|
THE
QUR'AAN WAS REVEALED IN SEVEN DIALECTS
Allah Ta’ala
has created man so that man may worship Him. He sent the
Ambiyaa (Alayhimus
salaam) to teach man the correct method of
worshipping and had also given Saheefas (scriptures) to
many Ambiyaa (Alayhimus salaam).
For example, He had given the Zaboor to Dawood (Alayhis salaam),
the Tawraat to Moosa (Alayhis salaam)
and the Injeel to Isa (Alayhis salaam).
In the same manner, Allah revealed to our beloved Nabi
(Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) the Qur’aan Kareem.
In the past,
the prophets and their books were sent to certain
nations or communities for a specific period of time,
whereas Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) and the Qur’aan were sent for the entire
world uptill the day of Qiyaamat.
Our Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) was sent as a mercy to the entire mankind.
It is for this reason that we find that he had always
had the concern that his Ummah should experience no
difficulty.
Hadhrat
Ubayy Ibn Ka’ab (Radhiallaahu
Anhu) narrates that once Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) met Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam)
and said to him, ‘O Jibraeel (Alayhis salaam)!
I have been sent to an Ummat who are unable to read or
write. Amongst them are those who are weak, those who
are old, those who are slaves and those who have never
read a book in their lives.’ Hadhrat Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam)
mentioned, ‘O Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam)! Certainly this Qur’aan has been revealed
in 7 different dialects.’ (Tirmidhi)
In another
Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbaas (Radhiallaahu
Anhu), it is said that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) has mentioned, ‘Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam)
has taught me to recite the Qur’aan in one dialect. I
turned to him and continued asking him to increase it,
and he continued increasing it until it reached seven
dialects.’
In another
narration by Ubayy ibn Ka’ab (Radhiallaahu
Anhu), it is stated that once Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) was in one of the fields of the Bani
Ghiffaar (Adhaat) and Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam)
had come to him and said, ‘Allah commands you to teach
your Ummat to recite the Qur’aan in one dialect.’ Nabi
(Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘I ask Allah for his pardon
and forgiveness, most certainly my Ummah does not have
the ability to do that.’ Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam)
came to him for the second time and said, ‘Allah
commands you to teach your Ummat to recite the Qur’aan
in two dialects.’
Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) said for the second time, ‘I ask Allah for
his pardon and forgiveness. Most certainly my Ummat does
not have the ability to do this.’ Then Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam)
came to him for the third time and said:
‘Allah
commands you to teach your Ummat to recite the Qur’aan
in three dialects.’ Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) gave the same answer: ‘I ask Allah for
his pardon and forgiveness, most certainly my Ummah
does not have the ability to do this.’ Then Jibraaeel
(Alayhis
salaam) came to him for the fourth time and said,
‘Alla Ta’ala commands you to teach your Ummah to
recite the Qur’aan in seven dialects, and whichever
one they recite, they will be correct.’
(Muslim)
In another
Hadith, Hadhrat Umar (Radhiallaahu
Anhu) narrates that once I heard Hishaam ibn Hakeem
ibn Hizaam (Radhiallaahu
Anhu) reciting Suratul Furqaan in the lifetime of
Nabi (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam). While listening to his Qiraat, he
was reciting in different letters which Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) did not recite to me. I was close to
pouncing upon him, but I controlled myself until he made
Salaam. Then I wrapped my sheet around him and said to
him, ‘Who has taught you to read this Surah the way I
have heard you reciting it?’ he replied, ‘Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) has taught me to read this Surah.’
I then said
to him, ‘Certainly Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) has taught it to me in a manner other than
which you have recited.’ Then I pulled him and took him
to Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) and said, ‘O Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) he is reciting Suratul Furqaan in a manner
other than which you have taught to me.’ Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) then said, ‘Read, O Hishaam.’ He then
recited the same Qiraat which I had heard him reciting.
Upon this Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) said, ‘In the same manner it was
revealed.’ Then Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) said, ‘Read O Umar (Radhiallaahu
Anhu).’ I then recited the way he had taught it to
me. Upon this, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam), ‘In the same way it was revealed.
Certainly, the Qur’aan has been revealed in seven
dialects. Read whichever one is easier for you.’
(Bukhari and Muslim).
From all
these narrations, it is clear that the Qur’aan was
revealed in more than one way of recitation.
Meaning of Seven
Dialects
The Ulama
have approximately forty opinions on the meaning of
seven dialects. Two opinions are the most
accepted:
Imaam Abul
Fadhl al-Razee (RA) mentions that if we have to look at
all the changes and narrations of Qiraat, we will find
that they have one of the changes which are mentioned
below:
1.
The changing of the noun concerning whether it
should be singular, dual or plural. For example,
‘ta’aam miskeen’ which is singular is changed into
plural ‘ta’aam masaakeen’ or the changing of the noun
from masculine into feminine or vice versa, e.g. the
changing of ‘laa yuqbal minhaa shafaa’at’ which is
masculine to ‘laa tuqbal minhaa shafaa’at’ which is
feminine.
2.
The changes that take place in the Harkat
(symbols – fatha, dhamma, kasra), e.g. ‘kalimaatin’ to
‘kalimaatun’
3.
The changing by adding and subtracting letters,
e.g. ‘saari’oo’ to ‘wa saari’oo’
4.
The changing of the sequence of the words, e.g.
‘wa qaataloo wa qutiloo’ to ‘wa qutiloo wa
qaataloo’
5.
The changing of the tense of verbs from the
past tense into future or present tense or command,
e.g. ‘tatawwa’a khayran’ to ‘yatawwaa khayran’ and
‘qaala rabbiy’ to ‘qul rabbiy’
6.
The changing of one word into another, e.g. ‘wa
tawakkal’ to ‘fatawakkal'
7.
The changing of the pronunciation and accent,
e.g. full mouth into empty mouth,
etc.
Imaam Abul
Fadhl Razi (RA) mentions that the 7 different dialects
encompass the above 7 changes.
Allaamah
Jazri (RA) mentions that he pondered over the Hadith of
seven dialects for more than 30 years, until Allah
Ta’ala had opened one meaning to him. After pondering
over all the Qiraat, he found that the changes that took
place were the changes which are mentioned
below:
1.
The changing of the symbol of a word, though
the meaning and feature of the word does not change,
e.g. ‘yahsabu’ to ‘yahsibu’
2.
The changing of the symbol and meaning, but the
feature does not change, e.g. ‘fatalaqqaa aadamu min
rabbihii kalimaatin’ to ‘fatalaqqaa aadama min
rabbihii kalimaatun’
3.
The changing of the letters and the meaning,
but the feature does not change, e.g. ‘as-swiraat’ to
‘as-siraat’
4.
The changing of the letters and the meaning,
but the feature does not change, e.g. ‘tubluw’ to
‘tatluw’ or ‘nunajjiyka’ to ‘nunjiyka’
5.
The changing of the letter, the feature and the
meaning, e.g. ‘ya-atali’ to ‘yata-alli’
6.
The changing of the sequence of words, e.g.
‘fayaqtuloona wa yuqtaloona’ to ‘wayaqutuloona
fayaquloona’
7.
The adding and subtracting of letter, e.g. ‘Wa
awsaw’ to ‘wawassay’
The changes
of the pronunciation and accent can be included in the
changing of words mentioned above.
The meaning
of 7 dialects is clear from these 2 opinions.
Qari
Ismail Abdul-Aziz
Head and
Senior Ustaadh: Department of Qiraat – Madrasah
In’aamiyyah
An Expert in the field of Qiraat (7
Dialects and 10 Dialects) – lecturing both at the
Madrasah
Last modified: January 29, 2006
Related
Reading:
| 
