seven forms were necessary for the actual preservation and accurate compilation of the Qur’aan but a single form is sufficient for the Muslims to guide them in this life.)