al-Rutab al-Uliyat al-Nuraniyya fi Fadl al-Qiraat al-Quraniyya
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al-Rutab al-Uliyat al-Nuraniyya fi Fadl al-Qiraat al-Quraniyya (The Sublime Luminous Ranks Concerning the Virtue of the Qur'anic Readings) is a didactic poem composed by Abu Mazin Muhammad ibn Rajab al-Khuli in 1439 AH (2018 CE), dedicated to articulating the virtues and significance of the canonical Qur'anic readings (Qira'at).
Background and Composition
The author conceived the poem after reading an online article on the merits of the Qur'anic readings by Shaykh Ihab Fikri. Upon consulting scholars and confirming that no prior versification had been devoted exclusively to this topic, al-Khuli versified the contents of the article, added supplementary themes, and revised the poem after sharing it with teachers and students of knowledge. The author named the work al-Rutab al-Uliyat al-Nuraniyya fi Fadl al-Qiraat al-Quraniyya, noting that the word al-Quraniyya ("Qur'anic") was deliberately included to emphasize that authentic variant readings are identical with the Qur'an itself, though he permitted abbreviating the title to al-Rutab al-Uliyat fi Fadl al-Qiraat. The work was finalized in Riyadh in Ramadan 1439 AH (May 2018 CE).
Structure and Themes
The poem is modeled on the meter and rhyme of Hirz al-Amani wa-Wajh al-Tahani (popularly known as al-Shatibiyya) by Imam al-Qasim ibn Firruh al-Shatibi (d. 590 AH), using the tawil meter ending with the rhyming letter lam. In the preface, al-Khuli specifies that the poem focuses on the mutawatir, widespread, and accepted readings that are valid for recitation in prayer. He also stresses that the ultimate aim of memorizing and learning the readings is not mere repetition, but understanding, contemplation, and application, which requires foundational knowledge of Arabic grammar, morphology, rhetoric, script (rasm), pause and resumption (al-waqf wa-al-ibtida), and verse counts (add al-ay).
Across its verses, the poem surveys numerous merits of studying the readings, including:
- Demonstrating the divine preservation of the Qur'an and easing recitation across multiple dialectal forms.
- Highlighting the inimitability (i'jaz) and concise expression of the revelation, where different variants interpret and elucidate one another and clarify legal rulings (ahkam al-fiqh).
- Multiplying the spiritual reward for the reciter and elevating the status of teachers and learners through unbroken chains of transmission (isnad) going back to the Prophet Muhammad.
- Fulfilling a communal obligation (fard kifaya) for the Muslim community and preserving the Arabic language and its grammatical foundations.
Reception and Commendations
The poem received poetic and prose commendations (taqrizat) from contemporary scholars of Qur'anic sciences, Arabic literature, and Islamic studies. Commendations in verse were contributed by:
- Dr. Abd al-Hadi Hamitu, professor at the Mohammed VI Institute for Qira'at and Qur'anic Sciences in Morocco, who praised its flow, craftsmanship, and adherence to al-Shatibi's poetic style.
- Dr. Abd al-Wahhab ibn Muhammad Ali al-Adwani, professor of Arabic and grammar at the University of Mosul.
- Dr. Mahmud Abd al-Razzaq al-Ghawthani, professor at Mus Alparslan University in Turkey.
In response, al-Khuli composed poetic rejoinders to each of Hamitu, al-Adwani, and al-Ghawthani. Prose commendations were also provided by Dr. Abd Allah ibn Salih al-Ubayd, Dr. Walid ibn Idris al-Manisi (President of the Islamic University of Minnesota), Dr. Ali ibn Sa'd al-Ghamdi of Umm al-Qura University, and Shaykh al-Sayyid Abd al-Ghani Mabruk, director of the Al Salama Center for Qur'anic Studies, who noted that it represented the first dedicated poem on the virtues of the readings.
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