The Importance of Quranic Recitations in the Understanding and Translation of the Quran
By Professor Abdelkabir Akboub
At the beginning of his lecture, Dr. Abdelkabir Akboub referred to two important points concerning the Quranic recitations. The first point says that each single verse can have different Quranic recitations, which provides various interpretations according to the number of independent recitations. This shows the precious value of this science in the process of rendering and translating meanings of the Holy Quran. The more recitations we have, the more interpretations and translations we get. The second point focuses on the fact that Orientalists use different readings as an excuse to challenge, pretend conflicts and differences for the sake not to establish one single recitation. I. Quranic Recitations: Keys concepts and terms: The Professor then defined a set of keys concepts and terms that make up this science: He defined recitations based on Zarkachi’s saying as: “they are different pronunciations of the same word”. Al Jazri says: ‘‘It is the science of the way Quran words are performed (pronounced)’’. The reader – is the one who has learned the Quran by heart; he or she can be a novice, an intermediate or an advanced. The novice: is the one who masters one to three recitations. The intermediate: is the one who masters one to four or five recitations. The advanced: is the one who masters the majority of recitations and the most famous ones. The reader should purify his intention and do his best to overcome the challenges and obstacles that will face him. He has to devote his youth and time to learn and accumulate knowledge, and he’d better avoid procrastination as it is the mother of failure for the knowledge seeker. Riwaya – from the term ‘‘Rawa=روى’’ recite– has many meanings in the Arabic language; it is used mainly in the context of drinking, and quenching the thirst. It is also used in other contexts such as: recite lies to him, which means lying to him, or recite poetry or talk which means rendering /transmitting it. There is a difference in the Arabic language dictionaries between ‘‘Rawa, Rayan= رَوَى – رَيَّا” (quench the thirst) and ‘‘Rawa, Riwaya= رَوَى – رِوَايَة’’ which means “narrate” (render and transmit). ‘‘Rawa, Rayan= رَوَى – رَيّا”: we said ‘‘Rawayto lil Qawmi= رَوَيْتُ لِلْقَوْمِ’’ that is, I quenched their thirst, and ‘‘Arwi lahom= أَرْوي لهم ’’ which means I gave them some water. The animal used to take water to people is called “Rawiya= رَاوِيَة”; while the eighth of Di Lhija is called the day of ‘‘TARWIYA= يَوْمُ الترْوِية’’ because the pilgrims used to drink water in this day and get some of it preparing for the rest of the pilgrimage (Mina and Aarafat days); Therefore, the intended meaning here – is to render or transmit. Conventionally, the term means what the Narrator reports about the Imam: Hafss’s Narration from Assim, Chouaba’s Narration from Assim. The narrator is the one who reports what one of the ten Imams says; every Imam used to have many students, just the two best of them are chosen to report, i.e. to recite to people what they have learned from the Imam either orally or by reporting. II. Variation Variation, linguistically speaking, means difference and opposition, and it is when someone has a totally different state or belief from the other. Conventionally speaking, the term is also used to show the absolute difference or dissimilarity in views, statements, states, positions or perspectives. Variation has two types: difference of variety, and difference of opposition. 1. The variety difference: has multi-faces: • When: both views and acts are right, as in the example of the Prophet’s companions who have an argument over the right recitation, until our prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited them from difference and said: “you are both right” (to Hicham Ben Hakim and Omar) (Al-Bokhari). Similar to this is what we find in the forms of Athan, Iqama, Prayer for scared, the number of Funeral’s takbir, Witer prayer… etc. These are allowable things, and there is no need to argue about them as they have different forms. When: Two statements have the same meaning and purpose, but the words used in both statements are different as in: Border words, evidence formulas, and expressing titles and the division of provisions. When: the two meanings are different, but not contradicted. So both of them are right, even if they do not have or share the same views. This is much common in Disputes. For example, when the companions disagree about our prophet’s statement: “He whoever believes in Allah and the doomsday has to pray AL ASR only in Bani Quraizah.” (Al-Bokhari and Muslim) Second reading: “He whoever believes in Allah and the doomsday shall not pray AL ASR unless he arrived in Bani Quraizah.” (Al-Bokhari and Muslim) Some companions thought they had to pray on their way if it’s the prayer’s time; others thought they had to pray Al Asr at Bani Quraizah even when it’s late to pray. Yet, the prophet didn’t deny them. In this type of difference, both companions are right without a doubt; however, the one who would not respect the other’s view (belief) would be blamed. 2. The opposition difference: The difference is seen as an opposition when two statements are contradicted either in the basis or the branches. If it’s about the basics, one statement would be right and approved by the religion, while the other is wrong and disparaged; this kind of difference is not allowed like the one between the Sunni people and people of innovation. ALLAH says: {‘‘Such is Allah, your true Lord. So apart from truth, what remains but aberrance? How then are you turned away?’’} (Jonah, Youness 32), ALLAH almighty says: {‘‘But most of them follow nothing but fancy. Truly, fancy can be of no avail against truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all what they do.”} (Jonah, Youness 36). The difference is allowed if it’s not in the main core and was taken by discretion on condition of not leading to enmity, hatred, disharmony, fighting nicknames and estrangement. Imam Chatibi (May Allah be merciful to him) said: “when people have different views about an issue in Islam, but that doesn’t lead to enmity, hatred and separation, we at that time know that it’s an Islamic matter. However, if it leads to enmity, hatred, disharmony, fighting nicknames and estrangement, we know that it is not a matter of the religion. This was mentioned in our prophet’s (PBUH) interpretation of the Quranic verse: {‘‘As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you (Muhammad) have no part in them in the least. Their affair is with Allah, Who then will tell them the truth of all what they used to do.”} (Anaam, Cattle 159). Imam Chafiai said: ‘‘The difference has two sides: the first one that has proofs from the Quran and Sunnah or a unanimity of the Islamic Omma, none should disagree about it; the second one that has none of those pillars mentioned before is just done by discretion, and should be compared to one of the three pillars (Quran, Sunnah or Unanimity). If someone worked hard and exerted himself….he could say things or their opposites.’’ The aim (الوجه): is a term that refers to explaining and appearance. The choice: is a term that refers to the selection and detailing; it is a word that is chosen by the Reciter or the Narrator. III. Sections of Recitations: Then, he divided the different sections of Recitations: There are three sections of recitations: frequent, individual and abnormal. Falmotawatir(المُتَوَاتِرُ) Frequent ( readings) are the seven famous readings, and individual(الآحَادُ) are the three readings that are exactly the completion of ten readings, and follows it companions, followers and abnormal readings(الشَّاذُ). The best person to speak in this kind readers’ Imam Ibn al-Jazari. Suyuti has enumerated its types and explained them as follows: First, the frequent: is what has been transferred by a collection / group who cannot be conspired/ connived to lying, just like them all to its limit, and likeness: what ways have agreed to transfer about the seven (readings), and this is the most frequent in the Koran’s letters. Second, the well-known: which has true ‘‘Sanadh’’, and correspond to the Arabic and traces/tracks, but did not reach the maximum frequency. It became famous among readers who didn’t consider it neither a mistake, nor abnormal, and it’s counted for. Its likeness: what the ways differ to transmit on the seven (readings). So, some of the narrators passed it on them while others don’t. Among the most famous in that is facilitation of Danny, Shatibi’s poem, vessels deployment in the ten readings, and approximation of publishing. Third, the Individual: which has true ‘‘Sanadh’’, but differs from the traces/tracks or Arabic, or is not well known as mentioned. So it’s not counted for, and should not be believed. Both, Tirmidhi at his Universal, and the ruling Alnnisaburi in his “Mustadrak”, held a chapter/section in which they brought out many Hadiths? of true attribution. Fourth, the abnormal/ anomalous: which has not true Sanadh. Many books were composed in this category. So, reading of {‘‘reigned over of the Day of Judgment’’=‘‘مَلَكَ يَوْمَ الدِّينِ’’ } in the past tense, setting {“day”=‘‘يَوْمَ’’} in the accusative form, and putting {“You Alone is worshiped”=‘‘إِيَّاكَ يُعْبَدُ’’} in the passive form to take effect. The abnormal reading is the one which has lost one of the conditions stipulated/set by Ibn al-Jazari in his speech about the pillars of correct reading, and it is not the one that is not subjugate to the seven readings as Ibn Mojahid thought. This kind of reading is distinguished from famous one in terms of Sanadh, knowing that the abnormal reading might equal or excel than the famous one in terms of eloquence. Fifth, the issue/ the fabricated: is what is attributed to its speaker without any asset, such as Khuzai’s reading, and the fabricated reading. Conventionally, it’s a reading attributed to its sayer without any absolute Sanadh, or on a defamation. Sixth, the embedded-like: It resembles the embedded of speech, and it is what has been added in the readings for the sake of interpretation such as the reading of Saad bin Abi Waqas: {‘‘has a brother or sister of a mother’’= ‘‘وَلَهُ أَخٌ أَّوْ أُخْتٌ مِنْ أُمٍّ’’}. Ibn al-Jazari justified that saying: “Perhaps they were including interpretations in speech for clarification, because they are investigators of what they have received from the Messenger of God of the Koran; so they are safe from confusion, and perhaps some of them were writing it with him.” IV. Recitations requirements: Those who want to master different recitations should have four requirements: Respect the beginning and the end, good performance, simplicity, respect the order and avoid imitation. Imam Abu Hassan Sakhaawi said: Mixing these recitations is a big mistake which is totally forbidden. Imam Jaabari said: Composition is forbidden in one word or two if they are related to each other. Imam Ibn Jazri said: ‘‘we consider detailing as the right choice. If one of the recitations is ordered; then it can be banned. Like when this verse is read with the nominative, accusative, or its likeness: “Then Adam received from his Lord words of inspiration” (Al-Baqara, The Cow 37), which is not correct in the Arabic language. When it is not the same as that, then there will be a distinction between narration’s context and others. If he performed like a narration, the reader wouldn’t be certified as he denies it. However, If it is not meant for narration, but for reading and recitation, it is permissible and acceptable; though it is considered forbidden for the Imams of recitations, not on the face of being forbidden or proscribed, but on the defect of putting the scholars of Hadith on the same level of equality with the common people, since all is from Allah Almighty, delivered by his messenger, Gabriel (Jibril), on the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). 1. Recitations rules: Recitations have to respect three rules which are: ‘‘Sanadh”, ‘‘Calligraphy’’ (Rassm), and the Arabic language. Every recitation that breaches one of these rules is then considered abnormal; while if it meets all of them, it is then a proper one. 2. The seven Letters: The difference is in parsing a word or its syntax and in the process of its construction without changing the meaning. The difference might be in the word’s vowel or syntax that doesn’t change its meaning in the book, or the difference might be in the word which leads to changing its meaning and its syntax. For example, in the Quranic verse: {‘‘And the stupor of ‘‘Truth will bring death’’= ‘‘الْحَقِّ بِالْمَوْتِ ’’ وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ’’ {, or it can be by loss and gain as ALLAH said in his Holy book: {“not their hands that made this” = ‘‘وَمَا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِيهِم ’’ {, this verse was read like { “It was not their hands that made this” = ‘‘وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِم ’’ {. It was said that these are the languages of Quran (some languages were of Quraich, Howaz and Yemen). Some of them brought the dispute over the seven letters to 40 words (as stated by Ibn Qutaiba adopted by Ibn Al Jazri in publishing). 3. Seven readings: 1. Nafie (Died in 199 H). His narrators are: KALON (Died in 220 H) and Warch (Died in 187 H). 2. Ibn Kathir. His narrators are al-Bazzi and Qonbol. 3. Abu Omar al-Basri, his narrators are: Addaouri and Soussi. 4. Abdullah bin Amer al-Shami, his narrators are: Hisham and Ibn Dhakwaan. 5. Asim al-Kufi, his narrators are: Chouaba and Hafss. 6. Hamza (al-Zayyat), his narrators are: Khalaf and Khallad. 7. Al-Kessaii, his narrators are: a-Laith and Addaouri. 4. Ten readings: 8. Abu Jaafar al-Madani, his narrators are: Isa bin Ouerdane, Suleiman bin Jinasse. 9. Yaaqob (Jacob) al-Hadrami, his narrators are: Royce and Rouh. 10. Khalaf al-Aacher. 3. Fourteen readings: 11. Ibn Mouhaisse, his narrators are: al-Bazzi, Abu al-Hassan, Ibn Chanmout. 12. Al-Yazidi, his narrators are: Ibn al-Hakam and Suleiman bin … 13. Al-Hassan al-Basri, his narrators are: Chojaa Ibn Nasr al-Dalhani, and Addouri. 14. Al-Aamach, his narrators are: al-Hassan bin Said al-Motoai, Abu al-Faraj, and al-Chanboudi. 4. Shortcuts in science of readings: 15- Shami reading or the people of Syria means Ibn Amer. 16- Al-Basrian Abu Omar, and Yaaqob (Jacob) Al-Hadrami Al-Basri. 17- Al-Kofiyyane: Hamza and Al-Kessaii. 18- Al-Kofiyoune: Hamza al-Kessaii and Khalaf. In conclusion, Dr. Abdul Kabir Akbob confirmed the first point, that he started his lecture with, which is about referring to the need of observing the recitations when translating the Holy Quran, and that if a translation does not take into account the data of this science is considered a poor and dishonest translation.