Tabaqat al-Qurra al-Saba wa Dhikr Manaqibihim wa Qiraatihim
- Author died
- 782 AH
- Editions
- Al-Maktabah al-Asriyyah
Tabaqat al-Qurra al-Saba wa Dhikr Manaqibihim wa Qiraatihim (Generations of the Seven Quran Readers, Mention of Their Virtues, and Their Readings) is a biographical and pedagogical work on the seven canonical Quran reciters written by the Damascene Shafi'i scholar and head of recitation Ibn al-Sallar (698–782 AH / 1299–1380 CE) . The text compiles the biographies, transmission chains, virtues, and readings of the seven major Quranic reciters (qurra'), opening with an extensive treatment of the merits of the Quran and its recitation .
Author and Context
The author, Amin al-Din Abu Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab ibn Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Sallar, was born in 698 AH (1299 CE) and studied Quranic readings, hadith, Arabic grammar, and inheritance law (fara'id) in Damascus, Cairo, and Baghdad . He studied the seven readings under scholars including Taqi al-Din al-Sa'igh in Egypt, Yahya ibn Ahmad al-Khilati, and Mujir al-Din ibn Ghazi in Damascus . Ibn al-Sallar eventually attained the senior leadership of Quranic recitation (al-mashyakha al-kubra) in Damascus, succeeding Ibn al-Labban (d. 776 AH) . He was also an associate of Ibn Taymiyyah and married his niece, Zaynab bint Abd Allah ibn Taymiyyah . Reciters and scholars from Syria and beyond studied under him; most notably, Ibn al-Jazari described Ibn al-Sallar as the first master under whom he benefited and with whom he read al-Shatibi's Hirz al-Amani (al-Shatibiyya) . Ibn al-Sallar died on 18 Sha'ban 782 AH (1380 CE) at the age of 85 and was buried near Ibn Taymiyyah's grave .
Content and Structure
The book is structured into two main parts: a thematic introduction on the Quran and its preservation, followed by biographical and transmission entries on the seven canonical reciters :
- Virtues and Etiquette of Recitation: Ibn al-Sallar commences with an ornate literary prose introduction, followed by a compilation of prophetic hadiths and reports from early authorities (athar) on the excellence of the Quran, the status of its memorizers (hamalat al-Quran), and the spiritual rewards for its recitation . He analyzes prophetic traditions concerning recitation, such as the hadith ليس منا من لم يتغن بالقرآن ("He is not of us who does not chant/be enriched by the Quran"), citing interpretations by Sufyan ibn Uyaynah and Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam to argue that the phrase denotes seeking contentment and sufficiency (al-istighna') through the Quran rather than vocal modulation (tarji' / al-sawwah) alone .
- Biographies and Transmissions of the Seven Readers: The core body examines the seven established imams of recitation: Nafi al-Madani, Ibn Kathir al-Makki, Abu Amr ibn al-Ala, Ibn Amir al-Shami, Asim al-Kufi, Hamza al-Kufi, and al-Kisai . For each reader, the author provides personal background, notable virtues, chains of transmission (isnad) tracing back to the Prophet ﷺ through the Companions, and their principal transmitting students (ruwat) .
Manuscripts and Publication
A manuscript copy of the work is preserved in the Hagia Sophia Library (Ayasofya MS 3304, 85 folios) in Istanbul . The text was edited by Ahmad Muhammad Azzuz and published in a single volume by al-Maktaba al-Asriyya in Sidon and Beirut in 1423 AH (2003 CE) .
Answer updated