The Historical Development of the Science of Qiraat – I (I–V)
Within the Islamic sciences, the science of Qiraat is an academic discipline aimed at the
recitation of the Holy Qur’an in accordance with the authentic methodology by which it
was transmitted from the Prophet (peace be upon him). The present work is a multi-authored
editorial project that examines the historical development of the science of Qiraat
within the context of the first five centuries of the Hijri calendar, and aims to fill a significant
gap in the field. The work first examines the Ten Imams who form a fundamental
pillar of the science of recitation and their narrators in separate chapters. Within this
framework, the lives, scholarly personalities, teachers, students, works, and academic
studies concerning these imams and narrators have been evaluated. Furthermore, the
work addresses the subject from various angles by also including the imams of shāz recitation,
a key element of the history of recitation. The backbone of the study is formed by
the scholars of recitation who lived between the 1st and 5th centuries AH. Each century
begins with an introduction reflecting the Islamic scholarly tradition of the period, followed
by an examination of the biographies, scholarly activities, works authored, and
contributions to the science of recitation made by the scholars of recitation who flourished
during that time. In addition, modern academic studies on the relevant scholars
have been identified and made available to researchers. Prepared using a chronological
and systematic method, this work aims to trace the historical development of the science
of recitation, to highlight the scholars of recitation who flourished during the first five
centuries, and to bring to light the scholarly heritage accumulated during this period.
Serving as an important reference source for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral
students as well as researchers, this work aims to contribute to new research in the fields
of the history of recitation and Qur’anic sciences. In the subsequent volumes, designed
as a continuation of this work, the scholars of recitation who emerged in the periods following
the 6th century AH, the works they authored, and the evolving scholarly tradition
will be examined, thereby tracing the historical trajectory of the science of recitation up
to the present day.
Keywords: The Qiraat of Recitation; The Ash’ar Imams; The Shaz Imams; Scholars of
Qiraat; Literature on Qiraat; History of Qiraat