al-Muhtasib fi Tabyin Wujuh Shawadh al-Qiraat wa al-Idah anha
- Author died
- 392 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Ilmiyya · T al-Majlis al-Ala
al-Muhtasib fi Tabyin Wujuh Shawadh al-Qiraat wa al-Idah anha (The Recompenser: Explaining and Clarifying the Facets of Anomalous Quranic Readings) is a scholarly treatise on the grammatical, phonetic, and linguistic justification (ihtijaj) of non-canonical Quranic readings by the grammarian Abu al-Fath Uthman Ibn Jinni (d. 392 AH / 1002 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Following the compilation of Kitab al-Sab'ah by Ibn Mujahid (d. 324 AH), which canonized seven recitations, readings outside this corpus were commonly designated as anomalous (shadhdh) . Ibn Jinni's teacher, Abu Ali al-Farisi (d. 377 AH), composed al-Hujjah to defend the Seven Readings and contemplated composing a similar work for the anomalous readings, but circumstances prevented him from undertaking it . Ibn Jinni took up the task on his master's behalf, completing the work in the later years of his life . He titled it al-Muhtasib to denote his purpose of seeking God's acceptance and reward (ihtisab) as he prepared for the afterlife .
In his introduction, Ibn Jinni explains that his aim was to demonstrate the linguistic strength and authentic transmission of these non-canonical variants, clarifying that setting them aside in liturgical recitation was not due to suspicion or flaw, but rather to avoid widespread discrepancy, even though their Arabic eloquence and grammatical standing remain sound .
Method and Sources
The book is structured sequentially according to the surahs of the Quran, starting with Surat al-Fatihah . Under each verse, Ibn Jinni cites the anomalous reading, names the reciters who transmitted it, and examines its grammatical structure, phonetic features, analogical parallels (qiyas), and tribal dialects . If an interpretation required excessive contrivance or lacked linguistic footing, he identified its weakness or rejected that specific grammatical direction .
Ibn Jinni based his material on two principal source categories:
- Written works, including Ibn Mujahid's treatise on anomalous readings, the work of Abu Hatim al-Sijistani, the book of Qutrub, and the Ma'ani al-Qur'an treatises of al-Zajjaj and al-Farra' .
- Direct oral transmissions and reports from trusted authorities of Arabic lexicography and grammar .
To corroborate grammatical and morphological constructions, he cited extensive poetic evidence, primarily from classical poetry while occasionally citing lines from post-classical (muwallad) poets, such as al-Mutanabbi, to elucidate semantic and contextual meanings . Noting that Abu Ali al-Farisi's work al-Hujjah was lengthy and obscure for many readers, Ibn Jinni aimed to keep his analysis concise and accessible, avoiding long digressions .
Modern Editions
The work has been edited and published in Cairo by Ali al-Najdi Nasif, Abd al-Halim al-Najjar, and Abd al-Fattah Shalabi under the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs .
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