# Which reading of the Quran reached India, Malaysia and Indonesia, and why?

*Which reading reached the subcontinent and the Far East, and Mufti Abu Layth's summary of the guest's thesis*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f2bcgwatu5g/s/24/
- Date: 2020-06-19 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Dr. Shehzad Saleem | the Preservation of the Quran & the Problem of Qira'at | MindTrap with Mufti#26 (1:46:43–1:51:36)
- Status: a view quoted in order to be discussed, not a position held
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2BcGWatU5g&t=6403s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f2bcgwatu5g/

**Topics:** Preservation and variant readings; The Indian subcontinent; Guest conversations

**Question as asked:** Which qira'a was first introduced in India or the Indian subcontinent?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The common reading, later called the reading of Hafs, reached the subcontinent and the Far East through the masses, while the other readings took root only where scholars arrived first. Mufti Abu Layth sums up: the Quran is preserved as the qira'a al-'amma of the Prophet's final recitation, and Hafs coincides with it because he made no choices of his own.

## Longer summary

A viewer asks which reading was first introduced in the Indian subcontinent. The guest says the entry of the readings took place very early, in the second century, when Hafs, who died around 169 AH, was alive or not yet born, and that what entered the subcontinent and went on to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Far East was the qira'a al-'amma, which only later came to be dubbed the reading of Hafs; his book shows that all the non-Arab territories have the common reading, while only in Arab lands did scholars hold contests of readings and preserve them in their books. He proposes a rule: wherever scholars arrived first, ilm al-khassa and the reading of a particular imam took root; wherever the masses came first, by conquest or trade as in Indonesia, the common reading prevailed. A viewer asks once more whether, simply put, the Quran is preserved perfectly as revealed, and the guest says yes, absolutely and categorically. Mufti Abu Layth sums up the guest's view: most Muslims agree the Quran is preserved, and the guest's teaching is that the recitation we have today is the Prophet's own, fixed with finality in his last year, called the qira'a al-'amma and transmitted by the masses; the consonantal template of Uthman allowed certain variations of vowelling that contributed, with other factors, to the qira'at; Hafs from Asim coincides with the common reading because Hafs made no ikhtiyar; and the manuscripts being found today reflect those readings and not the Quran as preserved, which the lands reached from the ground up by the masses still read.

## Sources and names cited

- Dr Shehzad Saleem (guest)
- Hafs
- Asim ibn Abi al-Najud (the reciter)
- al-qira'a al-'amma (the common reading)
- ilm al-khassa (the specialists' knowledge)
- Uthman ibn Affan
- ikhtiyar (a reciter's choice among readings)
- qira'at (the variant readings)
- The History of the Quran: A Critical Study (Shehzad Saleem)

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:46:43–1:51:36)

[1:46:28] because symmetry is one of the highest forms of aesthetic beauty in this world if you do feel that this was invented by the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu listen but a certain let's say non-muslims would feel okay was the invention of Muhammad's a Larson then it would mean that he was you know of a genius beyond comprehension so that that's to me that to just get this soul spot-on in place I find that Wow so in this sense well a miracle not in the sense that is bending

[1:47:03] the laws of nature but yeah just to somebody saying right now that's yet that you've already answered the question on the get out and which Cara I was first introduced in India or the Indian subcontinent dr you I don't not sure if that's something you see that which had the invent of that Korat took place very earlier on when Huff's was not even born I mean that's about the second century of Islam when he was when he was living and he died in around 169

[1:47:41] eh which itself shows that the karov hubs he later came to be dubbed the karate lama later came to be dubbed as the wrath of thugs so I think that rod which was which entered the subcontinent and it went over to Malaysia and to Indonesia and some of the Far East countries it was the Karaka Lama and I've also showed in my book that you'll see that the the territories of presume then the non Arab territories all of them had the karate Lama or the which we now called as the turtle Huff's it was only in the Arab territories where these Arab scholars existed in which they would battle or they would have those

[1:48:20] those contests in which various garage would be read and they would be preserved in their own books that we have that area of the the a Bollywood or of which has thoughts those Quran as far as the column will assume are concerned in order Arab countries you'll find that none of them have these variations simply because it was the masses who came and brought the Quran with them and the masses all already always had the colossal hama so you so you can even make a rule that whenever the scholars were introduced first and they were the ones who went to a territory it was always a ill-will hasad Rioja saw or Gareth of a particular Imam but wherever

[1:48:59] the masses came first as a conquest may be or may be like for example they were business people who went to Indonesia in all these countries it was the karate lama which was always prevalent and somebody is asked once again we have covered this but they've asked so simply put are you saying the Quran is preserved perfectly as it was revealed and yes I do yes absolutely categorically so the Quran was preserved and to sum that up what what doctor Saab has expansively researched in his book

[1:49:38] and his whole he's got a whole series of lectures as well available on YouTube about that as well about the whole nature of the Quran and and topics related to the Quran but to sum this up what we've been discussing in your point of view today it is safe to say doctors have that the Quran from what you're teaching the Quran has been preserved perfect I would say most Muslims agree absolutely on on that point that the Quran has been preserved but you're saying it's being preserved this recitation we have today was the recitation I mean it was the recitation of the prophet sallahu salam and of the

[1:50:16] quran as it was set in the with the finality in the final year of the prophet salallahu alaihe salam this was said this was called the character i'm this is what was transmitted the concert and the Continental kind of template that was man provided did allow for certain variations of reading that may be like way you place vowels which may have led to which was partly contributed to what became the different kara art in addition to other variables you've mentioned as well but this have Sun Assam was the Kyra atoll Amma all half

[1:50:55] state was he didn't kind of do any of that HD had or take any adopt any choices if the errata he just went with the turtle Alma that's why it correlates perfectly any manuscripts that are being found today they are simply reflecting those Kara out but they are not the Quran which is what we have today preserved in the books and as you've mentioned the lands of the Aegean where people went from you know ground up they bottom up that they did have this general garage this is what you're saying so right okay so I think that's I know we've taken up so much of

[1:51:34] your time dr. Zab and I'm so grateful for you for sharing this time with us because I I seriously can't repeat that enough you know cut a little sugar I love sugar but I'm so indebted for that I would love to inshallah do a follow-up session if we can at some point we're out love to go over the main themes you've discussed in your book this book the history of Quran a critical study by dr.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment f2BcGWatU5g/s/24. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/f2bcgwatu5g/s/24/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.