The Relationship Between Qira'at (Qur'an Recitation) and Interpretation in the Context of the Treatise Titled "El-Kıraat Ve Eseruha Fi't-Tefsir Ve'l-Ahkam"

Abstract

In this paper, the treatise titled "el-Kı raat ve Eseruhâ fi't-Tefsir ve'l-Ahkam" by Omer b. Salim Bazmul, which was written within the framework of the recent tradition of tafseer (interpretation of the Qur'an) - qira'at (Qur'an recitation), will be discussed in the context of qira'at issues and the impact of different qira'ats on the interpretation of the verses. The treatise "El-Kı raat ve eseruha fi'ttefsir ve'l-ahkam", is written by the contemporary researcher Muhammed b. Omer b. Salim Bazmul who performs studies in the field of qira'at. Bazmul who was born in Mecca, completed his doctoral studies in the Department of Qur'an and Hadith Sciences at the Faculty of Da'va (Missionary work for Islam) ve Usuliddin (Fundamentals of Religion) at Ummu'l-Kura University in 1993. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Qur'an and Sunnah at the same university. In addition to his academic responsibilities, Bazmul also serves as a member of the Saudi Qur'anic Sciences and Interpretation; Scientific Committees of Hadith and Sciences of Hadith; administrative board of Association of Qur'an Memorization. He is also a member of many of the committees that are founded by Da'wa, Qur'an and Sunnah department, and advisory committee of Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The book titled "el-Kı raat ve eseruha fi't-tefsir ve'l-ahkam" written by Bazmul is an academic work. The work is the doctoral dissertation of the author which was completed in 1993, subsequently published, and currently used as a textbook at Ummu'l-Kurâ University. As understood from the very name, the treatise covers the qira'ats and their impact on tafseer and judgements. The author states the reasons that trigger his writing this treatise as: the utmost importance of the subject matter, the motive to serve the Qur'an and its recitation in terms of qira'at and tafseer, the aspiration to learn about the diverse meanings of the Qur'an facilitated by the qira'ats, and the effort to counteract the doubts and falsehoods of the disbelievers regarding the Qur'an and qira'ats. The most important aim and the result that makes a significant contribution to the field is to compile and organize the qira'at materials that are scattered in books of qira'at, tafseer, syntax, "ulumu'l-Kur'an" (sciences of the Qur'an), and "me'ani'lKur'an" (art of grandiloquence in the Qur'an) into one treatise. Thus, the treatise provides easy access to the relevant subjects for interested ones, the readers, and the researchers of qira'at and tafseer who make academic study at undergraduate or graduate level. While the title of the book is "The impact of qira'ats to the tafseer and judgements", there is extensive and significant amount of information on the Qur'an and the history of Qira'at at a broad level. The book comprises of two volumes, with the first volume primarily dedicated to Qur'anic and qira'at issues to establish the background of the second volume. There are two main chapters of the work "el-Kı raat ve eseruha fi't-tefsî r ve'l-ahkam": the science of qira'at regarding its history and issues, and the impact of qira'ats on the comprehension of the Qur'an. There is also a prelude in the book. The prelude carries the title "The definition of the Holy Qur'an, its revelation, and its compilation". In addition to seven qira'ats and ten qira'ats, all necessary explanations and definitions of concepts are provided towards establishing the background of all forthcoming subjects relevant to the issues of the science of qira'at: First section is titled as Qira'ats with definitions and components. In addition, this section has an introductory part where the importance of qira'ats is mentioned. The first two topics of the first subsection of first chapter covers the definitions of qira'ats within the framework of lexical and technical meanings, the emergence and development of qira'ats in the context of narrations found in literature with reference to "companions of the Prophet" (sahâ be), "tabiin"(those who learned from the companions), the locations of reciters (kurra) after the time of "tabiin". In the second chapter, the impact of qira'at on the interpretation of verses within the context of qira'at-interpretation is investigated. Although there are works in tafseer tradition that examine the impact of qira'ats on tafseer, a part of these only analyzes the impact of qira'ats on the interpretation of verses concerning legal judgements. Recent treatises have also been produced as a continuation of these works renowned by the accumulated knowledge of Islamic tradition. Written within this context, although the title "el-Kı raat ve eseruha fi't-tefsir ve'lahkam" includes the impact of qira'ats on the interpretation of verses of judgements, the content addresses the effects of the qira'ats on verses from various aspects through a broad perspective.