Comparison of Al-'Unwan and Al-Shatibiyya in Terms of Usuli Differences

Abstract

In this study, two important works on the seven qiraat have been compared within the framework of procedural issues. The first of these is al-'Unwan fi al-qiraati al-sab' by Abu Tahir Isma'il b. Khalaf al-Sarakusti (d. 455/1063) was written in prose form. The other work is al-Khirz al-amani wa wajh al-tahani/Shatibiyya by Qasim b. Firruh alShatibi (d. 590/1194), which is a verse work based on Abu 'Amr al-Dani's al-Taysir (d. 444/1055). Both of these works are among the primary sources of many Qiraat works. In particular, al-Shatibiyya influenced the works of the later period, was widely read and memorized from the date of its composition to the present day, and has also taken its place among the primary sources of the Qiraat tariqs and professions that continue to exist today. Ibn al-Jazari (d. 833/1429) and al-Qastallani (d. 923/1517) reported that al-'Unwan was primarily taught in Egypt until al-Shatibi's Hirz al-amani. On the other hand, Ibn alJazari stated that 'Unwan and al-Shatibiyya were two essential works in the field of qiraat, that these two works were among his primary sources, and that there was always a comparison between the two works in the historical process, and that alShatibiyya surpassed 'Unwan in terms of the interest it attracted after al-Shatibi wrote al-Hirz al-amani. The fact that scholars praise both 'Unwan and al-Shatibiyya and that both works are among the sources of many works on the science of Qiraat, especially Ibn al-Jazari's al-Nashr, is a concrete indication of the importance and value attributed to these two works. Although al-'Unwan and al-Shatibiyya are primarily similar in terms of content and narrated wajihs because they contain information on the seven qiraat, there are some differences between them in terms of the abandonment or preference of some wajihs, and the determination of these differences has been the triangulation point of the study. After introducing al-'Unwan and al-Shatibiyya in general terms, the two works are compared within the framework of procedural disputes, and from time to time, these disputes are analyzed and analyzed based on the main sources. Occasionally, the manner of extracting the relevant wajihs from the text of al-Shatibiyya with reference is explained. At the same time, places/wajihs considered relatively complex are shown in a comparative table to simplify the study. In this way, the differences between the two works are presented in a holistic perspective and as a document for those who want to research in the field. Based on the data obtained from the study, it has been concluded that the number of exaggerations found in al-Shatibiyya but not in 'Unwan is much higher. It is seen that the differences between the two works are mostly based on the abandonment or preference of a wajh. It is noteworthy that some of the wajihs in al-Shatibiyya but not in 'Unwan are from al-Shatibi's ziyadiths on Taysir. In other words, some of the wajihs that are found in al-Shatibiyya but not in 'Unwan are not found in Taysir, the original source of al-Shatibiyya. It is also possible to come across a situation where a wajih in one of the two works is not narrated by a source other than that source. It was concluded that the number of examples that can be evaluated in this context is higher in 'Unwan than in al-Shatibiyya, and therefore al-Shatibi is unique in fewer wajjis than alSarakousti. In the study, the main sources of the science of Qiraat were consulted for the wajihs that were the subject of difference between the two works and the approaches of the scholars regarding the example above were tried to be revealed. In this context, it was observed that Ibn al-Jazari, from time to time, evaluated some of the wajihs in the two works above as errors, delusions, or weaknesses, and from time to time, his statements regarding the wajihs infirad in 'Unwan or Shatibiyya were encountered. The study occasionally includes the narration sequence of the relevant wajihs in 'Unwan or al-Shatibiyya. In this framework, Ibn al-Jazari's findings and evaluations in al-Nashr and Tuhfat al-ihwan were generally taken as basis, and sometimes the relevant wajihs were analyzed by going to the original sources of al-Shatibiyya or 'Unwan. Based on all these determinations and evaluations of the wajihs subject to dispute, it is possible to say that al-Shatibiyya is more comprehensive in terms of content and more authentic in terms of narration/tradition than 'Unwan.