al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila Ulum Tataallaq bil-Kitab al-Aziz

al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila Ulum Tataallaq bil-Kitab al-Aziz (The Concise Guide to Sciences Pertaining to the Mighty Book) is a treatise on the sciences of the Quran composed by the Damascene scholar Abu Shama al-Maqdisi (d. 665 AH / 1267 CE) al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U…+1.

Background and Composition

Abu Shama wrote the work to address widespread misunderstandings among practitioners and students of Quranic recitations (qira'at) who failed to grasp the distinction between the canonical recitations and the prophetic tradition stating that أنزل القرآن على سبعة أحرف ("The Quran was revealed according to seven ahruf") al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U…+1. He aimed to explain how the Quran was recited and recorded during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, the history and purpose of its compilation under Caliphs Abu Bakr and Uthman ibn Affan, the difference between their two compilations, and the criteria that distinguish authentic readings from anomalous (shadhdh) variants al-Inaya bil-Quran al-Kar….

Abu Shama composed the initial version before 645 AH / 1248 CE, referring to it in his Kitab al-Basmalah al-Akbar (The Greater Book on the Basmalah), and completed his final revision on Sunday, 11 Rabi' al-Awwal 654 AH / 1256 CE Abu Shama, Muarrikh Dimas…. He placed the text at the opening of the second volume of his collection al-Kitab al-Marqum fi Jumlat min al-Ulum, as recorded in his chronicle al-Mudhayyal 'ala al-Rawdatayn Abu Shama, Muarrikh Dimas….

Contents and Structure

The book is arranged into an introduction followed by six main chapters (abwab):

• Chapter 1: The manner in which the Quran was revealed and recited, and the memorizers of the Quran during the prophetic era Jamal al-Qurra wa Kamal a…+1.
• Chapter 2: The compilation of the Quran by the Companions, detailing the actions taken by Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Uthman al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U….
• Chapter 3: The meaning of the prophetic statement that the Quran was revealed according to seven ahruf al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U…. This is divided into three sections:
  1. A compilation of the hadiths narrated on the subject al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U….
  2. The intended meaning of the seven ahruf al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U….
  3. An examination of whether the compiled Uthmanic codex incorporates all seven ahruf or only a single harf al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U…+1.
• Chapter 4: The nature and historical development of the famous recitations (qira'at), refuting the misconception that the seven readings codified by Ibn Mujahid represent the seven ahruf mentioned in the hadith Majallat Jamiat Umm al-Qu…+1.
• Chapter 5: Delineating sound, authoritative recitations from weak and anomalous ones, establishing the three fundamental criteria for acceptance (conformity with Arabic grammar, agreement with the Uthmanic consonantal outline, and authentic transmission) Majallat Jamiat Umm al-Qu…+1.
• Chapter 6: Exhortation to prioritize practical reflection and beneficial Quranic sciences while cautioning against excessive hairsplitting (ta'ammuq) and overzealous focus on phonetic minutiae at the expense of understanding and deed al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U….

Sources and Methodology

Abu Shama relied on a range of earlier works in hadith, Quranic sciences, and recitation, citing authors such as Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, al-Mawardi, al-Baghawi, Makki ibn Abi Talib (al-Ibanah 'an Ma'ani al-Qira'at), Abu Bakr al-Udfuwi (al-Istighna'), Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (Ihya' Ulum al-Din), and his own teacher Alam al-Din al-Sakhawi (Jamal al-Qurra'), alongside his own earlier treatises Jamal al-Qurra wa Kamal a…+1.

Reception

The treatise became an influential reference for later scholars of Quranic sciences and hadith commentary. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani drew heavily upon it in Fath al-Bari, frequently citing it under the shortened title al-Wajiz when discussing the seven ahruf and the status of variant recitations Majallat Jamiat Umm al-Qu…+1. It was likewise cited by Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi in al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran and Ibn al-Jazari in al-Nashr fi al-Qira'at al-Ashr Tafsir al-Qasimi Mahasin …+1.

Manuscripts and Publication

Manuscripts of the text are preserved in Istanbul at the Laleli Library (MS 3625), the Şehit Ali Pasha Library (MS 2751), and the Hagia Sophia Library (MS 59), as well as in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin (MS 3307) and the al-Budayri Library in Jerusalem al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U…+2.

The work was edited by Tayyar Altıkulaç and published in a single volume by Dar Sadir in Beirut in 1395 AH / 1975 CE al-Murshid al-Wajiz ila U…+1.