What Is the Difference between the Ten Qira’at and the Seven Ahruf?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

What is the difference between the ten Qira’at and the seven Ahruf?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

The ten Qira’at that people recite today, and whose transmission from the Imams is authenticated, are part of the seven Ahruf in which the Quran was revealed. Their pronunciation aligns with the script of the Uthmanic Mushaf, which the companions and those after them unanimously agreed upon.

Detailed Answer

Understanding the relationship between the seven Ahruf requires knowledge of what is meant by the Ahruf and what is meant by the Qira’at.

As for the Ahruf, there are numerous interpretations, many of which are open to discussion. Therefore, I will choose one of the most popular interpretations endorsed by many scholars to delineate the relationship between the seven Ahruf and the Qira’at.

Seven Ahruf

The seven Ahruf are seven eloquent forms of languages and recitations upon which the Quran was revealed. [‘Itr, ‘Ulum al-Quran]

The seven Ahruf represent multiple distinct modes of recitation revealed as different ways of reading. Any of these modes that one reads is considered a Quran Revelation. The number seven is intentional and significant, meaning that the maximum number of revealed modes for any single Quranic word is seven within one type of variation.

It does not mean that all words in the Quran reach this limit in every instance. [‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Qari’, Hadith al-Ahruf al-Sab‘a; Ghanim Quduri, Rasm al-Mushaf; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari]

The Origin of the Seven Ahruf

The basis of the seven Ahruf is what is narrated by both Bukhari and Muslim from ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him), who said:

I heard Hisham Ibn Hakim reciting Surat al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited in several different ways that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) had not taught me.

I almost grabbed him during the prayer but waited until he finished. Then I tied his garment around his neck and brought him to Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said:

“I heard him reciting Surat al-Furqan in a way you did not teach me.”

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Release him, and recite, Hisham.” Hisham recited in the same way I had heard. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “It was revealed in this way.” Then he said: “Recite, ‘Umar.” I recited as he had taught me. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“It was revealed in this way. This Quran has been revealed in seven Ahruf, so recite whichever is easiest for you.” [Bukhari]

Also, it is narrated by Ubayy Ibn Ka‘b that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was at the pool of Bani Ghifar when Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him and said:

“Allah commands you to recite your people’s Quran in one Harf (mode).” He said, “I ask Allah for His pardon and forgiveness; my people cannot do that.” Then he came to him a second time and said, “Allah commands you to recite your people’s Quran in two Ahruf.”

He said, “I ask Allah for His pardon and forgiveness; my nation cannot do that.” Then he came to him a third time and said, “Allah commands you to recite your people’s Quran in three Ahruf.” He said, “I ask Allah for His pardon and forgiveness; my nation cannot do that.”

Then he came to him a fourth time and said, “Allah commands you to recite your people Quran in seven Ahruf. Whichever way they recite it, they have done right.” [Muslim]

The previous Hadiths indicate that the seven Ahruf are all Quranic revelations given by Allah (Most High) to His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and they are not based on personal judgment. The wisdom behind revealing them in this way was to make it easier for the Umma and to remove any difficulty for those who have different dialects. These Ahruf pertain to the modes of pronunciation and how words are recited, and they do not alter the meanings. [al-Muqaddimat al-Asasiyya fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]

Definition of the Qira’at

The Qira’at refers to a specific method adopted by an Imam among the Imams of recitation, differing from others in the pronunciation of the Quran, while maintaining consistency in the transmission and methodology of that Imam. This difference could be in the pronunciation of letters or their forms. [Zurqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan]

Ibn Jazari defined the Qira’at as the knowledge of the methods of pronouncing the words of the Quran and their variations attributed to reliable transmitters. [Ibn Jazari, Munjid al-Muqri’in]

The Relationship Between the Seven Ahruf and the Qira’at

To understand this relationship, we must examine and compare the process of compiling the Quran during the time of Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) and ‘Uthman Ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him).

• Compilation of the Quran during Abu Bakr’s time: This compilation was initiated due to ‘Umar’s (Allah be pleased with him) fear of the Quran being lost as the memorizers were martyred. Therefore, Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) ordered Zayd Ibn Thabit (Allah be pleased with him)—who was a memorizer of the Quran, a scribe of the revelation, and one who witnessed the final review of the Quran—to collect the Quran. During Abu Bakr’s time, the Quran was compiled into a single Mushaf, with the verses arranged and inclusive of the seven Ahruf in which the Quran was revealed. [Abu Shama, al-Murshid al-Wajiz; Qattan, Mabahith fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; Ghanim Quduri, Rasm al-Mushaf]
• Compilation of the Quran during ‘Uthman Ibn Affan’s time: ‘Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) gathered people on the Ahruf confirmed by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the final review, using a unified script predominantly in the dialect of Quraysh, accommodating various modes and discarding others that were abrogated in the final review. [Abu Shama, al-Murshid al-Wajiz; Ghanim Quduri, Rasm al-Mushaf]
• Comparison of Abu Bakr’s and ‘Uthman’s Work: The conclusion drawn from comparing the two efforts is that some of the seven Ahruf revealed for the Quran were abrogated in the final review. The ten Mutawatir Qira’at are the sum of what remained from the seven Ahruf, representing the final form of Allah’s Book.

Scholarly Opinions Supporting This View

Here are the opinions of some of the scholars who are experts in it:

Baghawi

“Allah (Most High) united the Umma by the wise choice of the Companions on one Mushaf, which was the final review of the Quran with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) ordered its compilation after it had been dispersed in various scripts, to serve as a reference for Muslims. ‘Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) ordered its copying into several Mushafs and gathered people upon it, ordering the burning of other copies to eliminate disputes.

Anything that contradicted the agreed script was considered abrogated and removed, just like other abrogated parts agreed upon by the Companions. The Quran between the covers is the one preserved by Allah (Most High) and is the standard for the Umma.” [Abu Shama, al-Murshid al-Wajiz]

He also said: “The Mushaf that the consensus was established upon is the final review with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). ‘Uthman ordered its copying into several Mushafs and gathered people upon it, eliminating anything besides it to prevent disputes. Anything that contradicts the script of the Mushaf is considered abrogated and removed, like other abrogated parts. Therefore, no one should rely on what is outside of the script in pronunciation.” [Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari]

Ibn Jazari

“The ‘Uthmanic Mushafs did not encompass all the seven Ahruf that were permitted for the Quran’s recitation, as stated by many scholars. This is based on the understanding that it was not possible for the Umma to neglect transmitting any of the seven Ahruf… If we say that the ‘Uthmanic Mushafs contained all the seven Ahruf revealed by Allah (Most High), anything conflicting with the script would be definitively not part of the seven Ahruf.

This view is problematic because many authentic recitations from the Companions (Allah be pleased with them) and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) differ from the script.” [Ibn Jazari, Munjid al-Muqri’in]

He also said: “The ten Qira’at contain some of the seven Ahruf, and they are Mutawatir in their origins and detailed variations.” [Ibid.]

“The opinion that the Mutawatir Qira’at are limitless is incorrect in our time because no Mutawatir Qira’at beyond the ten exists today. If it refers to the early period, it might be possible.” [Ibid.]

Shaykh Abdul Aziz al-Qari

“Some parts of the seven Ahruf had their recitation abrogated in the final review and were not taught by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) afterward. Therefore, they were not included in the ‘Uthmanic Mushafs, as ‘Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) and his companions meticulously wrote what was established in the final review… The definitive truth, known to every thorough researcher, is that the final form of the Quran was completely written in the ‘Uthmanic Mushafs.

Nothing was omitted, and the scholars agree that what the ten Imams of Qira’at narrated encompasses all these Ahruf. Anything beyond their narration is either irregular, denounced, weak, or fabricated.” [‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Qari’, Hadith al-Ahruf al-Sab‘a]

Imam Makki Ibn Abi Talib

“All these recitations that people recite today, and whose transmission from the Imams is authenticated, are part of the seven Ahruf in which the Quran was revealed. Their pronunciation aligns with the script of the Mushaf, the Mushaf of ‘Uthman (Allah be pleased with him), which the Companions and those after them unanimously agreed upon. Anything that contradicted its script was discarded… He gathered the Muslims upon it and prohibited recitation that contradicted its script.

He was assisted by approximately twelve thousand Companions and Followers, and a group of Muslims followed him thereafter. Reciting anything that contradicted this script became considered an innovation and a mistake, even if it was authentic and narrated.” [Makki, al-Ibana ‘an Ma‘ani al-Qira’at (ed. Dr. ‘Abd al-Fattah Shalabi)]

Abu ‘Abbas Ahmad Ibn Ammar al-Mahdawi al-Muqri

“The most accurate view among the adept scholars in this regard is that what we have today of these recitations is part of the seven Ahruf upon which the Quran was revealed.” [Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari]

Abu Shama

“These recitations that we recite are part of the seven Ahruf upon which the Quran was revealed. They were used because they matched the Mushaf upon which the Umma agreed, and the other Ahruf were left out because they contradicted the script of the Mushaf. It is not obligatory for us to recite all the seven Ahruf that the Quran was revealed with, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) allowed us to recite some of them without others, according to Allah’s saying:

‘So recite (in prayer) whatever you can from the Quran.’ [Quran, 73:20]

Therefore, the recitation used in our time is the one that became easy for us due to what the predecessors of the Umma narrated, by gathering people upon this Mushaf, to prevent the disputes that arose among people and to prevent them from declaring each other disbelievers.” [Abu Shama, al-Murshid al-Wajiz]

Summary

What we recite today is part of the seven Ahruf. When ‘Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) compiled the Quran, he based it on the manuscripts compiled during the time of Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him). He instructed the scribes to adopt the Quraysh dialect in cases of differences during writing, and any mode that did not align with the script, even if it was one of the seven Ahruf, was not included in the Mushaf. The Companions understood the reason for the revelation of the Quran in seven Ahruf was to facilitate recitation, and they recognized that any mode shared the same meaning.

However, they saw the emergence of differences among the Umma due to these modes, which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had permitted for ease, but which had started to cause division and discord.

Therefore, they preserved the Quran in a single script that was distributed across the Islamic state, retaining only those Ahruf that matched the script of the Uthmanic Mushaf. The current recitations are part of the seven Ahruf with which the Quran was revealed and align with the script of the Mushaf, the Mushaf of Uthman, which the Companions and those after them unanimously agreed upon.

In short, we can say:

“Every correct Mutawatir recitation is part of the seven Ahruf, but not everything from the seven Ahruf is Mutawatir because some of the seven Ahruf were abrogated in the final review due to the lack of necessity, as ease and facilitation were achieved with what remained.” [Abu Shama, al-Murshid al-Wajiz; Qudat, Muqaddimat fi ‘Ilm al-Qira’at]

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.