Tuhfat al-Aqran fi ma quri'a bil-tathlith min Huruf al-Quran
- Author died
- 779 AH
- Editions
- Kunūz Ishbīlyā
Tuhfat al-Aqran fi ma quri'a bil-tathlith min Huruf al-Quran (Arabic: تحفة الأقران في ما قرئ بالتثليث من حروف القرآن, lit. 'The Gift to Peers Regarding What Is Recited with Threefold Vowelings among the Letters of the Quran') is a specialized treatise on Quranic variants (qira'at) by the Andalusian scholar Abu Ja'far al-Ru'ayni (Ahmad ibn Yusuf ibn Malik, d. 779 AH / 1377 CE) . Composed in Aleppo, the work focuses on Quranic terms that can be recited with all three short vowels (fathah, dammah, and kasrah) .
Subject and Scope
The book examines the phenomenon of threefold vocalization (tathlith) occurring in Quranic words . Al-Ru'ayni compiled both canonical (mutawatir) and non-canonical (shadhdh) readings, analyzing instances where the variation stems either from morphological structure (binyah)—such as dialectal variants of noun patterns—or from grammatical inflection (i'rab) .
In his introduction, the author states that he compiled these variants because threefold readings are prone to slipping from memory, aiming to elucidate their grammatical analysis, clarify obscure linguistic aspects, and provide scholarly benefits and gifts of knowledge for discerning students . Across the entire text, the author presents eighty-eight distinct triplet words and expressions .
Structure and Methodology
Al-Ru'ayni organized the treatise alphabetically according to the Arabic letters (huruf al-mu'jam) . His classification operates on specific methodological principles:
- Entries are categorized under the specific letter that bears the threefold vocalic alternation; for example, the word شُرَكَاؤُكُمْ is indexed under the letter hamzah, while جَذْوَةٍ is placed under the letter jim .
- The author systematically notes any letters of the alphabet under which no triplet words occur .
- Under each letter heading, verses containing the relevant words are sequenced strictly according to their order of appearance in the Quranic text .
While triplet literature was already well established in general Arabic lexicography—such as the linguistic triplets of Qutrub and al-Fayruzabadi's al-Durar al-mubaththatha fi al-ghurar al-muthallatha—al-Ru'ayni's work represents an innovative application of this monograph format specifically to the field of Quranic variant readings .
Reception and Legacy
The treatise was recognized and utilized by later Quranic scholars. Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti cited the work in al-Itqan fi 'ulum al-Quran, describing it as "a fine treatise" (ta'lif latif) and drawing upon its analysis of terms read with three grammatical or structural aspects (such as the opening verse of Surat al-Fatihah, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ , read with nominative, accusative, or genitive endings) . Subsequent encyclopedists such as Hajji Khalifa likewise documented the text under its full title in Kashf al-zunun .
Bibliographical records mention differing death dates for the author in connection with the work: while 779 AH is the widely cited date, Hajji Khalifa records it as 777 AH, and other accounts give 789 AH .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscripts of the text are preserved in libraries such as the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus (MS 9146, dating from the tenth century AH across 79 folios) and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh . The book has been published in a printed edition in Saudi Arabia by Kunuz Ishbilya (2nd edition, 1428 AH / 2007 CE) in a single volume .
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