In a previous blog post, we examined the lack of consensus among scholars regarding the meaning of the Quran’s supposed seven Ahruf and the many contradictions that exist in the various interpretations. In this article, we look specifically at the claim that the seven Ahruf are connected to the various readings of the Quran.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Gabriel read the Qur’an to me in one harf and I continued asking him to read it in different ways till he read it in seven ahruf.”
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ أَقْرَأَنِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَى حَرْفٍ ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَسْتَزِيدُهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3219 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3219
Qira’at ( قراءات) refers to the different canonical methods of reciting the Quran. These variations encompass differences in pronunciation, intonation, meanings, verse counts, and, in extreme cases, differences in the words and phrases used.
Historically, these differences took root after the prophet’s death when Islam expanded to new lands. Various communities learned to recite the Quran in their respective regions, and over time, this led to slight differences in recitation. In the 3rd/9th century, the scholar Abu Bakr Ibn Mujahid (d. 936 CE) played a crucial role in standardizing these recitations. He selected seven reciters from various regions whose recitations were widely recognized and respected.
Because Ibn Mujahid limited the reciters to seven, many falsely conflated the seven Qiraat with the seven Ahruf. However, scholars widely recognized this as an inaccurate association.