In the name of Allah the Most Gracious and Most Merciful.
Advocates for Qira’ah bil Ma’na (QBM) or the Divine Permission model try to appeal to the statements of Al-Ṭaḥāwī and their elevation of him as a key figure for their position. In light of this, I have decided to dedicate an article to expand upon what I previously discussed in another article, detailing the stances of scholars in regards to the seven aḥruf. The reason for their choice of Al-Ṭaḥāwī is his extensive discussion of the meaning of the seven aḥruf, in contrast to some of his predecessors, many of whom offered only a line or two on the matter. They also took advantage of the ambiguity in some of his statements, which I will clarify shortly.
What Scholars Understood from Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s Words:
Before delving into Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s statements and clarifying his stance on the seven ahruf, I will briefly summarize the views of early and later scholars regarding his position.
Al-Qurṭubī said:
وقد اختلف العلماء في المراد بالأحرف السبعة على خمسة وثلاثين قولًا ذكرها أبو حاتم محمد بن حبان البستي، نذكر منها في هذا الكتاب خمسة أقوال: الأول وهو الذي عليه أكثر أهل العلم كسفيان بن عيينة وعبد الله بن وهب والطبري والطحاوي وغيرهم: أن المراد سبعة أوجه من المعاني المتقاربة بألفاظ مختلفة، نحو أقبل وتعال وهلم.
“Scholars have differed over the meaning of the seven aḥruf, and there are thirty-five opinions on the matter, as Abū Ḥātim Muḥammad bin Ḥibbān al-Bustī mentioned. In this book, we will mention five of these opinions: the first, which is held by the majority of scholars such as Sufyān bin ʿUyaynah, ʿAbdullāh bin Wahb, Al-Ṭabarī, Al-Ṭaḥāwī, and others, is that the seven aḥruf refer to seven ways of expressing similar meanings with different words, such as aqbil (come), ta‘āl (come), and halumma (come).”[1]
Ibn Kathīr transmitted Al-Qurṭubī’s statement in agreement and added that Al-Ṭaḥāwī held the view that the seven aḥruf are seven dialects.[2]
Al-Zarkashī, when discussing the opinions of scholars on the seven aḥruf, stated:
المراد سبعة أوجه من المعاني المتفقة بالألفاظ المختلفة نحو أقبل وهلم وتعال وعجل وأسرع وأنظر وأخر وأمهل ونحوه وكاللغات التي في أُف ونحو ذلك.
“The intended meaning is seven modes of expressing the same meaning with different words, such as aqbil (come), halumma (come), ta‘āl (come), a‘jil (hurry), asri‘ (hasten), anẓir (wait), akhkhir (delay), amhil (grant time), and similar expressions, as well as dialectal variations in phrases like uf.”
He then attributed this view to Al-Ṭaḥāwī.[3]
I have previously mentioned in another article that earlier scholars who cataloged the opinions of the scholars on the meaning of the seven aḥruf did not include the idea of QBM. This includes scholars like Ibn Ḥibbān, who listed thirty-five opinions, and Ibn al-Jawzī and Al-Suyūṭī. How could all of these scholars overlook Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s position on the seven aḥruf?
The reason this view has been attributed to Al-Ṭaḥāwī—that the seven ahruf refer to closely related expressions with different meanings—is because he explicitly stated it. He said:
وعقلنا بذلك أن السبعة الأحرف التي أعلمهما – يقصد بذلك عمر وهشام بن حكيم بن حزام – أن القرآن نزل بها هي الأحرف التي لا تختلف في أمر، ولا في نهي، ولا في حلال، ولا في حرام، كمثل قول الرجل للرجل: أقبل، وقوله له: تعال، وقوله له: ادن.
“And we understood from this that the seven ahruf taught to ʿUmar and Hishām bin Ḥakīm bin Ḥizām refer to expressions that do not differ in commands, prohibitions, permissible actions, or forbidden actions. For example, one person says to another: Aqbil (come), another says to him: Ta‘āl (come), and another says: Idnu (approach).”[4]
This clear statement, known to scholars, is taken from the section on which proponents of QBM rely. From this, it can be understood that they had access to this statement, yet they did not arrive at the same conclusion as proponents of QBM or the Divine Permission model.
For further information on the similarities between Al-Ṭaḥāwī and the scholars listed above, refer to this article.
The Concession Mentioned by Al-Ṭaḥāwī:
The attribution of the view that Al-Ṭaḥāwī advocated for QBM stems from a passage where he discusses the wisdom behind the revelation of the seven aḥruf. He said:
وكان صلى الله عليه وسلم يقرأ ما ينزل عليه من القرآن باللسان الذي ذكرنا على أهل ذلك اللسان وعلى من سواهم من الناس من أهل الألسن العربية التي تخالف ذلك اللسان وعلى من سواهم ممن ليس من العرب ممن دخل في دينه كسلمان الفارسي، وكمن سواه ممن صحبه وآمن به وصدقه، وكان أهل لسانه أميين لا يكتبون إلا القليل منهم كتابا ضعيفا ، وكان يشق عليهم حفظ ما يقرؤه عليهم بحروفه التي يقرؤه بها عليهم، ولا يتهيأ لهم كتاب ذلك وتحفظهم إياه لما عليهم في ذلك من المشقة. وإذا كان أهل لسانه في ذلك كما ذكرنا كان من ليس من أهل لسانه من بعد أخذ ذلك عنه بحروفه أوكد ، وكان عذرهم في ذلك أبسط لأن من كان على لغة من اللغات ثم أراد أن يتحول عنها إلى غيرها من اللغات لم يتهيأ ذلك له إلا بالرياضة الشديدة والمشقة الغليظة، وكانوا يحتاجون إلى حفظ ما قد تلاه عليهم صلى الله عليه وسلم مما أنزله الله عز وجل عليه من القرآن ليقرءوه في صلاتهم، وليعلموا به شرائع دينهم، فوسع عليهم في ذلك أن يتلوه بمعانيه، وإن خالفت ألفاظهم التي يتلونه بها ألفاظ نبيهم صلى الله عليه وسلم التي قرأه بها عليهم، فوسع لهم في ذلك بما ذكرنا.
“The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would recite what was revealed to him of the Qurʾān in the dialect we mentioned, to the people of that dialect as well as to others among the Arabs whose dialects differed from it, and also to non-Arabs who had embraced his religion, such as Salmān Al-Fārisī and others who accompanied him, believed in him, and affirmed him. His people were largely illiterate, with only a few able to write in a weak manner. It was difficult for them to memorize what he recited to them with the exact letters he used, and it was not possible for them to write it down or commit it to memory due to the hardship involved. If this was the case for his people, as we have described, then it would have been even more challenging for those who were not of his dialect to learn it exactly as he recited it. Their excuse was broader, for someone fluent in one language finds it exceedingly difficult to switch to another without extensive effort and considerable hardship. They needed to memorize what the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited to them of what Allah had revealed to him so they could recite it in their prayers and learn the rulings of their religion through it. Thus, they were given leniency in reciting it according to its meanings, even if their words differed from those of their Prophet, peace be upon him, and he granted them this concession based on what we have mentioned.”[5]
This passage has been the foundation for attributing to Al-Ṭaḥāwī the view that replacing the revelation with synonyms that are not heard from the Prophet peace be upon him is permissible.
This is the text that advocates of this theory have circulated, interpreting it to mean that the differences in recitations are permissible even when they differ in meaning. However, Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s words do not support this interpretation; rather, they remain within the context of different dialects. The hardship he refers to is: “For someone fluent in one language finds it exceedingly difficult to switch to another without extensive effort and considerable hardship.” Anyone with even a basic understanding of the differences among the Qurʾānic recitations knows that variations in meaning number in the hundreds, and these differences have nothing to do with what Al-Ṭaḥāwī mentioned here.
It is unreasonable to suggest that the word malik (king) was difficult for a reciter, so they were given a concession to recite mālik (owner), or that a person could not read wajaʿalū al-malāʾikata allaḏīna hum ʿibādu al-Raḥmān (and they made the angels, who are the servants of the Most Merciful) as in the Ḥafṣ recitation, so they were given leniency to recite ʿinda al-Raḥmān (those near the Most Merciful) as in the recitation of Nāfiʿ [Al-Zukhruf: 19].
Al-Ṭaḥāwī was clear when discussing words that differed slightly in meaning. He mentioned examples such as fatabayyanū (verify)[6] and fatathabbatū (ascertain)[7] in Sūrat Al-Ḥujurāt: 6, la-nuthwiyannahum (We will surely house them)[8] and la-nubawwi’annahum (We will surely settle them)[9] in Sūrat Al-‘Ankabūt: 58, and nunshiruhā (We revive it)[10] and nunshizuhā (We raise it)[11] in Sūrat Al-Baqarah: 259. All of these examples have no connection to dialects.
He then explained:
احتمل اختلافهم في الألفاظ بهذه الحروف أن يكون أحدهم حضر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قرأ بها، فأخذها عنه، كما سمعه يقرأ بها، ثم عرض جبريل عليه السلام عليه القرآن فبدل بعضها، ثم قرأ رسول صلى الله عليه وسلم على الناس القراءة التي رد جبريل عليه السلام ما كان يقرأ منها قبل ذلك إلى ما قرأه عليه بعده، فحضر من ذلك قوم من أصحابه، وغاب عنه بعضهم، فقرأ من حضر ذلك ما قرأ من تلك الحروف على القراءة الثانية، ولم يعلم بذلك من حضر القراءة الأولى، وغاب عن القراءة الثانية، فلزم القراءة الأولى.
“The variation in their recitations of these words might be because one of them was present when the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited them, and thus learned them from him as he heard him recite them. Then, Gabriel, peace be upon him, reviewed the Qurʾān with the Prophet, and some words were changed. The Prophet then recited to the people the recitation in which Gabriel had altered certain words that he had recited before to what he recited after. Some of his Sahabah were present, while others were absent. Those who were present recited the ḥurūf of the second recitation, and those that were present at the first recitation weren’t aware, since they missed the second recitation, so they stuck with the first.”[12]
Al-Ṭaḥāwī further stated:
فمثل تلك الحروف التي ذكرناها، وذكرنا اختلافهم فيها من القرآن على هذا المعنى، وكل فريق منهم على ما هو عليه منها محمود، والقراءات كلها فعن الله عز وجل لا يجب تعنيف من قرأ بشيء منها وخالف ما سواه.
“Such is the case with the ḥurūf we have mentioned, and the differences we have noted in their recitation of the Qurʾān in such a way. Each group is praiseworthy for what they adhere to, and all the recitations are from Allah, the Almighty. Therefore, no one should be criticized for reciting in one way and neglecting the others.”[13]
This is not like the previous type that Al-Ṭaḥāwī described when he said:
السبعة أحرف هي السبعة التي ذكرنا، وأنها لا يختلف معانيها، وإن اختلفت الألفاظ التي يُتلفظ بها، وأن ذلك كان توسعة من الله عز وجل عليهم لضرورتهم إلى ذلك، وحاجتهم إليه، وإن كان الذي نزل على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إنما نزل بألفاظ واحدة.
“The seven aḥruf are the ones we mentioned, and their meanings do not differ, even if the words used to express them differ. This was a concession from Allah, the Almighty, due to their necessity and need for it, even though what was revealed to the Prophet, peace be upon him, was revealed in one set of words.”[14]
Note that the first type includes the seven aḥruf and differs from what the Prophet, peace be upon him, typically recited.[15] The wisdom behind this concession was to alleviate hardship.[16] As for the second type, it is not described as the seven aḥruf, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited them all, having heard them from Gabriel, peace be upon him, and all of it is from Allah, the Almighty.
Abū al-Layth al-Samarqandī al-Ḥanafī’s explanations closely align with Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s conclusions. He states:
إن كان لكل قراءة معنى غير المعنى الآخر، فإن الله تعالى قال بهما جميعًا، وصارت القراءتان بمنزلة الآيتين، وإن كانت القراءتان معناها واحد، فالله تعالى قال بإحداهما، ولكنه رخص بأن يقرأ بهما جميعًا
“If each recitation conveys a different meaning, then Allah, the Almighty, has spoken both, and the two recitations are akin to two verses. However, if the meanings of the two recitations are the same, then Allah, the Almighty, has spoken one of them but has permitted both to be recited.”[17]
Abū al-Layth’s view is similar to Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s, but they differ in defining the seven aḥruf. According to Abū al-Layth, the seven aḥruf include both the aḥruf of concession and the ones that differ in meaning. However, Al-Ṭaḥāwī sees the seven aḥruf as being only the aḥruf of concession, which are connected to dialects,while the aḥruf that differ in meaning are revealed but do not fall under the category of the seven aḥruf.
The Graduality of the Concession:
Al-Ṭaḥāwī believes that the concession’s (rukhsa) expansion occurred gradually over time. When he mentioned the hadith of Samura bin Jundub, which states: “The Qurʾān was revealed in three aḥruf,” he explained:
فيحتمل أن يكون النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان بين إطلاق عدد له من هذه الحروف أن يقرأ القرآن عليه يعلم ذلك الناس، ويخاطبهم به، ليقفوا على ما كان من رحمة الله عز وجل لهم، وتوسعته عليهم فيهما يقرؤون القرآن عليه، فيسمع سمرة منه الحروف التي كان أطلق حينئذ أن يقرأ القرآن عليها وهي يومئذ ثلاثة أحرف لا أكثر منها، ثم مضى ثم أطلق للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يقرأ القرآن على أكثر من ذلك إلى تتمة سبعة أحرف.
“It is possible that the Prophet, peace be upon him, initially specified a limited number of these aḥruf upon which the Qurʾān could be recited, teaching this to the people and addressing them with it. This was to show them the mercy of Allah, the Almighty, towards them and the ease He provided in how they could recite the Qur’an. At that time, Samura heard from him the aḥruf that had been permitted, which were three and no more. Then, later on, it was permitted for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to recite the Qur’an in more than that, up to a total of seven aḥruf.”[18]
This text is among the most significant pieces of evidence against those who attribute to Al-Ṭaḥāwī the opinion of QBM rather than precise wording. It affirms that the number seven is literal and that the allowance expanded gradually after the Qurʾān was revealed in the dialect of Quraysh, eventually encompassing the dialects of other tribes. This conclusion can be drawn from Al-Ṭaḥāwī’s discussion on the position of different tribes in relation to the dialect of Quraysh, and it supports the views of earlier scholars who understood from Al-Ṭaḥāwī that the aḥruf refer to different dialects.
Moreover, it is impossible that Al-Ṭaḥāwī intended the number seven was figurative for plurality after he established that the allowance gradually expanded from three letters to seven. A literal seven conflicts with the foundations of QBM or the Divine Permission model.
Another Corroborating Evidence:
Al-Ṭaḥāwī narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him:
“A man used to write for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he had memorized Al-Baqarah and Āl ʿImran. A person who had memorized these two chapters was highly regarded among us. The Prophet, peace be upon him, would dictate to him: ‘Most Forgiving, Most Merciful,’ and he would write: ‘All-Knowing, Most Wise.’ He would then say to the Prophet, peace be upon him: ‘Shall I write such and such?’ and the Prophet would respond: ‘Yes, write as you wish.’ And the Prophet would dictate: ‘All-Knowing, Most Wise,’ and the man would say: ‘Shall I write: All-Hearing, All-Seeing?’ The Prophet would say to him: ‘Write whichever of these you wish; it is the same.’
Then, the man apostatized from Islam and joined the polytheists. He said: ‘I know more about Muḥammad than you do. He used to leave the matter to me so I could write whatever I wished.’ This news reached the Prophet, peace be upon him, who then said: ‘The earth will not accept him.’ Anas reported: ‘Abū Ṭalḥa informed me that he saw the place where the man had died and found him cast out by the earth.’ Abū Ṭalḥa said: ‘What is the matter with this man?’ They said: ‘We buried him several times, but the earth would not accept him.’”
Al-Ṭaḥāwī then explained this hadith, which might suggest the permissibility of reciting the Qurʾān with a different meaning, saying:
الذي في الحديث ليس من ذلك المعنى الذي ذكرناه في ذلك الباب، وذلك أن المعنى الذي ذكرناه في ذلك الباب هو في القرآن لا في غيره، والذي في الحديث الذي ذكرناه في هذا الباب قد يحتمل أن يكون فيما كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يمليه على ذلك الكاتب من كتبه إلى الناس في دعائه إياهم إلى الله عز وجل، وفي وصفهم له ما هو جل وعز عليه من الأشياء التي كان يأمر ذلك الكاتب بها، ويكتب الكاتب خلافها مما معناها معناها، إذ كانت كلها من صفات الله.
“What is mentioned in the hadith is not of the same nature as what we discussed in that chapter. The matter we discussed in that chapter[19] pertains to the Qur’an, not anything outside of it. As for what is mentioned in this hadith, it may concern what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, dictated to that scribe in his letters to the people, calling them to Allah, the Almighty, and in describing to them the attributes of Allah as He, Glorified, and Exalted, commanded. It could be that the scribe would write something with a similar meaning, even if the words were different, since all of them pertained to the attributes of Allah.”[20]
Observe, dear reader, how Al-Ṭaḥāwī resorted to this interpretation to distance himself from the notion of reciting the Qurʾān based on meaning alone. As previously explained, Al-Ṭaḥāwī understood the “seven aḥruf” as a permissible variation that does not alter the meaning. Since this narration indicates that one of the scribes substituted meanings on his own, Al-Ṭaḥāwī denied that such an occurrence occurred in the Qurʾān.
The End of the Concession:
Al-Ṭaḥāwī stated:
وكانت هذه السبعة للناس في هذه الحروف في عجزهم عن أخذ القرآن على غيرها مما لا يقدرون عليه لما قد تقدم ذكرنا له في هذا الباب، وكانوا على ذلك حتى كثر من يكتب منهم، وحتى عادت لغاتهم إلى لسان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.
“These seven [aḥruf] were allowed for people in these ḥurūf due to their inability to recite the Qurʾān in any other forms they were incapable of, as we previously mentioned in this chapter. This remained the case until the number of those who could write increased, and until their dialects returned to the language of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.”[21]
This is a confirmation from him that the concession was only related to dialectical variations.
He then added:
فقووا بذلك على تحفظ القرآن بألفاظه التي نزل بها، فلم يسعهم حينئذ أن يقرؤوه بخلافها، وبان بما ذكرنا أن تلك السبعة الأحرف، إنما كانت، في وقت خاص لضرورة دعت إلى ذلك، ثم ارتفعت تلك الضرورة، فارتفع حكم هذه السبعة الأحرف، وعاد ما يقرأ إلى حرف واحد.
“With this, they gained the strength to memorize the Qur’an with the exact words in which it was revealed. At that point, it was no longer permissible for them to recite it in any way other than that, and it became clear from what we have mentioned that those seven aḥruf were only allowed during a specific time due to a necessity that required it. Once that necessity ceased, the ruling of the seven aḥruf ceased, and recitation reverted to a single form.”[22]
He further commented on the reason behind the continued existence of differences despite lifting the concession, attributing it to the absence of diacritical marks and vowelization in the early manuscripts. However, he considered this permissible because it was the work of the Companions. Therefore, those with varying readings were not rebuked despite their differences.[23]
And Allah knows best, and may peace and blessing be upon the Prophet, his family, and companions.
Sources:
Al-Qurtubī, Abū ʿAbdillāh. Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Dār ʿĀlam al-Kutub, 1428 AH.
Al-Samarqandī, Abū al-Layth. Baḥr al-ʿUlūm. Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1413 AH.
Al-Ṭaḥāwī, Abū Jaʿfar. Tuḥfat al-Akhyār bi-Tartīb Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār. Riyadh: Dār Balansiyyah, 1420 AH.
Al-Zarkashī, Badr al-Dīn. Al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Al-Maktabah al-ʿAṣriyyah, 1435 AH.
Ibn Kathīr, Abū al-Fidāʾ. Faḍā’il al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Dār al-Muqtabas, 1435 AH.
- Al-Qurṭubī, Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1/42 ↑
- Ibn Kathīr, Fadā’il al-Qurʾān, p. 54 ↑
- Al-Zarkashī, Al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, 1/157 ↑
- Al-Ṭaḥāwī, Tuḥfat al-Akhyār bi-Tartīb Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, 8/151 ↑
- Ibid., 8/148-149 ↑
- Meaning: investigate and scrutinize. ↑
- Meaning: proceed slowly and pause. ↑
- Meaning: we will establish them. ↑
- Meaning: we will cause them to descend. ↑
- Meaning: we will revive it. ↑
- Meaning: we will elevate it. ↑
- Al-Ṭaḥāwī, 8/165-167. ↑
- Ibid., 8/168. ↑
- Ibid., 8/154. ↑
- Al- Ṭaḥāwī transmitted explicit reports indicating that the Prophet, peace be upon him, also recited with the concession. See: Tuḥfat al-Akhyār bi-Tartīb Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār, 8/151-152. ↑
- Al- Ṭaḥāwī, 8/148-149. ↑
- Al-Samarqandī, Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, 1/419. ↑
- Al-Ṭaḥāwī, 8/162-163. ↑
- This refers to: the chapter of “The Problematic Reports from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, concerning the Qurʾān being revealed in seven aḥruf.” ↑
- Al-Ṭaḥāwī, 8/168-170. ↑
- Ibid., 8/155. ↑
- Ibid. ↑
- Ibid., 8/166-167. ↑