﷽

‫الحمد هلل رب العالمي‬

‫النب األمي‬
‫و أفضل الصالة و أتم ٓالتسليم عىل سيدنا محمد ي‬
‫و عىل اله و أصحابه أجمعي‬

The science of Qirā'ah (recitation) is the branch of knowledge which is

connected directly to the words of the Glorious Qur'ān and is an integral part of the
Divine preservation of the Final Book of Allāh. However, despite the fact that it
facilitates a higher level of appreciation for the miracle of the Qur'ān (in terms of
its revelation and recitation), it has been sadly neglected in our age. Perhaps this is
one of the many reasons as to why many people fail to give this science its due.

Recently, an individual known as Sheikh Imran Hosein, who is famous for

his speculative lectures on eschatology, audaciously, and with complete disregard
for definitive Muslim creed, made claims that contradict the Divine preservation of
the Book of Allāh. He asserted that since the tashkīl (diacritical marks) were applied
in the formal script of the muṣḥaf at a stage after the stage of revelation, this means
that these tashkīl are open to error.

Disastrously, he then attempted to furnish this outrageous unscholarly

assertion with an example. He cited verse 61 of Sūrah al-Zukhruf and claimed that
the way it is recited today (and by extension, the way it has been recited for fourteen
centuries) is incorrect.

Before delving into this topic, it is crucial to understand the history of the
Qur'ānic text. This article consists of three main sections:

1. The history of the preservation of the Qur'ān.

2. a) an introduction to the qirāˈāt (variant recitations), b) their conditions, and
c) the issue pertaining to verse 61 of Sūrah al-Zukhruf.

2
 3. The history of the tashkīl and how their addition has no adverse impact at all
on the preservation of the Qur'ān, and in fact supports and proves the
doctrine of preservation.

Allāh willing, this analysis will dismantle the abovementioned claims made by
the individual referred to and will demonstrate how the Qur'ān has been protected
since the time of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬by the One who revealed it to His Beloved ‫ﷺ‬, and
will remain preserved for all of eternity.

Section 1: Preservation of the Qur'ān

The Qur'ān is preserved through oral and written transmission, both of

which started during the time of the Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬himself. The Prophet
‫ ﷺ‬used to recite to his Companions and instruct them to write down the verses.
When waḥy (revelation) would descend, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬would routinely call for one
of his scribes to write down the latest verses. One prominent scribe was the
Companion Zayd b. Thābit, who was often summoned to inscribe verses because
of his proximity to the Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬mosque.1 Proofreading would then take place
after dictation to eliminate the possibility of scribal errors occurring during this
process. As Imām al-Ḥaythamī comments, once the task of recording the verses
was complete, Zayd would read the verses back to the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬to ensure that no
scribal errors crept in.23

The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬also instructed his Companions to memorise the verses and
it is important to note here that the memorisation of the Qur'ān was not restricted
to men. Umm Waraqah bint ‘Abd Allāh b. al-Ḥārith, a female Companion, also
memorised the Qur'ān and was given leading roles by the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬in rites of
worship amongst females. Memorisation played a huge role in the preservation of
the Qur'ān as we will now learn.

1
Regarding the Madanī period, there is a wealth of information including, at present, the names of approximately sixty-five
Companions who functioned as scribes for the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬at one time or another.
2
al-Imām al-Ḥāfiẓ Nūr al-Dīn ‘Alī b. Abī Bakr b. Sulaymān al-Haythamī, Majma’ al-Zawāˈid wa Manba’ al-Fawāˈid.
3
Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-Ṣūlī, Adab al-Kuttāb.

3
 During the reign of Sayyidunā Abū Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam, Zayd b.
Thābit was appointed by him as the compiler of the Qur'ān.4 The Prophet’s ‫ﷺ‬
sojourn in Madinah had been a time of intense scribal activity and consequently
many Companions possessed verses which they had copied from the parchments of
friends and neighbours. Being a ḥāfiẓ (someone who has memorised the Qur'ān)
and someone who inscribed much of the Qur'ān whilst seated directly before the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, Zayd b. Thābit ensured that all of the material he was examining was
unquestionably authentic.

He ensured this by collating all the verses which were transcribed under the
Prophet’s ‫ ﷺ‬supervision as this would allow him to compare his own writings and
memory with first-hand material of the same standing, not second- or third-hand
copies.5 This was also done in the presence of two witnesses to ensure that all of
the material was, again, unquestionably authentic to ensure the greatest level of
accuracy and precision throughout the procedure.

During the process of collating manuscripts, although the focus lay on the
written words, once the primary sources were identified (parchment, wooden
planks, palm leaves or other materials the Companions wrote on), the writings were
verified not only against each other, but also against the memories of numerous
Companions who had learned directly from the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. By placing the same
stringent requirements for acceptance of both the written and memorised verse,
unquestionable veracity was maintained throughout.

This practice of transmitting the Qur'ān was implemented throughout the

lifetime of the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, his Companions and is still practiced until this day. To
see a living proof of this miracle, all you need to do is scan your local mosques and
Islamic centres and observe the ease by which you come across a person (or multiple
people) who has memorised the entire Qur'ān. So, one way the Qur'ān has been
preserved is through it being memorised in the hearts of countless Muslims,

4
This was after the Yamāmah battles in which numerous Companions attained martyrdom. The majority of these Companions
were Qurrā’ (expert reciters of the Qur'ān) and Ḥuffāẓ (those who had memorised the Qur'ān).
5
This is because during the process of establishing any text, it is academically unacceptable to compare between different grades
of manuscripts.

4
including children as young as the age of six. No other religious text has been
memorised in its original language by its followers in the way the Qur'ān has, which
is a clear indication that the revelation is from Allāh and protected by Him.

By appreciating the above, a person realises that the Qur'ān has been
transmitted and reached us through tawātur. Tawātur refers to a level of a report
in which the information is collectively preserved by multitudes of people,
generation after generation. The technical definition of tawātur (known as ‘mass
transmission’) is ‘a report which is established upon the tongues of such a large
amount of people that renders it inconceivable for them to have conspired to
concoct a lie’, as highlighted in al-‘Aqaid al-Nasafiyyah.6 Imām al-Taftāzānī explains
that this inconceivability (of such a report being a result of a conspiracy to lie) refers
to it being rationally impossible for all those people to have concocted a lie
together.7 Applying this to the context of the Qur'ān, if a number of people so
abundant that eliminates any scope of doubt agrees on one reading, then that gives
us complete assurance that the reading is unquestionably authentic.

After all, it is Allāh Almighty who has taken it upon Himself to preserve His
Book, as He states, “Indeed. We have sent down this Qur'ān, and indeed, We Ourselves
are its Protector”.8 Therefore, it is utterly absurd for Imran Hosein to make claims
that contradict the preservation of Qur'ān, when the fact is that the Qur'ān has
been transmitted through flawless mass transmission under the protection of
Allāh’s Divine promise.

Section 2a: The Variant Recitations

The method of mass transmission is also the system through which the
variant recitations of the Qur'ān have reached us. At this juncture, it is important
to expose the fallaciousness of those (atheists and polemicists) who attempt to
portray these different recitations as mistakes.

6
Imām Abū Ḥafs ‘Umar al-Nasafī, al-‘Aqāˈid al-Nasafiyyah.
7
Imām Sa’d al-Dīn Mas’ūd b. ‘Umar b. ‘Abd Allāh al-Taftāzānī, Sharḥ al-‘Aqāˈid al-Nasafiyyah.
8
Qur'ān [15:9].

5
 Understanding this thoroughly depends on knowing the difference between
the terms Qirā'āt and Aḥruf. The term Qira'āt refers to the chains of oral
transmission of the recitations that go back to the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬whereas, the Aḥruf
account for the differences found within the Qirā'āt as can be seen in the following
Ḥadīth. The Prophet of Islam ‫ ﷺ‬recounted that he met Angel Jibrīl, he said: "O
Jibrīl! I have been sent to an unlettered nation. Among them are old and young, men
and women, and those who have never read any writing!" Jibrīl answered him, "O
Muhammad ‫ !ﷺ‬The Qur'ān has been revealed upon Seven Aḥruf!".9 Scholars proffered
various interpretations of the term Aḥruf (lit. ‘letters’), with recorded opinions
reaching over forty in number. However, despite the many opinions, which result
from the conciseness of the Ḥadīth and the profound depth of the term used, all
scholars agree that the difference in recitation, of words or dialect, is due to the
Aḥruf.

The number of transmissions of the Qur'ān were numerous in the early

centuries of Islam, but later authorities wrote these down based on the most popular
recitations which then became the established or canonical ones. The other shādh
(unpopular/non-mainstream) recitations were not afforded the same status because
they were not as widespread as the canonical recitations, but they are still valuable
resources in the exegesis of the Qur'ān and have been recorded in numerous classical
commentaries. During the lifetime of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬there were many famous
reciters amongst the Companions, namely: ‘Uthmān b. ‘Affān, ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib,
Ubayy b. Ka’ab, Zayd b. Thābit, ‘Abd Allāh b. Mas’ūd, Abū al-Dardāˈ and Abū
Mūsā al-Ash'arī .10

The most popular after the Companions were the seven expert reciters,
namely: Nāfi` al-Madanī [d. 169 AH], Ibn Kathīr al-Makkī [d. 120 AH], Abū ‘Amr
al-Baṣrī [d. 154 AH], Ibn ‘Āmir al-Dimashqī [d. 118 AH], ‘Āṣim b. Abī al-Nujūd al-
Kūfī [d. 127 AH], Ḥamzah b. Ḥabīb al-Zayyāt al-Kūfī [d. 156 AH] and ‘Alī b. Ḥamzah
al-Kisā'ī al-Kufī [d. 189 AH]. Imām al-Shāṭibī [d. 590 AH], the famous scholar of

9
Imām Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī, Jami’ al-Tirmidhī (Kitāb al-Qirā'āt), Ḥadīth 3196.
10
There were many other Companions who also taught the Qur'ān as mentioned in works such as Fatḥ al-Bārī fī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-
Bukhārī of al-Imām al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn Ḥajar al-Asqalānī.

6
Qur'ān recitation and elocution, compiled a list of the seven most famous
recitations, drawing on their well-known reciters, as listed above.11 This list was
completed later by Imām Ibn al-Jazarī [d. 833 AH], the prolific scholar in the field
of Qirā'āt, who added Abū Ja`far al-Madanī [d. 130 AH], Ya`qūb al-Haḍramī [d. 205
AH] and Khalaf b. Hishām al-Bazzār al-Baghdādī [d. 229 AH], bringing the agreed
upon recitations to ten.12

The accepted variant recitations we recite in today have reached us via mass
transmission and a transmission may be named after any competent reciter in the
chain of recitation: ‘the recitation of Ḥafṣ from ‘Āṣim’, for instance. If one was to
critically examine the unbroken chains of transmission associated with each expert
reciter, then one would find that each chain directly links back to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

The wisdoms behind there being variant recitations are many, but the focal
point here is that each recitation is valid, with each fulfilling the required conditions
to be accepted, and this is how the Qur'ān was revealed. In terms of preservation,
even if only one recitation was authentic, it would be sufficient to vouch for the
preservation of the Qur'ān. The fact is that ten have been preserved through mass
transmission, with others conserved for its commentaries. When this is the extent
of the miracle of Qur'ānic preservation, how can anyone in their right mind deny
or contradict it?

Section 2b: Conditions for a Valid Recitation

It is imperative for a recitation style to fulfil certain conditions before it is

accepted and classed as valid.13 It must conform to all the rules of Arabic language,
have a sound chain of narration which has been narrated (mass-transmitted)
through a multitude of authorities, and it must agree with the muṣḥaf from the
time of Sayyidunā 'Uthmān, the third Caliph of Islam. These conditions have been
mentioned by earlier scholars specialising in the field of Qirā'āt, such as Ibn

11
Imām Abū Muḥammad al-Qāsim b. Fīruḥ al-Shāṭibī, Ḥirz al-Amānī wa Wajh al-Tahānī fī al- Qirā'āt al-Sab’.
12
Imām Abū al-Khayr Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Jazarī, al-Durrah al-Muḍiyyah fī al-Qirā'āt
al-Thalāth.
13
This information can be obtained from many earlier treatises on the sciences of the Qur'ān and its recitation such as al-Nashr
fī al-Qirā'āt al-‘Ashr of Imām ibn al-Jazarī and later works like al-Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur'ān of Imām Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī.

7
Mujāhid [d. 324 AH], Ibn Shanbūdh [d. 328 AH], Ibn Miqsam [d. 354 AH] and Ibn
Khālawayh [d. 370 AH].

If a recitation meets these criteria (as all the variant recitations of the ten
famous reciters do), then it is a valid recitation which cannot be rejected and it is
obligatory upon the people to accept it, as it is from one of the 'seven Aḥruf’ in
which the Qur'ān was revealed. However, if a recitation is missing any of these
requirements, it is classified as weak, regardless of whether one of the imams of
recitation related it, or other previous scholars. Such recitations are classified as
shādh readings which were not reliably transmitted as being part of the Qur'ān.

These principles were required when all the recitations were collected in
order to distinguish between the authentic and unreliable ones. Just as the chain of
narrators is examined to determine authenticity in the science of Ḥadīth, in the very
same respect, the chain of reciters is examined to determine an authentic recitation.
The recitations which fulfilled the conditions of unquestionable authenticity were
classed as valid, such as the ten Qirā'āt in Ibn Jazarī’s magnum opus.14 Those which
did not fulfil the criteria were classed as shādh and conserved for commentaries on
the Qur'ān, like those recitations that are included in Kitāb al-Kāmil.15

Here someone may ask what a shādh reading is and how these readings came
into existence in the first place if the Companions had learnt the Qur'ān from the
Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Firstly, such a reading is not reliably transmitted and can sometimes
even be a fabrication. Secondly, it can also be a mistake made by a successor in a
Companion’s recitation where the listener assumed an explanation of the Qur'ān
was a variant recitation of the actual scripture and transmitted it as such. Thirdly,
it is also possible that a shādh reading was abrogated in the final days of the Prophet’s
‫ ﷺ‬life and known to be abrogated by the majority of Companions, but an individual
Companion who was unaware of this continued to recite it as he learned it.16

14
Imām Abū al-Khayr Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Jazarī, al-Nashr fī al-Qira'āt al-'Ashr.
15
Abū al-Qāsim Yusuf b. ‘Alī al-Hudhalī, al-Kāmil fī al-Qirā'āt al-‘Ashr wa al-Arba’īn al-Zāˈidah ‘Alayhā.
16
This information can be acquired from various books which cover the science of Qirā'āt and in particular the shādh readings.

8
 This is why the principles of determining an authentic recitation (as listed
above) are required as they help to discern between that which has been reliably
transmitted and that which has not, which is a clear proof of how the Qur'ān has
been preserved. One clear example of this is evident in the qirā’ah of Imām al-
Ḥasan al-Baṣrī. One narrator of this qirā’ah is Abū ‘Amr al-Dūrī, who is also the
narrator (alongside al-Sūsī) of the accepted qirā’ah of Imām Abū ‘Amr al-Baṣrī, yet
the former recitation is rejected and the latter accepted.17 Despite the narrator in
both recitations being the same credible individual, the former qirā’ah is not
authenticated because it is missing one of the three required stipulations, so it is
therefore discounted as a valid recitation and classed as a shādh reading.18

This is not a practice which is exclusive to the science of recitation, rather it

is a principle that also extends to the science of Ḥadīth as each narration is critically
analysed in light of the relevant principles to determine its grading. Therefore, if
an individual claims that the Qur'ān can be recited in a certain way, which is not
already widespread, he must prove that the recitation fulfils the required criteria for
it to be accepted.

Section 2c: Discussion on Sūrah al-Zukhruf Verse 61

This now brings us to the bizarre claim that was made by Imran Hosein
regarding verse 61 of Sūrah al-Zukhruf which he believes is written and recited
incorrectly by all Muslims across the world for close to a millennium and a half.19
He is the first to propound that reciting this verse as ‫لَعِْل ٌم‬ (with a kasrah on the
letter ‘ayn and a sukūn on the letter lām) is incorrect, and that it should be
pronounced ٌ‫( لَ َعلَم‬with a fatḥah on both the letter ‘ayn and the letter lām) instead.

He attempts to support his argument by asserting that this was the way the
Companion ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Abbās recited this verse of the Qur'ān. According to his
absurd reasoning, the fact that no copy of the Qur'ān today reflects the recitation

17
Imām Abū al-Khayr Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Jazarī, al-Nashr fī al-Qirā'āt al-'Ashr.
18
This proves that the individual narrator is not the be all and end all when determining whether a qirāˈah is accepted. Rather,
what is considered is the recitation itself and whether or not it fulfils the conditions for it to be classed as valid.
19 َ َ ِ ‫ن ٰه َذا‬
The 43rd chapter of the Qur'ān. The verse reads ٌ‫ِصاطٌ ُّم ْست ِق ْیم‬
َّ
ٌ ِ ‫ن ِب َها َوات ِب ُع ْو‬
َّ َ َ َ َ َ َّ ِّ ْ َ َّ َ
ٌ ‫ل ت ْم ُت‬
ٌ ‫ِوانهٌ ل ِعلمٌ للساع ٌِة ف‬

9
of the Companion suggests that “there’s something wrong here” and that there is
“something mysterious”.20 Hence, he is indirectly alluding to a mistake to have
supposedly occurred during the addition of the tashkīl. This would entail that for
fourteen centuries, Muslims have been reciting the Qur'ān incorrectly without
anyone realising, including the scholars of Qirā'āt, with this individual being the
first person to have identified this so-called ‘mistake’.

Remember, a recitation is only deemed valid by analysing it in accordance

with the relevant principles mentioned earlier. Firstly, there is ijma' (consensus) on
the word ٌ‫ لَعِْلم‬being recited with a kasrah on the ‘ayn and a sukūn on the letter lām.
Not only does this recitation of the verse fulfil the conditions for it to be accepted,
but this is also the way it is, and has been, unanimously recited in all the variant
recitations, as recorded by Imām al-Ṭabarī in his famous tafsīr.21

Secondly, Allāh states, whilst addressing His Beloved ‫ﷺ‬, “Indeed, protecting
it (in your chest) and (your) reciting (it) is Our responsibility. So, when We have recited
it (through Jibrīl), you should thereupon follow what is being recited”.22 This elucidates
the matter further as we learn that Allāh has taken it upon Himself to preserve
both the words of the Qur'ān and the way that they are recited. Moreover, these
verses also indicate that when Jibrīl recited the Qur'ān in a particular way (such as
the word ٌ‫)لَعِْلم‬, upon the command of Allāh, this is exactly what the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was
instructed to follow.

It is worth pointing out here that verses were revealed to the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬at
various moments during his blessed life. Some were revealed in Makkah before the
Hijrah (migration) and others in Madinah after the Migration. Other verses and
chapters were revealed neither in Makkah or Madinah but were instead revealed in
the places of various battles; for instance, Sūrah al-Fatḥ23, which was revealed near
Ḥudaybiyah, between Makkah and Madinah. Similarly, some verses were revealed

20
Sheikh Imran Hosein (2022) The Tashkeel of Al-Zukhruf Return of Jesus and the reckless declaration that Imran Hosein is a Kafir.
08 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-om-mqFUvGY (the timeframe for the relevant part is 6:51 – 9:00).
21
Imām Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, Jāmi’ al-Bayān ‘an Taˈwīl Āy al-Qur'ān.
22
Qur'ān [75:17-18].
23
The 48th chapter of the Qur'ān.

10
during the night and others during the day.24 The complete wisdom behind why
the verses and chapters were revealed at different moments and how they should be
recited only lies with Allāh Almighty.

For an individual to suggest that a verse should be recited in a different

manner because it allows for a better understanding of the Qur'ān (like many
reformists also attempt to do) is absurd as there is no scope for Qiyās (deductive
reasoning) when it comes to discussing the very words of the Qur'ān and how they
should be recited. This is clarified by Imām al-Bayḥaqī who emphasises that
recitation and inscription of the Qur'ān has to conform with the ‘Uthmānī script
and its words cannot be changed, as those who wrote the Qur'ān were more learned
than us so we cannot follow our desires over them.2526

Moreover, leaving the muṣḥaf of Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān according to the

majority of scholars (including the likes of the towering Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal)
is Haram.27 28 Thus, the recitation of this verse with the word being pronounced as
‫ لَعِْل ٌم‬is accepted and the only valid way, because it conforms to the way the Qur'ān
was revealed and how the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬as well as his Companions recited it.

The way of recitation suggested by Imran Hosein, ٌ‫لَ َعلَم‬ with a fathah on the
‘ayn and the lām, is not recognised by any of the ten famous imams of recitation,
neither was this recitation well known or widespread. This is in fact a shādh reading
which does not fulfil the conditions required for it to be classified as an authentic
recitation of the Qur'ān. What Imran Hosein must realise is that although in some
commentaries shādh readings of certain verses are included, such as the word ٌ‫لَ َعلَم‬, it
is NOT to denote another valid way of reciting the Qur'ān, rather these readings
are used for the explanation of the verses.

24
Imām ‘Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, al-Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur'ān.
25
Imām Abū Bakr Aḥmad b. Ḥusayn al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab al-Imān, vol.2, p. 548.
26
Imām ‘Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, al-Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur'ān, p. 830.
27
Imām Badr al-Dīn Muḥammad b. ‘Abd Allāh al-Zarkashī, al-Burhān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur'ān, vol.1, p. 379.
28
Imām ‘Abd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, al-Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur'ān, p. 830.

11
 Surely, he must be aware of this because if he came across the reading of ٌ‫لَ َعلَم‬
in the commentaries of the Qur'ān, then he will have definitely noticed that the
commentaries (like Tafsīr ibn al-Jawzī) also specify that the authentic majority
recitation of this verse is to recite it as ٌ‫لَعِْلم‬.29 This would mean that Imran Hosein
is actively choosing to reject the rigorously authenticated recitation.

As we have learnt above, we do not look at the individual narrator to

determine whether a recitation is considered valid, instead we must critically analyse
each recitation to see if it fulfils the conditions of acquiring authenticity. This also
necessitates that Imran Hosein is incorrect in suggesting that we adopt the reading
of ٌ‫ لَ َعلَم‬on the grounds that ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Abbās recited it in this way. Like all shādh
readings, this reading has not been reliably transmitted for it to be classed as Qur'ān
and the reading instead represents an explanation of scripture, rather than scripture
itself.

As we have learnt above, there is also the possibility that this reading could
have been a mistake made by a successor who incorrectly assumed that this was a
variant recitation and so transmitted it as such. It is due to these very possibilities
that shādh readings do not fulfil the criteria to be considered authentic. So, it is
highly likely that ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Abbās did not actually recite the Qur'ān in the
manner Imran Hosein claims he did, as the reports themselves are weak in nature.
Alternatively, if we assume he did, even then the transmission is still unreliable for
us to follow as per the requirement of fulfilling the above conditions. Therefore,
the reasoning presented by Imran Hosein is invalid, because when commentators
mention ٌ‫ لَ َعلَم‬under this verse, they do not do so with the intention of showing
another way of reciting it, rather it is simply an expression of exegesis.

The principles of what signifies a valid recitation are clear and shādh readings
are seen in numerous commentaries, so this is not an isolated ‘mysterious’
occurrence like Imran Hosein is making it out to be. If a person opens different
commentaries, like Tafsīr al-Bayḍāwī, he will come across other unpopular readings,
29
Imām ‘Abd al-Raḥmān b. ‘Alī b. Muḥammad al-Jawzī, Zād al-Masīr fī ‘Ilm al-Tafsīr.

12
such as that of al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.30 It is worth noting here that according to the
logic of Imran Hosein, the tashkīl in the copies of the Qur'ān today should agree
with the shādh reading of this verse being discussed. So, if this is the case, then why
is Imran Hosein only adamant on singling out this one specific reading, which he
attributes to ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Abbās, and no other shādh readings, such as those of
Ibn Muḥaysin and ‘Abd Allāh b. Mas’ūd? Surely, if he proposes this principle, then
it should be universal and not exclusive to this one ayah.

Perhaps it is because this ayah links to the topic of eschatology (something

he is famously known for) that he is so keen on asserting that this recitation should
be adopted so that it conforms with his speculative eschatological narratives.
Otherwise, there are many other shādh readings which are used for exegesis too, yet
it seems this is the only one he is interested in. Anyhow, even if his argument is
accepted, this would entail that every individual is free to choose how to recite the
Qur'ān and the principles of determining an authentic recitation are void and
pointless! It does not take a genius to notice the flaws of such a proposition.

Tomorrow, if an individual suggests that we should go against the principles

of Ḥadīth classification and only follow those Aḥādīth which we consider to be
correct in meaning because they have been narrated by a particular Companion,
would we agree? Of course not! Similarly, these principles have been specified by
the scholars of Qirā'āt and it is according to these conditions that valid recitations
are determined. Thus, the reason why this reading cannot be accepted is because it
does not have a sound chain of narration which has been narrated through a
multitude of authorities.

Indeed, it is only due to lack of knowledge in the field of Qirā'āt and ‘Ulūm
al-Qur'ān that has led the claimant to make such a blunder of opining that the
verse should be read in a different manner. Therefore, to postulate that the
recitation of ٌ‫ لَعِْلم‬is incorrect, to refer to it as “bogus”, and to instead promote the

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Imām Nāsir al-Dīn ‘Abd Allāh b. ‘Umar b. Muḥammad b. ‘Alī al-Bayḍāwi, Anwār al-Tanzīl wa Asrār al-Ta’wīl.

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