Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasjil al-Quran

Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasjil al-Quran (Mastery in the Regulations of Recording the Quran) is a contemporary treatise on Quranic sciences by Arafa bin Tantawi that establishes scholarly rules and criteria for the audio recording of the Quran Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…+1.

Purpose and Scope

The author wrote the treatise to address the defects and difficulties facing audio preservation of the Quran in modern times Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…. Drawing parallels to the historical compilation of the Quran across its three classical eras—preserved in memory and written text—the work seeks to formulate precise criteria to ensure modern audio recordings remain entirely free from overt and subtle errors, alterations, additions, or omissions Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…+1.

In surveying earlier literature on the topic, Tantawi examines prior treatments of the audio compilation of the Quran, noting the pioneering study by Labib al-Sa'id titled Al-Jam' al-Sawti al-Awwal li-l-Qur'an al-Karim (1387 AH / 1967 CE), as well as academic works by Muhammad Shar'i Abu Zayd and Kamal Qaddah, arguing that earlier writings had detailed the history or critiques of recordings without formulating a comprehensive, independent system of regulatory standards Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…+1. The book also aims to outline the responsibilities of Islamic institutions regarding unregulated individual recordings distributed through modern media, to warn against reciting according to musical modes (al-maqamat al-musiqiyya), and to define the prerequisites of Quranic licensing (ijaza) for reciters Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…+1.

Structure

The treatise is structured into an introductory framework, two principal chapters divided into thematic sections (mabahith) and sub-points (matalib), and a conclusion Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…:

• Chapter One: Caring for the Quran (Al-'Inaya bi-l-Qur'an): Comprises seven sections addressing the communal obligation to preserve the Quran through audio recording; inward spiritual requirements (al-dawabit al-qalbiyya), including sincere intention (ikhlas) and warnings against reciting for worldly motives; moral conduct and adherence to the Quran (al-takhliya wa-l-tahliya) modeled after the Companions and Successors; practical rules of recitation, including adherence to tajwid, avoiding affectation (takalluf), proper pace, and mastery over pause and restart (al-waqf wa-l-ibtida'); reciting with reverence (khushu'); beautifying the voice (tahsin al-sawt); and distinguishing legitimate melodic recitation (al-taghanni) from musical modes (al-maqamat), maintaining that classical and contemporary consensus prohibits reciting the Quran according to musical scales Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…+1.
• Chapter Two: Quranic Authorization and Related Matters (Al-Ijaza al-Qur'aniyya wa Ma Ilayha): Divided into two sections examining the requirement that any reciter undertaking a recording must be a memorizer possessing an authentic transmission chain (musnad) and formal authorization (ijaza), and discussing the requirement that public audio recordings of the Quran be made specifically by male reciters Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…+1.

Key Findings

In the conclusion, Tantawi summarizes his findings, underscoring that relevant institutions in Muslim countries bear an institutional obligation to oversee Quranic recordings Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji…. He reiterates that candidates for recording must fulfill spiritual, scholarly, and technical requirements, that certified Quranic ijaza serves as an indispensable prerequisite, and that recitation using musical modes must be rejected in accordance with scholarly consensus Al-Itqan fi Dawabit Tasji….