al-Qiraat al-sab

The seven canonical readings

Seven imams. One rasm. The Prophet ﷺ was given the Quran in seven ahruf so the tribes could carry it. What Ibn Mujahid later named are not seven Qurans — they are seven living paths that still fit Uthman’s letters.

Ahruf are not the seven readings

The seven ahruf are the modes of revelation — dialects, synonyms, and slight voice — that the Prophet ﷺ taught so Quraysh, Hudhayl, Tamim and the rest could recite without strain. The seven qiraat are later, named transmissions of that allowance, each with a sound chain, each agreeing with the Uthmanic rasm. Differing on مَالِكِ and مَلِكِ in al-Fatihah is still one verse.

The hadith of the seven ahruf is in Bukhari 2419 and Muslim 818. Ibn Mujahid’s list is in Kitab al-Sabah (d. 324 AH).

5 · Kufa · d. 127 AH

Asim ibn Abi al-Najud

عَاصِمُ بْنُ أَبِي النَّجُود

From Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, from Ali and Uthman and Zayd and Ubayy, from the Messenger ﷺ.

  • شُعْبَة

    Shubah

    Asim’s older student. A finer, older Kufan colour.

  • حَفْص

    Hafs

    The reading of Nur, of tarawih, of almost every printed mushaf.

Hafs from Asim is the reading of the ummah in the east, and of this app.

Where you can hear the difference

  • 1:4 · Malik or Malik

    مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

    Hafs, al-Kisai and Yaqub read مَالِكِ — Owner of the Day of Judgement. Nafi, Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Ibn Amir and Hamzah read مَلِكِ — King of the Day of Judgement. Both are in the rasm. Both were heard.

    Open 1:4

  • 2:10 · They lie, or they deny

    بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ

    Hafs and others read يَكْذِبُونَ — they lie. Nafi, Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr and Ibn Amir read يُكَذِّبُونَ — they deny. The rasm carries both. The meaning sits beside itself.

    Open 2:10

  • 1:6 · A heavier sad

    ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ

    Hamzah and others may colour sirat toward a zay. Hafs keeps a clear sad. You still ask for the straight path.

    Open 1:6

The ten

Ibn al-Jazari (d. 833 AH) added three imams whose chains are also sound. Nur still opens Hafs. These three complete the map.

  • أَبُو جَعْفَرAbu JafarTeacher of Nafi. Added by Ibn al-Jazari.Madinah · 130 AH
  • يَعْقُوبُ الْحَضْرَمِيّYaqub al-HadramiImam of Basra after Abu Amr.Basra · 205 AH
  • خَلَفُ الْبَزَّارKhalaf al-BazzarAlready a rawi of Hamzah; listed as an imam in the ten.Baghdad · 229 AH

Nur recites Hafs from Asim of Kufa — the fifth of the seven, the path of tarawih. The others are not weaker. They are brothers of the same rasm.

How the Book was gatheredOpen the 114 surahs