An Assessment of Recitations [Qira’at] With A Narrational Method and Oral Narrative Criteria

The Holy Quran is an oral text and the root of its recitation [qira’t] is revelatory, and its basis is based on the narrational method and oral narrative criteria. The level of serious attention and importance of the Muslim public to the issue of recitation [qira’t] of the Qur’an and its accurate interpretive comprehensions, from the time of revelation until now, indicates the significance and necessity of the subject of research. In this article, with narrative and intellectual method and historical-analytical approach, in order to acquire the purpose of narrational method in recitations [qira’at], the views of effective and transformational scholars in the recitation [qira’t] studies, along with expressing the stages of measuring recitations [qira’at] with narrational method and oral narrative criteria from the era of the Prophet (PBUH & His Progeny) upto the present as the final results have been examined as follows: 1- In the era of the Holy Prophet (PBUH & His Progeny), direct listening to the Prophet; was the standard. 2- In the era of the Companions and their followers [tabi’een], the oral narrative was in the form of individual narrations. 3- From the time of the famous reciters until the advent of Ibn Mujahid, authority, preference of recitations [qira’at], consensus and multiplicity [istifadha] in recitations [qira’at] were common, and also, the subject of limiting recitations [qira’at] in seven recitations [qira’at] was suggested by Ibn Mujahid; 4- From the era of Ibn Mujahid to Dani, the limitation and septuple [tasbie’] of recitations [qira’at] was done with two scales of recitation [qira’t]-centred and reciter-centred. 5. From the time of Dani until Ibn Jazari, the authenticity of the septette recitations [qira’at], the sanctity of the recitations [qira’at], the emergence of the idea of the massiveness [tawatur] of recitations [qira’at] were prospered. 6- From the time of Ibn Jazari until now, the idea of the being revelatory of the recitations [qira’at] and its alignment with the text of the Quran was formed, as well as arguing with the criteria of authenticity of the chain of narration [sanad], conforming to the custom [= description / rasm] of the Mus’haf in a possible way and being the recitation [qira’t] in accordance with one aspect of the Arabic language in order recognizing as a correct recitation [qira’t] are among other results of this era.