A comparative analysis of the qirâʾât of Imam Nâfi' and İmam Abû Ja'far: The case of al-Sab' al-Tiwâl

The phenomenon of qirâʾât differences is a highly significant scholarly issue, the roots of which go back directly to the era of the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). During the Medinan period, as many new Muslims were not sufficiently familiar with the Quraysh dialect and experienced pronunciation difficulties, the Prophet, desiring ease for his community, was granted by Almighty Allah the dispensation of the " seven ahruf." This concession allowed certain words to be recited in different forms, thereby giving rise to variations in qirâʾât. In this study, the focus is placed on the qirâʾâtof Medina, which was a central hub in the development of Islamic sciences, with particular attention to Imam Nâfi' and Abû Ja'far, both of whom are among the ten canonical qirâ'a imams. The primary aim of this research is to systematically present the similarities and differences between these two qirâʾât. The study is structured into an introduction, two main chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction provides general information on the science of qirâʾât and the scope of the research. The first chapter examines the scholarly profiles of the two qurrâ and analyzes usûlî differences, which are distinguished by their phonetic features. In this process, both th Tarîq al-Asharah and the Tarîq al-Taqrîb have been taken into consideration in order to adopt a systematic approach. The second chapter deals with farshî differences that emerge in particular words of the Qur'ân. These differences are evaluated under two categories according to their impact on meaning. Farshî differences that affect meaning are classified according to word sturctures; then, the relevant qirâʾât are substantiated through the hujjah methodology, and the semantic implications of these variations are presented in detail. Farshî differences that do not affect meaning are categorized according to word roots, analyzed within the context of the relevant verses, and then corroborated through the same methodological framework. The scope of the research is limited to the seven long sürahs, known as al-Sab'al-Tiwâl. Within this framework, the differences between the recitations of these two Medinan qurrâ are examined in depth, both in terms of form and meaning.