How Many Kinds of Qirat Are There in the Quran?
There are seven different kinds of Quran Qirat or Quranic recitation, all named for prominent members of the ruling class who recited the Quran in unique ways. These Qirat fall under the category of Mutawatir, which denotes transmission through numerous, independent chains of authority.
Quranic scholar Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid chose these Qirat, which include Asim Al-Kufi, Hamzah al-Kufi, Qirat Al-Kisaa’i, Qirat Naafi’ Al-Madani, Qirat Ibn Katheer Al-Makki, Qirat Abu Amr al-Basri, Qirat Ibn Aamir ash-Shami.
Although there are 10 Qirat altogether, these seven are the most well-known and conserved, illustrating the variety of Quranic recitation techniques.
Types of Qirat in the Quran
The way renowned authority chain holders recite the Quran is known as Qirat. All Qirat derived their names from the renowned Rawis, who narrated them in a confirmed and established sequence. Different forms of Qirat demonstrate that this Holy Book is a revelation from Allah (SWT) that has been maintained over the ages since all of them have been recited with a direct and authentic chain of relators leading back to Allah’s Apostle (PBUH).
There are seven different versions of Qirat, and the variances in readings total two thousand words; nonetheless, with widespread acceptance, most Muslim countries have chosen the Quran with Hafs’ narrative of Asim. The 10 Qirats are:
Mutawatir Qirat:
- Nafi’ (d. 169/785)
- Ibn Kathir (d. 120/737)
- Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’ (d. 154/762)
- Ibn ‘Amir (d. 154/762)
- ‘Asim (d. 127/744)
- Hamza (d. 156/772)
- Al-Kisa’i (d. 189/904)
Mashhur Qirat:
- Abu Ja’far (d. 130/747)
- Ya’qub (d. 205/820)
- Khalaf (d. 229/843)
After learning about the origins of the Quran and how all the different formats of recitation came to be, everyone looking for information on how to become a Qari and how to learn Qirat of the Quran must be informed about a deep practice initiated by the founder of Islam and the widest spreader of the Holy Book, Prophet Mohammad PBUH, as he famously stated: “The best amongst you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it.”
His training resulted in many Muslims memorizing the Quran, and these knowledgeable reciters were subsequently trained to teach others. Prophet Mohammed also sent Quran reciters to many tribes, establishing a centuries-long tradition of teaching and practicing the Quranic text.
