Reviewing the Authority of the Readings in the View of Ayatollah Al-'Ozma Fazel

In several readings quoted on the Holy Quran, a number of Quranic words are seen in different forms such that the rulings understood from the Holy Quran differ from one reading to another. This has raised the issue of authority or non-authority of readings. Ayatollah Al-'Ozma Fazel Lankarani believes that the successive transmission or the lack of it is the basis for the authority or non-authority of the reliance of a rule of law on the readings. The present article explains his views and arguments about the lack of successive transmission of the readings. Finally, using totally his views and adding the views of the readers of the Holy Quran - that there should not be any disagreement among readings - to his view - that the Quranic nature of every word depends on the successive transmission and it has no role in removing the controversy of the contents of the readings but correcting the sanad -, it is concluded that given the controversy in any case, it is necessary to exercise the rules of controversy on the readings and there remains no room for claiming the authority of the readings and the permission for the reliance of the rule of law on them.