The Odd Modes of Recitations and Their Impact on Exegesis and Rulings, from verse (12) of Surat alqyama to the end of Surat Al-nas, Compilation and Study

Abstract

The study aimed to collect, document, and analyse the irregular Qur’anic readings found from Surat Al-Qiyamah to the end of Surat An-Nas, exploring their impact on Qur’anic interpretation and legal rulings, as well as their semantic relationship with the canonical readings. It employed an inductive approach to trace instances of irregular readings in their original sources and a descriptive, analytical, and comparative approach to examine their linguistic direction, meanings, and the views of Qur’anic exegetes regarding them. The theoretical section addressed the concept and criteria of irregular readings and the methodologies adopted by exegetes in dealing with them, while the applied section examined their occurrences in the selected surahs. The study found that, although irregular readings are not recited as acts of worship, they constitute an important source for Qur’anic exegesis, linguistics, and linguistic evidence. They contribute to clarifying, expanding, and confirming Qur’anic meanings; reveal diverse linguistic and rhetorical aspects; and assist in determining proper pauses and resumptions in recitation. The study also established a complementary semantic and interpretive relationship between irregular and canonical readings, without challenging the authority of the latter. Their effect on legal rulings was found to be limited due to the predominance of doctrinal and exhortative themes and descriptions of the Hereafter. The study identified three instances in which irregular readings added new meanings and recommended expanding applied research on irregular readings throughout the Qur’an, particularly in verses of legal rulings, and developing digital databases linking them to their locations, sources, and interpretive and linguistic directions.