Ten Qirat of the Quran is a branch of Islamic studies that deals with the science of reciting the Quran. It is considered one of the most important Islamic sciences as it helps Muslims to recite the Quran correctly.
Qirat is focused on how the different ways to read the words of the Quran. Each reading is ascribed to some known reciter
In this blog, I will be discussing my journey of learning Learn Ten Qirat Online. I hope to provide some tips and tricks for anyone else who may be interested in learning this beautiful science.
Qirat is a branch of the Quran sciences that tackles how to pronounce the words of the Quran among different nations. Ibn al-Jazari defines it as a science focused on the pronunciation of the words of the Quran, and varying prolongation and intonation of the words.
Like most sciences, Qirat has some specific terms that frame its core, and it aims s to protect Muslim tongues from falling into mistakes or deviations from the original reading of the prophet Mohammed.
The first notes for this science were found in Obaid Al-Qasim bin Salam’s‘ s book “Al qirat”, and there are scholars that came after hims and have written many books in this field.
Gabriel revealed the holy Quran to the prophet Mohammed in seven ways, as some of the sahih hadith confirmed
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Gabriel recited the Qur’an to me in one way. Then I requested him (to read it in another way), and continued asking him to recite it in other ways, and he recited it in several ways till he ultimately recited it in seven different ways.”
And in another hadith, Ubayy b. Ka‘b told of God’s messenger meeting Gabriel and saying,
“I have been sent, Gabriel, to a people who are unlettered, among whom are old women and old men, boys and girls, and men who have never read a book.” He replied, “The Qur’ān, Muhammad, has been sent down in seven modes.
Muslim scholars have disagreed about the term ” seven ways? what does it mean?
The most common conclusion is that every single word can be recited maximumly in seven ways. That means most Quran words are recited in one way, some are recited in two, and some are recited in three ways, but the seven number is used for extension.
The reason for the variety of recitations is that Arabic dialects weren’t similar among Arabic tribes. for example, some people can say: إنمّا المؤمنون أخوة and others delete hamza, and say: إنما المومنون إخوة.
Prophet Mohammed and their followers inherited those seven ways of reading the Quran from him and have spread into different countries to teach people about Qirat, and that resulted in a great dispute because some companions were educating two readings, and others were educated all of them, as no every companion was fully educated about the seven readings.
Hence, Uthman ibn Affan, who was khalif in the time, ordered that mishaps be collected and written in the most correct ways (Rasm) that are chained to prophet Mohammed, and he sent to all the famous towns a Quran reciter with a version of this mushaf that conform to the recitation of the people in that country.
Read also: Learning Tajweed Rules Online (one-To-One Tajweed Classes)
In the third Hijri year, Imam Ibn Mujahid chose seven reciters and wanted to unify the Arabic nations to read only their seven ways. It’s speculated that he chose the number 7 because it’s the same number of the seven mushaf Uthman ibn Affan sent to the different countries
And The reason that drove him to do so is to facilitate the reading Quran for people. So, he chose seven Quran reciters after verifying their recitation and tracking its chain (Sand) to the prophet Mohammed, then he assigned two narrators for each reciter, and endorsed that seven reciters and their recitations in his book ” The seven qirat”
1)Ibn Amir ad-Dimashqi
2)Ibn Kathir al-Makki
3)Nafiʽ al-Madani
4)Abu Amr of Basra
5)Hamzah az-Zaiyyat
6)Aasim ibn Abi al-Najud
7) Al-Kisa’i
Those seven Qirat spread and were accepted among people until the 8th Hijri year when Imam Ibn al-Jazari added three other Qirat after verifying their chain to the prophet Mohammed and proving that in his book ” Takbir Al-tayseer In The Ten Readings, and also assigned two narrators for it (those narrators tell Riwayates), for example, warsh is the narrator who took the recitation from his reciter, Nafiʽ al-Madani.
The end result is that Quran recitation has been condensed into those ten Qirat, with each one derives its name from the famous reader of it, and they have a unanimous agreement among Muslim scholars
| Qāriʾ | Riwayates (narration) | City famous for |
| Nafiʽ al-Madani | Warsh & Qalun | Al Madinah |
| Ibn Kathir al-Makki | Al-Bazzi & Qunbul | Mecca |
| Abu Amr Al-Basri | Al-Duri & As-Soussi | Basra |
| Ibn Aamir Ash-Shami | Hisham & Ibn Thaqouan | Syria |
| Asim al-Kufi | Shu’bah & Hafs | Kufa |
| Hamzah Al-Kufi | Khalaf & Khallad | Kufa |
| Al–Kisaa’i | Abu Al Harith Al-Layth & Hafs Al-Duri | Kufa |
| Abu Ja’far Al-Madanee | Ibn Wirdan & ibn Jummaz | Madinah |
| Yaqub ibn Al-Basri | Ruwais & Ruwh | Basra |
| Khalaf Al-Bazzar | Ishaq & Idris | Baghdad |
The most famous narrations that are read in the Islamic world nowadays are the narrations of Hafs under the authority of Asim, as well as the narrations of Warsh and Qalon, both on the authority of Nafi`.
Also, some see the famous of the three readings; Asim, Nafi’ and Abu Omar.
There Are Many Benefits to Learning This Science
Ibn baz :
The diversity of qiraat is not a sign for alteration or ambiguity in the meanings of words, nor a contradiction in their intentions, rather some of them support each other, and clarify the meaning of the words, and the meanings of some of the qiraat may vary, so each of them serves a purposes that fulfills a noble end of the Sharia, and one achieves the interests of the people:
Read also: Islamic Studies for Kids: Learn All Areas of Islam in A Single Course
The Ten Qiraat Can Be Learned by Any Muslim Who Is Literate in Arabic and have an Advanced Level of Arabic Proficiency and Capacity to Recite the Quran.
however, it is recommended that those who wish to learn them should do so under the guidance of a qualified teacher who has a license in teaching the Quran.
there is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the individual’s level of understanding and ability to retain information.
However, it generally takes a considerable amount of time and practice to learn ten pirates. depending on how frequently one practices and how dedicated they are to learning. in general, it could take anywhere from several months to a few years to become proficient in them.
This list of books is mostly common for teaching Quranic Qirat
It was written by Abu Amr Othman bin Said al-Dani, who died in 444 AH This book was famous in Andalusia and Morocco, and students began to memorize it, narrate it, and recite it the Qur’an in its contents.
Known as The Shatibiya, this poem consisting of 1173 rhymes was organized by Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Shatibi, who died in 590 AH in Egypt. And it includes special terms and symbols thats denote the readers and the methods the poet used for tracking the Qirat, so the one who memorizes it can understand the differences between the seven reciters and their narrators in the origins and brushes.
The Shatibiya has very many explanations, the scholars took great care of it, and it has garnered a lot of fame and acceptance that no other book had across the centuries.
it is organized in 240 verses on the sea of Shatibiya. In the poem, Ibn al-Jazari mentioned the readings of Abu Jaafar Al-Madani, Yaqoub Al-Basri, and Khalaf Al-Kufi, and he used Shatby symbols for tracking the reciters.
It was written by Ibn Al-Jazari, and it is a great and full book, which is a lighthouse for those interested in the science of reading. It consists of two volumes. Its author presented it with a lengthy introduction in which he mentioned the purposes of this science and what the student of readings needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the issues of this science.
There are several challenges involved in learning the ten qirat. Firstly, it can be difficult to find a qualified teacher. Secondly, the student must be dedicated and committed to learning the qirat, as it requires a great deal of practice. Finally, the student must have a good understanding of the Arabic language in order to correctly pronounce the qirat.
You can achieve high progress if you’ve followed those five steps
1) have a license in Quran recitation with tajweed – where you read the entire Qur’an with a licensed Sheikh according to the Riwayat Hafs on the authority of Asim from the Shatibiya way.
2) Recite the entire Qur’an again with a sheikh who is licensed according to Riwayat Hafs from Asim, with combining the Shatibiya and Hafs ways. You can benefit from book الريّاش في رواية شعبة بن عياش.
3)Recite another Riwayat of Qalon or Warsh under the authority of Nafi`
4)Recite the first part of Surat Al-Baqarah to your teacher according to each of the ten Qirat of the: Qalon, Warsh, Al-Bazzi, and Qanbul under the authority of Ibn Kathir, Al-Duri, Al-Susi, Abi Amr, and so on until get accustomed to the reading of each reciter and narrator Separately
5)Finally, start a complete khutmah from the beginning of Al-Fatihah to Al Nas, in which you apply only the seven readings (Qirat) from the Shatibiya road or the ten readings from Shatibiya and Al-Durra, according to what your Sheikh says.
6)The way you’ll follow is to memorize five rhymes a day on Shatibiya road and read them by heart to your teacher until you complete them. Then memorize five rhymes a day from Al-Durra until you finish it
7) After completing the ten readings from Al-Shatibia and Al-Durra on your teacher and getting a license from him with his chain of narration to the Messenger of God, peace, and blessings are upon him.. Congratulation! You have finished the Minor Ten readings, and are starting to prepare for the Great Ten.
Hafizon academy offers classes for teaching the 10 great and the differences between them for people who have advanced level of Arabic proficiency and can dedicate the time for it.
If you want to have a free trial of this course, contact us right now here.
