The Qur’ān before the book - History and concepts of Qur’ānic variants (qirā’āt)

What is it about?

Asam Hilali paper addresses methodological issues related to the concept of ‘Qur’ānic variants and readings’ (qirā’a pl. qirā’āt and ḥarf pl. aḥruf, respectively). I investigate the way they have been depicted in early Islamic narratives, developed in the field of medieval Islamic Qur’ānic sciences (ʿulūm al-Qur’ān), and discussed in Western Qur’ānic studies scholarship in the last two decades.

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Photo by Istiqamatunnisak on Unsplash

Photo by Istiqamatunnisak on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The paper shows the necessity of generating a new approach to studying the history of the Qur’ān and its main concepts. The epistemological tools used in Western Qur’ānic studies on the history of the text of the Qur’ān need to be renewed.

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