The-Names-Of-The-Readers-And-All-Their-Narrators

______The Qurrā’ Couplets_

The Names of the Readers And all their Narrators

A Brief Thirty-line Ode To Thirty Men of Old

Composed by the teacher Munowar Harneker

Noorun Mubeen Publications

2021 Munowar Harneker Any part of this text may be reproduced for personal use or for free distribution only, provided that no changes are made to it.

Noorun Mubeen Publications

First Edition, 2021

Cape Town, South Africa

Email: [email protected]

Website: noorunmubeenpublications.wordpress.com

For my two lovely sons and all of the young ones.

For those students of mine who study the Divine.

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى

“Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have what he intended…”

(Sạ hị̄ h ̣ Bukhārī and Muslim)

System of Transliteration

English Arabic English Arabic

أ ’ ظ ̣ z ب b ع ‘ ت t غ gh ث th ف f ج j ق q ح ̣ h ك k خ kh ل l د d م m ذ dh ن n ر r و w ز z ه h س s ي y ش sh َ ا ā ص ṣ َ ي ī ض ̣ d َ و ū ط ṭ َ ي ay َ و ou

Introduction

All praise is due to Allah N, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the entire universe. And the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammaḍ C, his family and his companions.

Recently my wife came across a poem entitled “The Seerah Song”, which outlines the life of Rasūlullah C. There are many such poems composed in Arabic, but this is the first to be written in English. It is composed by Abdullah Misra and performed by Zain Bhikha. One section of the poem details the lineage of the Prophet C, going back to his ancestor Fihr, also known as Quraysh. My wife would play the recording of this song for my three-year-old son, and I was astounded one day when I came home and found him able to recite with ease the entire lineage of the Prophet C! What was amazing about this was not his ability to do it, but rather by how easily he had picked it up. He didn’t sit down and studiously repeat all of these names in order to memorise them – he learned them all simply by listening a couple of times to a few lines of poetry.

As I am involved in the field of Qirā’āt, it has always been my desire that my sons should follow suit and study this science as well. So this incident regarding the “Seerah Song” inspired me to try and compose something similar about the Qurrā’, so that they could become familiar with them from a young age. I anticipated it to be difficult as it was the first time I was attempting to write a poem according to a metre, but alhamdulillaḥ , Allah N facilitated its completion and made it far easier than what I expected it to be.

Another reason for the compilation of this poem, is that I recently started teaching limited aspects of Qirā’āt to the students at the school I teach at. I also hope to teach this to a wider audience in future in shā Allah, and not all of these students will necessarily be ḥāfiẓ or have a background of having studied Arabic before. Before delving into the rules of Qirā’āt, the student obviously first needs to know who the different Qurrā’ (Readers) and Ruwāt (Narrators) are. It is my hope that this poem will facilitate the learning of their names for these students, rather than them having to grasp it from an Arabic poem.

In Islam we have a long legacy of scholars composing didactic poems in virtually all fields of study – from ‘aqīdah to ḥadīth to qirā’āt to naḥw. More recently however, there now seems to be a trend where scholars are writing similar works, but in the English medium. There may be more, but I am aware of two such works which are now available, in addition to the Seerah Song mentioned above: a poem on tajwīd composed by Shaikh Ismail Londt, and a poem on naḥw composed by Moulānā Yazeed Jabaar. This poem of mine was also partly inspired by their efforts and I hope that it in turn will also inspire others to produce works of the same nature.

Of the poems written on Qirā’āt, the poem entitled “al-Hirẓ al-Amānī wa Wajh al- Tahānī” by Imām al-Shāṭibī is perhaps the most famous. This poem is better known simply as “The Shāṭibiyyah” and discusses the rules of the Seven Qirā’āt. When encountering this poem for the first time, I immediately fell in love with it. I was mesmerised by the beauty of its composition and blown away by the sheer and utter genius of its author, Imām al-Shāṭibī. The section in which he discusses the names of the Qurrā’ and the Ruwāt has always been one of my favourite, and those who are familiar with the poem will readily see the influence it has had on my own composition. I have included the lines from the Shāṭibiyyah for the benefit of people who know Arabic, so that they may appreciate its beauty and hopefully go on to learn it as well. No translation would be able to do justice to the original, as the beauty is lost in translation and can only be appreciated by reading it in the language in which it was composed. I have thus opted not to translate the lines from the Shāṭibiyyah.

In the text of the poem, the names of the Readers are highlighted in red, the names of the first Narrators in green, and the second Narrators in blue. This is so that the reader may easily distinguish between them when looking at the text. Some of the Readers and Narrators are more famously known by a laqab (nickname),1 a kunyah (patronym),2 by the names of their fathers,3 or by an ascription.4 In these cases, I have highlighted in bold the name that they are famously known by, while also mentioning what their actual names are.

1 For example, Qālūn, Warsh and Ruways. 2 For example, Abū ‘Amr and Abū Ja‘far. 3 For example, Ibn Kathīr and Ibn ‘Āmir. 4 For example, al-Bazzī and al-Dūrī. These ascriptions could link the individual to one of his ancestors, to a particular place or to a profession.

I have added a brief commentary to the poem for added benefit and to clarify certain points. I have included in the commentary a simplified diagram of the chain of narration for each of the Readers. This is so that the reader may appreciate just how closely linked they are to the Prophet C. I have thus generally opted to represent only the shortest possible chain of narration, but the reader should bear in mind that in most cases there are many other links as well.

I have tried to avoid lengthy discussions in the commentary so as not to tire the reader. Those interested in learning more about the Qurrā’ may refer to Qāri’ Saleem Gaibie’s book entitled “Narratives on the Seven Great Readers”. To make matters easy for myself, I have relied predominantly on this book for the biographical information included in the commentary. However, at times I would also consult some of the original Arabic works, specifically Ṭabaqāt al-Qurrā’ of al-Dhahabī and Ghāyah al-Nihāyah of Ibn al-Jazarī.

The idea behind the composition of this poem is not for it to be studiously memorised through rote repetition. Instead my hope is that people will be able to benefit from it just by listening to it being read. I have thus included recordings of audios of the poem. A few different recordings have been included so that the listener may choose whichever one he prefers.

May Allah N this humble effort and make it a means of benefit for the Ummah, āmīn.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, all thanks and praise is due to Allah N, for all of His countless blessings that He has bestowed upon us. Thereafter, I express my thanks and gratitude to my parents for all that they have done for me.

I also wish to thank and say jazākumullah khairan to: my wife, Shaaista, for her feedback regarding the wording of some of the lines of the poem and for affording me the time to do all my writing; to Moulānā Riyaad Obaray and Moulānā Saleem Gaibie for answering certain questions I had regarding the biographies of the Readers and Narrators; and to all of my teachers, especially my English teachers and my teachers of Qirā’āt.

I extend a special appreciation and thanks to Qāris Igsaan Sedick, Umar Masoud, Shukri Frydie and Abdul Qaadir Kafaar for kindly giving up of their time to record the recitation of the poem. This was no easy feat as singing a text in English is much harder than doing so in Arabic. May Allah N reward them for their efforts, āmīn.

Audio Recordings To listen, scan the QR code or click on the link.

Qāri’ Igsaan Sedick Qāri’ Omar Masoud

Medley

Qāri’ Shukri Frydie Qāri’ Abdul Qaadir Kafaar

Video Recording

Commentary

The Names of the Readers

And all their Narrators

1 All praise be to Allah, the One, the Supreme Peace be on Muhammaḍ , who taught us the Dīn

2 Now take from me these few words of metre rhymed The names of noble men, within you will find

3 They preserved the Book, the Qur’an, the Divine Which was sent as Guidance to all humankind

4 The Illustrious Readers are Ten in line The Narrators from them are Twenty Sublime

5 From Madīnah was Nāfi‘ the Scented one Good Qālūn learnt from him, then Warsh the Fair one5

6 ‘Īsā and ‘Uthmān are that which they were named But their names from their teacher are the ones famed

7 Ibn Kathīr, the Makk’n6 Follower, was Acclaimed To him, ‘Abdullāh, are his narrators chained

8 The first one that you’ll see is Ahmaḍ Bazzī Then Muhammaḍ known as Qunbul you’ll agree

5 This line may also be read as: Nāfi‘ from Madīnah was a Tābi‘ī Good Qālūn and Warsh the Fair, they learned from he 6 The word “Makk’n” here should be read as one syllable in order to maintain the poetic metre.

9 Abū ‘Amr from Basrạ h was Ibnul ‘Alā He poured his knowledge on Yazīdī Yahỵ ā7

10 Who in turn taught Haf̣ s,̣ the one known as Dūrī As well as Sạ̄ lih,̣ who is Sūsī you see

11 For ‘Abdullāh, blessed Shām was his abode He was Ibn ‘Āmir, the Follower of old

12 The first linked to him is the one called Hishām And then ‘Abdullāh who is traced to Dhakwān

13 In the great city of Kūfah, there were three Gifting their knowledge like a fruit-giving tree

14 From the Follower who as ‘Āsiṃ was known Learnt Shu‘bah then Haf̣ s ̣ like a son of his own

15 As for Hamzaḥ az-Zayyāt, how pure was he! Patiently reading the Book that’s him you see

16 He precisely taught him whose name was Sulaym And Khalaf and Khallād then after him came

17 The next is ‘Alī, who was called Kisā’ī For him in ihṛ ām in a shawl you would see

7 This line may also be read as: Abū ‘Amr from Basraḥ was a Tābi‘ī He poured his knowledge on Yahyạ̄ Yazīdī

18 He taught Abul Hạ̄ rith who as Layth was named And also Dūrī who before this was placed

19 ‘Nother from Madīnah was he named Yazīd Abū Ja‘far was a Follower indeed8

20 He taught ‘Īsā who was known as Ibn Wardān And he taught Ibn Jammāz who was Sulaymān

21 ‘Nother from Basraḥ was Ya‘qūb Hadraṃ ī Muhammaḍ called Ruways and Rawh ̣ learned from he

22 ‘Nother from great Kūfah, Khalaf comes again But now as a Reader who has his own chain9

23 He is the tenth and thus is called al-‘Āshir Ishāq̣ and Idrīs learnt from this great māhir10

24 So these are the names presented before you Of Readers like Full Moons, what a lovely view!

25 Their Narrators are like Stars shining brightly Dispelling all darkness so that we can see

26 They spent all their lives in teaching the Qur’an Seeking no recompense from any of Insān

8 The last part of this line may also be read as “a Follower in deed”. 9 The last part of this line may also be read as “who has his own aim”. 10 This line may also be read as: He taught the next two whilst known as al-Bazzār: Ishāq̣ al-Warrāq and Idrīs al-Haddāḍ

27 May Allah be pleased with them eternally May we follow their way with sincerity

28 May we all be told to recite and ascend! And may we then read and read without any end

29 ‘Til we are joined with beloved Muṣṭafā In the highest ranks of Firdaws al-A‘lā

30 May we hear the Book read by him, peace on he And by the Lord Himself, all praise be to He

Commentary

1 All praise be to Allah, the One, the Supreme Peace be on Muhammad,̣ who taught us the Dīn

The poem begins with the basmalah, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet C. Thereafter, Allah N is praised and prayers of peace are sent on the Prophet C. This too is in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet C.

2 Now take from me these few words of metre rhymed The names of noble men, within you will find

are used to signify a shift from the ( وب ع د ) In traditional Arabic poetry, the words introductory matter to the subject at hand. The word “Now” has been used here in a similar way.

The poem is written according to a poetic metre and follows a rhyme-scheme. In English poetry, a poetic metre is typically composed of “feet”, which are groups of syllables following a particular rhythm, where the syllables are either stressed or unstressed. A couplet is a pair of successive lines in poetry that rhyme and have the same metre.

In Arabic poetry, there is no concept of stressed or unstressed syllables. Instead, the syllables are either long or short. One line of poetry is divided into two halves, where the endings of the two halves may rhyme with one another or not. In the cases where they rhyme, it would then be similar to the English couplet, except that it is considered as one line rather than two.

This poem thus contains elements of both English and Arabic poetry, while adhering strictly to the conventions of neither of the two. The metre is that each half-line contains eleven syllables, and the endings of the two halves rhyme with one another. However, I did not take into account whether the syllables are stressed or unstressed, or whether they are long or short.

The poem is described as just “a few words”, and was intentionally kept short so as to ease its memorisation. Each line consists of 22 syllables, and there are 30 lines in total. The poem in its entirety thus consists of only 660 syllables, and of even fewer words, with the total word count being less then 500.

The poem primarily discusses the names of certain individuals, but is not restricted to just that. It describes some of the beautiful characteristics that these people had, so that we may be inspired to follow them and inculcate these qualities within ourselves as well.

3 They preserved the Book, the Qur’an, the Divine Which was sent as Guidance to all humankind

The reason the men mentioned in this poem achieved the heights that they did is due to their service to the Book of Allah, the Qur’an. It was through their efforts, and others like them, that the Qur’an was preserved and has reached us in the form that it has, being unchanged and unalterated even after more than 1 400 years. Allah N Himself However, He makes .(ا اَّن َن ن ن از لن ا ا ذ ل ك ر وا اَّن َل ل حا ف ظو ن ) :in the Qur’an promises to preserve it ِ ِ use of means to do this, and it being preserved in the hearts of men is one of these .(ب ل ه و أ َي ٌت ب يذن ا ٌت ِف ص دو ر ا ا لي ن ُأوت وا ا ل ع ل) :means

The phrase “the Divine” indicates that the Qur’an is the uncreated Speech of Allah. It is of Divine origin, and unlike anything else, is not a creation of Allah N.

Thus those men .( ه ًدى لذلناا س ) :The Qur’an refers to itself as a guidance for all of mankind who have preserved the Qur’an for us have in fact preserved for all of humanity the guidance which they require in order to live their lives in a manner that is pleasing to

7 their Lord and which will ensure their success in this world and the next. We are thus forever indebted to them – a debt which we would never be able to repay.

4 The Illustrious Readers are Ten in line The Narrators from them are Twenty Sublime

Those individuals who became well-known for teaching the Qur’an are called Qurrā’ (the Readers). The Qirā’āt that we have are named after them. There are initially seven Qirā’āt that are studied, as set out in the Shāṭibiyyah. There are then another three Qirā’āt which are also authentic, which are studied from the poem called the Durrah, authored by Imām Ibn al-Jazarī. The seven plus the three combine to give us a total of ten Qirā’āt. All other Qirā’āt besides these ten are not authentic and cannot be recited as Qur’an.

The phrase “in line” indicates that there is a particular sequence in which we learn the Ten Qirā’āt. The sequence of the Readers that we follow is as set out in the books of Qirā’āt, such as the Shāṭibiyyah and others.

Each Reader had two students that transmitted from him. Thus ten multiplied by two gives us the twenty Narrators that are referred to in the line.

The sub-title of the poem is: “A brief thirty-line ode, to thirty men of old”. Ten Readers plus twenty Narrators gives us a total of thirty people, and one would naturally assume that these are the thirty men being referred to. However, the reality is slightly more complex. Going through the poem, one will realise that there are actually only twenty- eight different individuals comprising the Readers and Narrators. This is because one particular individual is a Narrator for two different Readers, while another individual is both a Narrator and a Reader. However, the poem also mentions the names of two people who are neither Readers nor Narrators, but who rather function as intermediaries between them. The addition of these two names thus does bring the total number of names mentioned in the poem up to thirty.

The First Reader

5 From Madīnah was Nāfi‘ the Scented one Good Qālūn learnt from him, then Warsh the Fair one

6 ‘Īsā and ‘Uthmān are that which they were named But their names from their teacher are the ones famed

The first of the Ten Readers is Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān.̣ 11 His kunyah is Abū Ruwaym. He was born in 70 A.H. and passed away in 169 A.H. He was originally from Asbahāṇ but settled in Madīnah and became the Imām of its people in Qirā’ah.

He is described in the poem as “the Scented one”. One might naturally assume that this implied that he applied scent, as is the Sunnah of the Prophet C. However, it actually refers to a particular karāmah (miracle) that is related from him. It is said that whenever he spoke, a sweet scent of musk emanated from his mouth. When questioned about it, he replied that he once saw the Prophet C in a dream and that the Prophet C then recited into his mouth. Thereafter, whenever he spoke, the sweet fragrance of musk came forth from his mouth.12

The best of generations are the Sạ hābaḥ J, then those who came after them – the Tābi‘ūn (the Followers). Most of the Readers and Narrators come from the generation following the Tābi‘ūn. However, a few of them are actually Tābi‘ūn themselves. Due to the lofty status and rank of such individuals, I have endeavoured to indicate towards this in the poem itself, by specifically mentioning all those who are Tābi‘ūn.

With regard to Nāfi‘, there is difference of opinion, with some of the scholars counting him as a Tābi‘ī. However, most regard him as being from the next generation. I have therefore not mentioned his status as a Tābi‘ī in the main text itself, but instead have

11 He is not the same person as Nāfi‘ the mawlā of Ibn ‘Umar, the famous narrator of hadītḥ . In fact, this other Nāfi‘ is one of his teachers. 12 al-Dhahabī states that this report is not authentic due to it containing narrators who are unknown. See Tabaq̣ āt al-Qurrā’, pg. 106.

9 given an alternate reading of the line which indicates towards this. The alternate version of the line reads:

Nāfi‘ from Madīnah was a Tābi‘ī Good Qālūn and Warsh the Fair, they learned from he

The first Narrator from Nāfi‘ is Qālūn. His actual name is ‘Īsā ibn Mīnā. His kunyah is Abū Mūsā. He was born in 120 A.H. and passed away in 220 A.H. Qālūn is his nickname which was given to him by Nāfi‘ due to his excellent recitation, as the word “Qālūn” means “good” or “excellent” in the Roman language. Qālūn’s forefathers hailed from Rome. Thus the phrase “Good Qālūn” in the poem indicates to his proficiency in recitation while at the same time giving the meaning of the name Qālūn. It is related that Qālūn was hard of hearing and would look at the lips of the reciters to correct their errors. He was the step-son of his teacher Nāfi‘, who had married his mother.

The second Narrator from Nāfi‘ is Warsh. His actual name is ‘Uthmān ibn Sa‘īd. His kunyah is Abū Sa‘īd. He was born in 110 A.H. and passed away in 197 A.H. Warsh is his nickname which was given to him by Nāfi‘ due to his extremely fair complexion, as the word “Warsh” means something that is made of milk. Others state that Nāfi‘ nicknamed him Warshān – a name of a well known bird – and later shortened it to just Warsh.13 This shortening of a name is done at times in an affectionate manner: it is related in a hadith that the Prophet C on occasion called ‘Aishah by the name “‘Aish”. Thus this nickname perhaps alludes to the bond that existed between the teacher Nāfi and his student Warsh. Warsh himself was pleased with his nickname and would proudly state, “My ustādh, Nāfi‘, named me with this!”

Warsh was originally from Egypt and travelled to Madīnah to learn from Nāfi‘. He later returned to his homeland and spent the remainder of his life there, becoming the Shaikhul Qurrā’ of Egypt.

13 Incidentally, the meaning of the name ‘Uthmān also refers to a type of bird.

In the lines of the poem, the meanings of the nicknames of Qālūn and Warsh are given, as well as what their actual names are. The fact that they received their nicknames from their teacher Nāfi‘ is also mentioned.

Imām al-Shāṭibī in his Shāṭibiyyah states the following regarding Nāfi‘ and his two narrators:

َ َ ذ ْ َ ُ ّ ّ ّ َ َ َ َ ذ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ فأما الكرِيم ال ِسِ يف ال ِط ي ِب نافِ ع فذاك اَّلِي اختار المدينة مْنِ ل َ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ُ ذ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ ذ َ َ ذ َ وقالون ِعيَس ثم عثمان ورشه م بِصحبتِهِ المجد الرفِيع تأث ل

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Nāfi‘

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Ubayy

Ibn 'Abbās, Abū Hurayrah, 'Abdullah ibn 'Ayyāsh

Abū Ja'far

Nāfi'

Qālūn Warsh

The Second Reader

7 Ibn Kathīr, the Makk’n Follower, was Acclaimed To him, ‘Abdullāh, are his narrators chained

8 The first one that you’ll see is Ahmaḍ Bazzī Then Muhammaḍ known as Qunbul you’ll agree

The second Reader is ‘Abdullāh ibn Kathīr. He was born in 45 A.H. and passed away in 120 A.H. The phrase “the Makk’n Follower” in the poem, indicates that he was from Makkah – having been born there – and that he was a Tābi‘ī. He was a proficient and acclaimed reciter and became the Imām of the people of Makkah in Qirā’āt. He was from among the Tābi‘ūn, as he met ʿAbdullah ibn Zubayr H, Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārị̄ H and Anas ibn Mālik H.

Imām al-Shāṭibī describes Ibn Kathīr as being “exalted above many people”. I have conveyed a similar sentiment by describing him as “acclaimed”.

For most of the Ten Readers, their Narrators are their direct students who learnt from them, as was seen in the case of Nāfi‘. However, for others, there are intermediaries between themselves and their Narrators. There could be one intermediary or even more than one. This latter situation is the case with Ibn Kathīr: his narrators are not his direct students, but are instead connected to him via a chain of narration. This is alluded to in the poem in the phrase “To him, ‘Abdullāh, are his narrators chained”. The chain of narration is represented in the diagram below:

Reader Ibn Kathīr

Intermediary Intermediary

Intermediary

Narrator al-Bazzī Qunbul

The first Narrator from Ibn Kathīr is al-Bazzī.14 His name is Ahmaḍ ibn Muhammaḍ . He was born in 170 A.H. and passed away in 250 A.H. The ascription al-Bazzī links him to his great-great-great-grandfather, who was called Abū Bazzah. He became the teacher of the Qur’ān in Makkah and was the mu’adh-dhin of the Ḥaram for forty years. The hadītḥ about the takbīr from Sūrah al-Dụ hạ̄ is transmitted through him.

The second Narrator from Ibn Kathīr is Qunbul. His actual name is Muhammaḍ ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān.̣ He was born in 195 A.H. and passed away in 291 A.H. He was known as Qunbul because he was famous for using a certain medication on animals named Qunaybil. It was later shortened to Qunbul. Others opine that he was named Qunbul since he came from the tribe al-Qanābilah.

Besides teaching the Qur’an, he was also part of the police force of Makkah due to his justness and superior character. During his leadership of the police force, the people of Makkah lived in peace and harmony.

Imām al-Shāṭibī in his Shāṭibiyyah states the following regarding Ibn Kathīr and his two narrators:

َ َ ذ ُ َ ْ ُ َ ُ َ ُ ُ ُ َ ُ ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ومكة عبد اهللِ فِيها مقامه هو ابن كثِ ٍري اكثِر القو ِم معت ل َ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ّ ْ َ ُ َ ُ َ ذ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ ذ ُ ُ ْ ُ َ روى أْحد البِي َل وُمم د َع سن ٍد وهو الملقب قنب ل

14 The lām al-ta‘rīf has been omitted in the poem itself in order to preserve the rhythm and metre of the poem.

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Ibn Kathīr

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibr īl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Ubayy

'Abdullah ibn al-Sā'ib

Ibn Kathīr

Isma'īl ibn 'Abdullah Qustuntīn

'Ikrimah ibn Sulaymān Wahb ibn Wādih

al-Bazzī Ahmad ibn 'Alqamah

Qunbul

The Third Reader

9 Abū ‘Amr from Basrạ h was Ibnul ‘Alā He poured his knowledge on Yazīdī Yahyạ̄

10 Who in turn taught Haf̣ s,̣ the one known as Dūrī As well as Sālị h,̣ who is Sūsī you see

The third Reader is commonly known by his kunyah, Abū ‘Amr. There are more than twenty opinions regarding what his actual name is, with the most accepted view being that it is Zabbān. According to this view, his name is thus Zabbān ibn al-‘Alā’.15 Another view is that his kunyah, Abū ‘Amr, is actually his name. Due to the confusion surrounding his real name, I have not mentioned it in the poem itself, as was done for all the other Readers and Narrators. In place of his name, the name of his father is mentioned. Imām al-Shāṭibī does the same in the Shāṭibiyyah.

He was born in 68 A.H. and passed away in 154 A.H. He was born in Makkah, raised in Basraḥ , and passed away in Kūfah. He was the Imām of the people of Basraḥ in Qirā’āt during his time. Besides being proficient in recitation, he was also an expert in grammar, poetry, history and Islamic law. Many of the scholars of his time stated that they never met anyone with more knowledge than him. His knowledge was so great that he surpassed many of his teachers, who would later come to study the Qur’an by him. Due to his vast knowledge, the people of Basraḥ would boast about him to others.

Unlike most of the other Readers who were primarily based in just one city, he travelled in search of knowledge and read to teachers from Makkah, Madīnah and Kufah, in addition to his teachers from Basraḥ . Amongst all of the Ten Qurrā’, there is thus no one else who had more teachers than Abū ‘Amr.

with a hamzah at the end. The apostrophe that represents the ,(العَ ََلء) Note that his father’s name is 15 hamzah in the transliteration has been omitted from the text of the poem in order to maintain the rhyme.

As was the case with Nāfi‘, there is difference of opinion among the scholars with regard to whether Abū ‘Amr is a Tābi‘ī or not. Due to this, it has not been mentioned in the primary text itself, but rather in an alternate version of the line which reads:

Abū ‘Amr from Basraḥ was a Tābi‘ī

He poured his knowledge on Yahyạ̄ Yazīdī

Abū ‘Amr had many students, including the likes of the great luminary, ‘Abdullah ibn Mubārak, as well as the famous grammarian, Sībawayh. However, the student through which his chain of transmission passes is Yahỵ ā al-Yazīdī. His name has been mentioned in the poem as “Yazīdī Yahỵ ā” simply to maintain the rhyme-scheme. However, in the alternate version of the line it is given in the normal way of “Yahyạ̄ Yazīdī”. In both readings, the lām al-ta‘rīf has been omitted so as not to break the poetic metre.

Yahyạ̄ al-Yazīdī is the one who taught the two Narrators of Abū ‘Amr: al-Dūrī and al- Sūsī. Thus as was the case with Ibn Kathīr, the Narrators of Abū ‘Amr are not his direct students. However, here there is only one intermediary between the Reader and his narrators and not an entire chain. This is depicted in the diagram below:

Reader Abū 'Amr

Intermediary Yahyā al-Yazīdī

Narrator al-Dūrī al-Sūsī

The first Narrator from Abū ‘Amr is al-Dūrī. His actual name is Haf̣ s ̣ ibn ‘Umar.16 His kunyah is Abū ‘Umar. He is known as al-Dūrī as he hailed from a place called al-Dūr in eastern Baghdād. He was born in 150 A.H. and passed away in 246 A.H. Like Abū ‘Amr, he also travelled in search of knowledge and thus read to many teachers, including many of the Ten Readers or their students. He is regarded as the first to collect various Qirā’āt in a book.

The second Narrator from Abū ‘Amr is al-Sūsī. His actual name is Sālị h ̣ ibn Ziyād. His kunyah is Abū Shu‘ayb. He is known as al-Sūsī and this ascription links him to al-Sūs, a town in al-Ahwāz. He was born in 171 A.H. and passed away in 261 A.H.

Imām al-Shāṭibī in his Shāṭibiyyah states the following regarding Abū ‘Amr and his two narrators:

َ َ َ ذ ْ َ ُ َ ي َ ُ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ْ َ ْ ْ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ وأما اإلما م المازِ ِن َصِيحه م أبو عم ٍرو اْلْصِ ي فوا ِِله الع ل َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ّ َ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ ْ ُ َ ُ َ ذ َ أفاض َع َي ي الَيِي ِد ِي سيبه فأصب ح بِالعذ ِب الفرا ِت معل ل َ َ ُ ُ َ َ ي َ َ ُ ُ ْ ُ ُ َ ْ ُ َ ي ي َ ْ ُ َ َ ذ َ أبو عم ر اِلورِ ي وصا ِِلهم أب و شعي ٍب هو السو ِ س عنه تقب ل

16 There are thus two Narrators who have this name, as the Narrator of ‘Asiṃ is also called Haf̣ s.̣ However, only one of them is known by his name.

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Abū ‘Amr

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

'Umar, Ubayy, Zayd ibn Thābit

Abū al-'Āliyah al-Rayāhī

Hasan al-Basrī

Abū 'Amr

Yahyā al-Yazīdī

al-Dūrī al-Sūsī

The Fourth Reader

11 For ‘Abdullāh, blessed Shām was his abode He was Ibn ‘Āmir, the Follower of old

12 The first linked to him is the one called Hishām And then ‘Abdullāh who is traced to Dhakwān

The fourth Reader is ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Āmir. His kunyah is Abū ‘Imrān. He was born in 8 A.H. and passed away on the Day of ‘Āshūrā’ in 118 A.H. He lived in Damascus in Shām and was the Imam of its people in Qirā’ah. He also held the position of being the Qādị̄ (judge) of Damascus.

The phrase in the poem “the Follower of old” indicates not only that he was from among the Tābi‘ūn, but also that he was from the earliest of them. He himself states that he was actually born during the lifetime of Rasūlullah C, and that he was two years old when the Prophet C passed away. Thus out of the Ten Qurrā’, he is the earliest of all of them who are Tābi‘ūn. Not only did he meet the Ṣahābaḥ J, but he also recited the Qur’an to some of them. Thus his chain of narration passes through the Sạ hābị̄ H, Abū al-Dardā’ H. In this chain, there is only one individual between him and the Prophet C, causing him to have the shortest chain between himself and the Prophet C, out of all the Ten Qurrā’.

As was the case with Ibn Kathīr, the Narrators of Ibn ‘Āmir are linked to him via a chain of narration. This is alluded to in the poem by the phrase “linked to him”. For both Narrators, there are two individuals between themselves and Ibn ‘Āmir.

The first Narrator from Ibn ‘Āmir is Hishām ibn ‘Ammār. His kunyah is Abū al-Walīd. He was born in 153 A.H. and passed away in 245 A.H. He studied many sciences and mastered them, in addition to his proficiency in Qirā’ah. Many muhaddithūṇ relate ahādītḥ from him, including Imām al-Bukhārī. Besides teaching Qur’an and hadītḥ , he was also the muftī and khatīḅ of Damascus.

The second Narrator from Ibn ‘Āmir is Ibn Dhakwān. His full name is ‘Abdullāh ibn Ahmaḍ ibn Bishr17 ibn Dhakwān. Thus when he is referred to as “Ibn Dhakwān”, it does not means that his father’s name was Dhakwān, as one might assume. Instead, it links him to his great-grandfather whose name was Dhakwān. This is alluded to in the poem by the phrase “‘Abdullāh who is traced to Dhakwān”, i.e. his lineage can be traced back to Dhakwān. Imām al-Shaṭibī mentions something similar in his poem. His kunyah is Abū ‘Amr or Abū Muhammaḍ . He was born in 173 A.H. and passed away in 242 A.H.

He was the Shaikhul Iqrā’ and Imām of the central masjid in Damascus. Ibn Dhakwān and Hishām were compatriots. It is said that Hishām would give the Jumu‘ah khutbaḥ while Ibn Dhakwān would lead the salaḥ .

Imām al-Shāṭibī in his Shāṭibiyyah states the following regarding Ibn ‘Āmir and his two narrators:

َ َ ذ َ ْ ُ ذ َ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ َ ذ َ وأما دِمشق الشا ِم دار اب ِن َعمِ ٍر فتلِك بِعب ِد اهللِ طابت ُمل ل َ َ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ َ َ ذ َ هِشام وعب د اهللِ وهو انتِساب ه َِّلكوا ن بِا ِإلسنادِ عنه تنق ل

17 Or Bashīr.

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Ibn ‘Āmir

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Abū al-Dardā'

Ibn 'Amir

Yahyā ibn al-Hārith al-Dhimārī

'Irāk ibn Khālid Ayyūb ibn Tamīm

Hishām Ibn Dhakwān

The Readers from Kūfah

13 In the great city of Kūfah, there were three Gifting their knowledge like a fruit-giving tree

Thus far, each of the four Imams discussed hailed from different cities: Madīnah, Makkah, Basrah,̣ and Damascus. The next three however, are all from the same city: Kūfah. Each one of them, due to their efforts in imparting the knowledge they had, is likened to a fruit-giving tree. Just as food is nourishment to the body, so is knowledge nourishment to the soul.

Imām al-Shāṭibī uses a different metaphor: he compares their spreading of knowledge to the diffusion of the sweet aroma of musk and cloves. He says:

َ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ذ ْ ُ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ وبِالكوفةِ الغرا ِء مِنهم ثلت ة أذاعو ا فق د ضاع ت شذ ا وقرنف ل

The Fifth Reader

14 From the Follower who as ‘Āsiṃ was known Learnt Shu‘bah then Haf̣ s ̣ like a son of his own

The fifth Reader is ‘Āsiṃ ibn Bahdalah or ‘Āsiṃ ibn Abū al-Najūd.18 His kunyah is Abū Bakr. He passed away in 127 A.H.

He became the Shaikhul Qurrā’ of Kūfah after his teacher, Abū ‘Abd al-Rahmāṇ al- Sulamī, passed away. He had a beautiful voice and the people of Kūfah loved to listen to his recitation. He was also extremely eloquent in his speech. He was from the Tābi‘ūn, as is mentioned in the poem. However, he did not recite the Qur’an to the Sạ hābaḥ J, as Ibn ‘Āmir did. ‘Āsiṃ was blind.

18 His father’s name was Bahdalah and his kunyah was Abū al-Najūd. Some say that Bahdalah was the name of his mother, but al-Dhahabī rejects this. See See Tabaqāṭ al-Qurrā’, pg. 75.

The first Narrator from ‘Āsiṃ is Shu‘bah ibn ‘Ayyāsh.19 His kunyah is also Abū Bakr, the same as his teacher. He was born in 95 A.H. and passed away in 193 A.H. He completed the Qur’an three times by ‘Āsiṃ . He was a learned scholar who was strict in following the Sunnah of the Prophet C. It is related that he said on his deathbed that he had completed 18 000 khatms of the Qur’an.

The second Narrator from ‘Āsiṃ is Haf̣ s ̣ ibn Sulaymān. His kunyah is Abū ‘Umar. He was born in 90 A.H. and passed away in 180 A.H. He was the step-son of his teacher, as ‘Āsiṃ married his mother. This is alluded to in the poem by the phrase “like a son of his own”. He was thus able to complete the Qur’an by ‘Āsiṃ many times over, becoming his most accurate transmitter. The recitation of the Qur’an according to the narration of Haf̣ s ̣ from ‘Āsiṃ is the one that is most prevalent across the world today.

The relationship between teacher and student at times is similar to that of the relationship between father and son. Thus by extension the phrase “like a son of his own” could apply to Shu‘bah as well, who stated, “I learnt the Qurʾān from ‘Āṣim like a child would learn from his master.”

Imām al-Shāṭibī in his Shāṭibiyyah states the following regarding ‘Āsiṃ and his two narrators:

َ َ َ َ ذ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ُ َ ُ َ ّ ُ ْ َ َ فأما أبو بك ٍر وَع ِصم اسمه فشعبة راوِيهِ المبِز أفض ل َ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ ذ ُ َ ْ ّ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ْ َ َ ُ ذ َ وذاك ابن عيا ٍش أبو بك ٍر الرِض ا وحفص وبِاإلتقا ِن اكن مفض ل

19 There are many different opinions as to what his name is, but Shu‘bah is the one that is most accepted.

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of ‘Āsiṃ

Allah Allah 'azza wa jall 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Ibn Mas'ūd 'Alī

Zirr ibn Hubaysh Abū 'Abd al-Rahmān al-Sulamī

'Āsim 'Āsim

Shu'bah Hafs

The diagrams here have been represented separately for each of the Narrators, as ‘Āsiṃ himself relates that what he taught Haf̣ s ̣ was what he read to Abū ‘Abd al-Rahmāṇ al-Sulamī according to what he read to ‘Alī H; and that what he taught Shu‘bah was what he read to Zirr ibn Hubaysḥ according to what he read to Ibn Mas‘ūd H.

The Sixth Reader

15 As for Hamzaḥ az-Zayyāt, how pure was he! Patiently reading the Book that’s him you see

16 He precisely taught him whose name was Sulaym And Khalaf and Khallād then after him came

The sixth Reader is Hamzaḥ ibn Habīḅ al-Zayyāt. His kunyah is Abū ‘Umārah. He was born in 80 A.H. and passed away in 156 A.H. He is called al-Zayyāt as he used to import zayt (oil) from ‘Irāq to Hulwān.̣

He became the Shaikh al-Qurrā’ in Kūfah after ‘Āṣim and al-A‘mash, who was one of his teachers. He was an ascetic, a person of great piety and extremely learned concerning the Qur’ān. He would constantly be seen engaged in the recitation of the Qur’an, to such an extent that it is said that he would complete 20 or 29 khatms every month. This patience and forbearance he had for reciting the Qur’an is alluded to in the poem: “Patiently reading the Book that’s him you see.”

The phrase “that’s him you see” may either be read as a rhetorical question or as statement.

One of Hamzaḥ ’s students was Sulaym ibn ‘Īsā. He is the one who taught the two Narrators of Hamzaḥ : Khalaf and Khallād. Thus as was the case with Abū ‘Amr, there is one intermediary between Hamzaḥ and his Narrators. This is depicted below:

Reader Hamzah

Intermediary Sulaym

Narrator Khalaf Khallād

Imām Shāṭibī states that Sulaym accurately transmitted that which he learned from Hamzah.̣ I have phrased it the other way around by stating that Hamzaḥ precisely taught Sulaym, as the brilliance of the student is due to the skill and precision of his teacher.

The first Narrator from Hamzaḥ is Khalaf ibn Hishām al-Bazzār. His kunyah is Abū Muhammad.̣ He was born in 150 A.H. and passed away in 229 A.H. He memorised the Qur’an by the age of ten and started teaching it at the age of thirteen. He was a great scholar and was regarded as the most learned person in Kūfah. He was also known for his piety and for his strict adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet C. Although regarded as the Narrator of Hamzah,̣ he in fact transmits the Qirā’āt of all the Seven Qurrā’.

The second Narrator from Hamzaḥ is Khallād ibn Khālid. His kunyah is Abū ‘Īsā. He was born in 119 A.H. and passed away in 220 A.H. He is regarded as one of the most outstanding and accurate students of Sulaym. He was known for his piety and spent his life in service of the Qur’an.

Imām al-Shāṭibī states the following regarding Hamzaḥ and his two narrators:

َ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ّ َ َ ُ ُ َ ُ َ ّ َ وْحزة ما أزاكه مِن متورِ ٍ ع إِمام ا صبور ا لِلقر ا ِن مرتِل َ َ َ ْ َ ذ ذ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ َر َوى خلف عن ُه َوخل د اَّلِ ي َر َوا ُه ُسل ْي م ُمتق ن ا َوُم ذص ل

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Hamzaḥ

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Ibn Mas'ūd

Abū 'Abd al-Rahmān al-Sulamī, al-Aswad, 'Alqamah

Abu Ishāq al-Sabī'ī

Hamzah

Sulaym

Khalaf Khallād

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Hamzaḥ via the Ahlul Bayt

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

'Alī

Husayn ibn 'Alī

'Alī ibn Husayn Zaynul 'Ābidīn

Muhammad al-Bāqir

Ja'far al-Sādiq

Hamzah

Sulaym

Khalaf Khallād

The Seventh Reader

17 The next is ‘Alī, who was called Kisā’ī For him in ihrāṃ in a shawl you would see

18 He taught Abul Hāritḥ who as Layth was named And also Dūrī who before this was placed

The seventh Reader is ‘Alī ibn Hamzaḥ . His kunyah is Abū al-Hasan.̣ He was born in approximately 120 A.H. and passed away in 189 A.H. He is famously known as al- Kisā’ī, which means one who wears a shawl or cloak. He was called this due to the fact that he would wear a shawl as his ihrāṃ . This is mentioned in the poem itself. Imām al-Shāṭibī also relates this in his poem.

He became the Imām of Qirā’āt in Kūfah after his teacher Hamzaḥ , to whom he read the Qur’an four times. Besides his proficiency in Qirā’ah, he was also an expert in Arabic, having studied under the famous grammarian, Khalīl ibn Ahmạ d al-Farāhīdī. He would spend time in the desert with the Bedouins in order to learn their expressions and word usages. The khalīfah of his time, Hārūn al-Rashīd, would choose only the best person in each field to accompany him, and he chose al-Kisā’ī in the field of the Qur’an.

The first Narrator from al-Kisā’ī is al-Layth ibn Khālid. He is better known by his kunyah, Abū al-Hārith.̣ He passed away in 240 A.H. He spent many years studying with al-Kisā’ī and thus became one of his most prominent students. Like his teacher, he was also an expert in the Arabic language.

The second Narrator from al-Kisā’ī is al-Dūrī. He is the same al-Dūrī who was the Narrator of Abū ‘Amr. This is what is meant by the phrase in the poem, “who before this was placed”. To differentiate between him when he is the Narrator for Abū ‘Amr as compared to when he is the Narrator for al-Kisā’ī, the terms Dūrī-Basrị̄ and Dūrī- Kisā’ī are used respectively.

Imām al-Shatibī states the following regarding al-Kisā’ī and his two narrators:

َ َ ذ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ وأما ِ ٌَّع فال ِكسائِ يي نعته لِما اكن ِيف ا ِإلحرا ِم فِيهِ تسبل َ َ َ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ ّ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ ي ْ َ ّ ْ َ ْ َ َ روى َلثهم عنه أبو اِلارِ ِث الرِض ا وحفص هو اِلورِي و ِف ا َِّلكرِ قد خل

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of al-Kisā’ī

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

'Alī

'Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Laylah

'Īsā ibn 'Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Laylah

Muhammad 'Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Laylah

al-Kisā'ī

Abū al-Hārith al-Dūrī

The Eighth Reader

19 ‘Nother from Madīnah was he named Yazīd Abū Ja‘far was a Follower indeed

20 He taught ‘Īsā who was known as Ibn Wardān

And he taught Ibn Jammāz who was Sulaymān

There are only seven Readers mentioned in the Shāṭibiyyah. They are the ones whose Qirā’āt are studied initially. Thereafter the remaining three Qirā’āt are studied, via the Durrah of Imām Ibn al-Jazarī. To indicate that these three Qurrā’ come after the initial seven, the phrase “‘Nother from” is used to introduce each one of them. The word “‘Nother” in the poem should be read with just two syllables in order to maintain the poetic metre.

The eighth Reader is Yazīd ibn al-Qa‘qā‘. He is more commonly known by his kunyah, Abū Ja‘far. He passed away in 130 A.H. It is not mentioned when exactly he was born, but he is from the earliest of all the Qurrā’. It is related that he was taken to Umm Salamah K as a child, and she then rubbed his head and made du‘ā’ for him for barakah. It is also related that he performed saḷ āh with Ibn ‘Umar H. He is thus regarded as one of the great Tābi‘ūn. This is mentioned in the poem in the line: “Abū Ja‘far was a Follower indeed.”

The phrase “was a Follower indeed” may also be read as “was a Follower in deed”. This reading gives an understanding of what it means to be a Follower: they were those who followed the Sạ hābaḥ J who came before them in performing righteous deeds. Two deeds in particular stand out with regard to Abū Ja‘far: fasting and qiyām. It is related that he used to keep the fast of Nabī Dāwūd I, i.e. he would fast every alternate day. It is also related that he would habitually perform eight raka‘āt of tahajjud, in which he would recite from the lengthy sūrahs of the Qur’an.

He was the Imām of the people of Madīnah in Qirā’ah. He used to teach in the masjid of Rasūlullah C, and was given the title “al-Qāri’”. Although he comes after Nāfi‘ in the sequence of studying the Qirā’āt, as can be inferred from the above, he actually pre-dates him and is in fact one of his greatest teachers. Not only did he meet the Sạ hābaḥ J, but he also recited the Qur’an to them, having read to both Ibn ‘Abbās H and Abū Hurayrah H. These two Sạ hābaḥ J however, did not recite directly to the Prophet C, but instead read to Ubayy H who read to the Prophet C. Thus unlike the other early Tābi‘ī among the Qurrā’, Ibn ‘Āmir, who had just one link between himself and the Prophet C, Abū Ja‘far instead has two. There are reports stating that he read to Zayd ibn Thābit H as well – in which case he would also have just one link between himself and the Prophet C – but this is not considered as being authentic according to al-Dhahabī.20

The first Narrator from Abū Ja‘far is ‘Īsā ibn Wardān. His kunyah is Abū al-Hāritḥ . He passed away in approximately 160 A.H. He was one of the leading teachers of Qur’ān in Madīnah. Besides reading to Abū Ja‘far, he also read to Nāfi‘ and is regarded as one of his outstanding students. Qālūn is one of his students.

The second Narrator from Abū Ja‘far is Sulaymān ibn Muslim ibn Jammāz. As was the case with Ibn Dhakwān, from this it can be seen that when he is referred to as “Ibn Jammāz”, it does not mean that he was the son of Jammāz. Instead, Jammāz is his grandfather. His kunyah is Abū al-Rabī‘. He passed away after 170 A.H. Like Ibn Wardān, he too was a student of both Abū Ja‘far and of Nāfi‘.

Imām Ibn al-Jazarī states the following regarding Abū Ja‘far and his two narrators:

َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ َ ذ ُ َ ْ َ ُ ُ ْ ُ َ أبو جعف ٍر عنه ابن وردان ناقِ ل كذاك ابن َجا ٍز سليمان ذو الع ل

20 See Tabaqāṭ al-Qurrā’, pg. 49.

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Abū Ja‘far

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Ubayy

Ibn 'Abbās, Abū Hurayrah, 'Abdullah ibn 'Ayyāsh

Abū Ja'far

Ibn Wardān Ibn Jammāz

The Ninth Reader

21 ‘Nother from Basraḥ was Ya‘qūb Hadramị̄ Muhammaḍ called Ruways and Rawh ̣ learned from he

The ninth Reader is Ya‘qūb ibn Ishāq̣ al-Hạ dramị̄ . His kunyah is Abū Muhammad.̣ He is called al-Hạ dramị̄ not because he was born in Hạ dramawṭ but because he is linked “wilā’an” to that area, i.e. as a client or trading partner. He passed away in 205 A.H. He read to a student of Abū ‘Amr, while some are of the view that he actually read to Abū ‘Amr himself. The people of Basraḥ recited his Qirā’ah after the demise of Abū ‘Amr. He was considered as being the most learned of his era in the Qur’ān and grammar, as well as the most knowledgeable regarding the reasonings behind the various Qirā’āt.

The first Narrator from Ya‘qūb is Ruways. His actual name is Muhammaḍ ibn al- Mutawakkil. His kunyah is Abū ‘Abdullah. He passed away in 238 A.H. He is regarded as one of Ya‘qūb’s most precise students, having recited many khatms to him.

The second Narrator from Ya‘qūb is Rawh ̣ ibn ‘Abd al-Mu’min. His kunyah is Abū al-Hasan.̣ He passed away in 235 A.H. He read to Ya‘qūb and is one of his most outstanding students, while also having read to many of the students of Abū ‘Amr.

Imām Ibn al-Jazarī states the following regarding Ya‘qūb and his two narrators:

َ َ ْ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ ويعقوب قل عنه و رويس وروحهم

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Ya‘qūb

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Abū Mūsā al-Ash'arī

Abū Rajā' al-'Utaridī

Abū al-Ash-hab

Ya‘qūb

Ruways Rawh

The Tenth Reader

22 ‘Nother from great Kūfah, Khalaf comes again But now as a Reader who has his own chain

23 He is the tenth and thus is called al-‘Āshir Ishāq̣ and Idrīs learnt from this great māhir

The tenth Reader is Khalaf, who is the same person as the Narrator of Hamzaḥ mentioned previously. To differentiate him as being a Reader, he is referred to as Khalaf al-‘Āshir, as he is the Tenth one in the sequence of the Readers. He is described in the poem as a “māhir”, which means “an expert”. The Arabic term was used instead of the English simply to maintain the rhyme of the poem.

The phrase “who has his own chain” indicates towards the different position he occupies in the chain of narration when regarded as a Reader. Previously it was shown that he was a Narrator who linked up with his teacher above him, Hamzah.̣ But now he occupies the same position in the chain of narration as Hamzaḥ does, with students of his own below him who link up with him. This difference is represented in the diagrams below:

Reader Hamzah Reader Khalaf

Intermediary Sulaym Narrator Idrīs Ishāq

Narrator Khalaf Khallād

The phrase “who has his own chain” may also be read as “who has his own aim”. This alternate version gives an indication as to what it is that actually differentiates Khalaf the Narrator from Khalaf the Reader. As a Narrator, he simply accurately transmits the reading of his teacher exactly as he received it, without any alteration. As a Reader on the other hand, he has his own aim in mind in terms of giving preference to a particular manner of reading out of all of the various applications that he learned. For example, with regard to madd muttasiḷ and munfasiḷ , Hamzaḥ only applies tụ̄ l – and this is what Khalaf the Narrator transmits from him. As a Reader though, Khalaf gives preference to reading with tawassut ̣ instead in his own Qirā’ah. This is why his applications in his own Qirā’ah are at times referred to as “Khalaf fī ikhtiyārihī”, meaning, “Khalaf in his preference”.

The first Narrator from Khalaf is Ishāq̣ ibn Ibrāhīm al-Warrāq.21 His kunyah is Abū Ya‘qūb. He passed away in 286 A.H. He read the Qirā’ah of Khalaf and taught it after the demise of his teacher.

The second Narrator from Khalaf is Idrīs ibn ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Haddād.̣ 22 His kunyah is Abū al-Hasan.̣ He passed away in 292 A.H. He was one of the leading Qur’ān teachers of his time, extremely exact in what he taught. He was reliable and trustworthy.

An alternate version of line 23 of the poem is:

He taught the next two whilst known as al-Bazzār:

Ishāq̣ al-Warrāq and Idrīs al-Hadḍ ād

This version gives not only the names of the Reader and his Narrators, but their ascriptions as well. Khalaf is known as al-Bazzār, but disliked that people should call him that and preferred to be called “al-Muqri’” instead.

21 The biographical sources I checked do not mention why he is called “al-Warrāq”, but one of the meanings of this word is “one who copies manuscripts”. Perhaps this was his profession or he was known for engaging in this. Allah knows best. 22 The biographical sources I checked do not mention why he is called “al-Haddād”,̣ but the meaning of this word is “a blacksmith”. Perhaps this was his profession. Allah knows best.

Imām Ibn al-Jazarī states the following regarding Abū Ja‘far and his two narrators:

ْ َ ُ َ ْ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ِإَوسحاق مع إِدرِيس عن خل ٍف ت ل

Sanad for the Qirā’ah of Khalaf

Allah 'azza wa jall

Jibrīl 'alayhis salaam

The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

Ibn Mas'ūd

Abū 'Abd al-Rahmān al-Sulamī, al-Aswad, 'Alqamah

Abu Ishāq al-Sabī'ī

Hamzah

Sulaym, al-Kisā'ī

Khalaf

Ishāq Idrīs

Khalaf in his ikhtiyār relates predominantly from Ḥamzah via Sulaym. In the places where he differs with Ḥamzah, then he relates from al-Kisā’ī. There is only one place in the Qur’an where he differs with both Ḥamzah and al-Kisā’ī.

The Metaphor of the Readers and Narrators

24 So these are the names presented before you Of Readers like Full Moons, what a lovely view!

25 Their Narrators are like Stars shining brightly Dispelling all darkness so that we can see

The Readers are compared to full moons, and the Narrators are compared to stars. In Islam, light represents guidance while darkness represents misguidance. The Readers and Narrators are a source of guidance for us, as it is through their efforts that we are able to know the correct manner of reciting the Qur’an.

The metaphor used here is the same as the one employed by Imām al-Shāṭibī in his poem. He says:

ِ ِ فممنْ ُهْم بُُدوٌر مسبْ عمةٌ قمْد تم مو َّسطم ْت مَسماءم الْعُلمى واملْعم ْدل ُزْه را موُكَّممل

مَلما ُشُه ٌب عمنْ مها اُ ْستم نمامر ْت فم نم َّومر ْت مسموامد الُّد مجى محَّ ّت مت مفَّرق مواْْنمم ل

26 They spent all their lives in teaching the Qur’an Seeking no recompense from any of Insān

The Readers and Narrators, spent years upon years in teaching the correct recitation of the Qur’an, without desiring any form of recompense for doing so. They spent of themselves, and did not ever seek to be spent upon. This was especially true of Hamzah.̣ Once someone who had completed a khatm by him sent him a thousand dirhams, but he refused to accept it. On another occasion, he did not drink from water that was brought to him, as it was brought to him by one of his students.

These type of incidents indicate not only to the zuhd (asceticism) of the Readers, but are indicative of their ikhlās ̣ (sincerity) as well. Everything they did with regard to service of the Qur’an was done solely for the sake of Allah N. Perhaps it is this sincerity that they had which was the cause for their Qirā’āt to be those which have been preserved up until this very day.

Imām al-Shāṭibī alludes to this as well, stating that they were chosen as being the Qurrā’ by the scholars who came after them, due not only to their brilliance in their field of expertise, but also because they did not use the Qur’an as a means of seeking their livelihood. He says:

ِِ ِ مَتمََّّيمُهْم ن َُّقاُد ُهْم ُك َّل مَبِر ع مولميْ مس عملمى ق ُ ْرآنه ُمتمأم كم ل

Concluding Supplication

27 May Allah be pleased with them eternally May we follow their way with sincerity

The last four lines conclude the poem with a du‘ā’. The first thing requested is that Allah’s good pleasure be showered upon the Readers and Narrators for all that they have done for us; and secondly that we be inspired by their efforts to follow in their way, and do so with the same sincerity that they had. We should strive to emulate them so that we might reach the same heights that they did, and should do so not for fame or worldly gain but sincerely for the pleasure of Allah N.

28 May we all be told to recite and ascend! And may we then read and read without any end

29 ‘Til we are joined with beloved Musṭ afạ̄ In the highest ranks of Firdaws al-A‘lā

The first half of the previous line was an invocation for those who came before us, while the second part was prayer for ourselves. The word “all” in this line indicates that now the supplication is being made for both them and us. The du‘ā’ being made here is in reference to a hadītḥ in which ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet C said, “The Companion of the Qur’ān will be told, ‘Recite and ascend (the levels of Jannah)! Recite slowly and leisurely as you used to do in the dunyā, for indeed, your level [in Jannah] will be in accordance with the last āyah that you recite.’” (Sunan Tirmidhī: 2 857.23)

It is mentioned that the levels of Jannah are equivalent to the number of verses in the Qur’an. Thus the one who will be able to recite the entire Qur’an will be in the highest level of Jannah. And obviously, this is also the level in which the Prophet C is going to be.

30 May we hear the Book read by him, peace on he And by the Lord Himself, all praise be to He

The Prophet C is Imām al-Mujawwidīn wa al-Muqri’īn, the Leader of all those who recite and teach the Qur’an. The best recitation of the Qur’an was thus his recitation. The Sạ hābaḥ J were fortunate enough to have been blessed to hear that recitation in this world, while we were not. Although there are no aḥādīth that I am aware of which state that we will hear the Prophet C recite in the Hereafter, there are reports that indicate that some people will be with him in Jannah. Thus the possibility exists that we could hear him recite in Jannah, and this line is a du‘ā’ that we be granted that great fortune in the Hereafter.

23 Imām Tirmidhī graded it as hasaṇ sạ hị̄ h.̣

There are aḥādīth, although weak ones, which state that the People of Jannah will hear Allah N recite the Qur’an. One such narration is that ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah relates, “Indeed, the People of Jannah will each day enter twice upon al-Jabbār ta‘ālā, and He will then recite the Qur’an upon them.” (Ṣifah al-Jannah of Abū Nu‘aym)

Based on this and other narrations, Ibn al-Qayyim in Ḥādī al-Arwāḥ states that there will be no pleasure in Jannah greater than looking at the Countenance of our Lord, and listening to His Speech from Him. This line of the poem is thus a supplication that we be granted that greatest of all pleasures in Jannah.

Besides being a continuation of the du‘ā’ of the previous lines, this final line also concludes the poem with salutations upon the Prophet C and with praise to Allah N, as is customary.



This poem was written in Cape Town on the 20th June 2021, and the commentary on it was completed in Durban on the 11th July. May Allah N confer upon it the robe of acceptance and make it a means of benefit, āmīn.

Bibliography

Al-Azharī, Muhammaḍ ibn Rashād: Tarājim al-Qurrā’ al-‘Asharah A’immah al-Amṣār. Markaz al-Imām Ibn al-Jazarī, Kuwait, 1st print, 2013,

Al-Dhahabī, Muhammaḍ ibn Aḥmad: Ṭabaqāt al-Qurrā’. 1st print, 1997.

Gaibie, Muhammaḍ Saleem: Narratives on the Seven Great Readers. Al-Tanzil Institute, Cape Town, 1st print, 2017.

Ibn al-Jazarī, Muhammaḍ ibn Muhammaḍ : Ghāyah al-Nihāyah fī Ṭabaqāt al-Qurrā’. Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Lebanon, 1st print, 2006.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِكَ شَيْئًا نَعْلَمُهُ

وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا نَعْلَمُ

“Oh Allah! Indeed, we seek Your protection from knowingly associating anything with You, and we seek Your forgiveness for what we are unaware of.”

(Musnad Ahmaḍ )