The phenomenon of qirāʾāt in Bikāʾī's nazm al-durar

This study focuses on the farshī (non-dialectical) variant readings (qirāʾāt) found in the Qur'anic commentary Naẓm al-Durar by Abū al-Ḥasan Burhān al-Dīn Ibrāhīm b. ʿUmar al-Rubāṭ al-Ḥirbāwī al-Biqāʿī. Although there exist various studies on the qirāʾāt in this tafsīr, these works generally overlook the underlying motivations behind al-Biqāʿī's treatment of qirāʾāt. Moreover, comparative analysis is often neglected when examining the semantic impact of these readings, and little attention is given to the factors influencing the exegete's interpretive approach. This study aims to address these gaps by offering a fresh perspective on the subject, thereby contributing to the broader literature on tafsīr and qirāʾāt, and more specifically to scholarly research on al-Biqāʿī. The thesis is structured in three main chapters. The first chapter examines al-Biqāʿī's method in addressing variant readings. The second explores the semantic implications of the qirāʾāt in relation to the Arabic language. The third chapter investigates the various intellectual and contextual factors that influenced al-Biqāʿī in his interpretation of these readings. Ultimately, the study concludes that while al-Biqāʿī was influenced by his predecessors in the fields of qirāʾāt and tafsīr, he also demonstrates original contributions and distinctive perspectives, offering numerous novel interpretive propositions to the exegetical tradition.