The Transmission of the Variant Readings of the Qurʾān : The Problem of Tawātur and the Emergence of Shawādhdh

This work is a study of the transmission of the variant readings of the Qurʾān, the canonization of the system Readings, and the emergence of the non-canonical shawādhdh readings. Nasser argues that Ibn Mujāhid and the early Muslim scholars viewed the variant readings as legal rulings aḥkām and that the later generation of Qurrāʾ were responsible for moving the discipline of Qirāʾāt from the domain of fiqh to the domain of Ḥadīth. After studying the theories of tawātur in detail, Nasser shows that the transmission of the system Readings of the Qurʾān failed to meet the conditions of tawātur set by the Uṣūlīs, thus creating a paradox between the transmission of the physical text, the muṣḥaf, and the transmission of its oral recitation, the “Qurʾān”. The Transmission of the Variant Readings of the Qurʾān: The Problem of Tawātur and the Emergence of Shawādhdh 4 Contents 8 Preface 12 Introduction 14 1 The Variant Readings and the sabˁat aḥruf of the Qurʾān 18 The Collection and the Codification of the Qurʾān 21 al-aḥruf al-Sabˁah (The Seven Modes) 28 Dating the Tradition of the sabˁat aḥruf 31 Analysis of the Traditions of the sabˁat aḥruf 37 Some Possible Clues on the Meaning of ḥarf 42 The shīˁīs’ Views towards the Qurʾān, the Variant Readings, and the sabˁat aḥruf 44 Conclusion 46 2 Ibn Mujāhid and the Canonization of the Seven Readings 48 Qirāʾāt Collections pre-Ibn Mujāhid 49 al-Tabarī (d. 310/923) 52 Ibn Mujāhid and Kitāb al-Sabˁah 60 Qirāʾāt as Legal Rulings (aḥkām) 61 Ibn Mujāhid’s Criteria behind the Selection of the Seven Readers 65 The Selection of the Seven Readers 67 Qirāʾāt post Ibn Mujāhid 74 The tawātur of the Canonical Readings 78 Tawātur according to the uṣūlīs 79 Tawātur according to Ḥadīth Theoreticians (al-muḥaddithūn) 84 Tawātur between Uṣūl al-Fiqh and Ḥadīth 87 Conclusion 89 3 Hadd al-Qurʾān and the tawātur of the Canonical Readings 92 al-Dabbūsī (d. 430/1038) 94 Ibn Ḥazm (d. 456/1063) 95 al-Bazdawī (d. 482/1089) and al-Sarakhsī (d. 490/1096) 96 al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111) 97 al-Āmidī (d. 631/1233) 98 Ibn al-Ḣājib (d. 646/1248) 99 al-Shawkānī (d. 1250/1834) 99 Summary and Observations 100 al-Basmalah 101 al-Bāqillānī (d. 403/1012) 103 Ibn Masˁūd’s (Q. 5:89) 109 Summary and Observations 110 Tawātur al-Qirāʾāt al-Sabˁ/al-ˁAshr 111 Ibn al-Ḥājib and His Commentators: al-Subkī and al-Ījī 113 al-Zarkashī (d. 794/1391) 114 Abū Bakr b. al-ˁArabī (d. 543/1148) 117 al-Shawkānī (d. 1250/1834) 121 al-Zuḥaylī and the Modern uṣūlīs 122 Summary and Observations 123 The Shīˁīs and the Seven/Ten Readings 125 Conclusion 128 4 The Transmission of the Canonical Readings and the Emergence of Shawādhdh 130 Background 131 Farsh and uṣūl 133 The Transmission of the Eponymous Readings 136 The Immediate Transmitters of the Seven Readers 142 The Authentication of the Canonical Readings and the Emergence of the Irregular shawādhdh 150 Summary and Observations 171 Shawādhdh through SSTs (Single Strands of Transmission) 173 Summary and Conclusion 176 5 The Nature of the Qurʾānic Variants 178 Variant Types 179 Concordances of Qurʾānic and Poetic Variants 190 Part 1: Qurʾānic Variants 190 Part 2: Poetry Variants 222 Summary and Analysis 236 Summary and Observations 240 Conclusion and Future Research 242 Bibliography 246 Primary Sources 246 Secondary Resources 251 Index 258 Index of Qurʾānic Quotations 263 This work is a study of the transmission of the variant readings of the Qur n, the canonization of the system Readings, and the emergence of the non-canonical "shaw dhdh" readings. Nasser argues that Ibn Muj hid and the early Muslim scholars viewed the variant readings as legal rulings "a k m" and that the later generation of "Qurr " were responsible for moving the discipline of Qir t from the domain of fiqh to the domain of ad th. After studying the theories of "taw tur" in detail, Nasser shows that the transmission of the system Readings of the Qur n failed to meet the conditions of "taw tur" set by the "U l s," thus creating a paradox between the transmission of the physical text, the "mu af," and the transmission of its oral recitation, the Qur n . Introduction Chapter 1: The variant readings and the sabˁat aḥruf of the Qur’ān Chapter 2: 2 Ibn Mujāhid and the Canonization of the Seven Readings Chapter 3: Ḥadd al-Qur’ān and the tawātur of the canonical Readings Chapter 4: The transmission of the canonical Readings and the emergence of Shawādhdh Chapter 5: The Nature of the Qur’ānic variants Conclusion and future Research Bibliography In The Transmission of the Variant Readings of the Qur'an Nasser studies the canonization of the system Readings, the theories of tawatur, and the emergence of the non-canonical shawadhdh readings. In This Work, Nasser Studies The Canonization Of The System Readings, The Theories Of Tawatur, And The Emergence Of The Non-canonical Shawadhdh Readings.