Al-qira'a (jam'i: qira'at) ta samo asali daga kalmar qara'a, ma'ana 'karatu, tilawa'; wadda kuma aka samo kalmar Alqur'ani daga gare ta. Ma'anar suna ce, ma'anar karatu. A ma'anar fasaha, tana bayyana karatun Alqur'ani da baki, da kuma alamomin rubutu na rubutacciyar magana, wadanda suka yi daidai da karatun baki.

Al-qira'a (pl. qiraa'at) is derived from the word qara'a, 'reading, reciting'; from which also the word Qur'an is derived. It is a verbal noun, meaning recitation. In technical language it describes the oral recitation of the Qur'an as well as the punctuation of the written text, which corresponds to the oral recitation.

Misalai:

Examples:

Mawdudi [Gabatarwa ga Nazarin Alkur'ani, Delhi, 1971, shafi na 21.] ya yi bayani mai gamsarwa game da fahimtar da ta dace ga wasu bambance-bambancen karatu da aka amince da su. Ya rubuta cewa a cikin suratul Fatiha (1: 3): karatun "maliki" da "mâliki" duka suna bayyana ɗaya daga cikin siffofin Allah, kuma babu wani sabani a ko kaɗan tsakanin 'mai mulki' da 'maigida' na ranar sakamako, amma 'waɗannan karatu biyu suna sa ma'anar ayar ta ƙara bayyana'.

Mawdudi [Introduction to the Study of the Qur’an, Delhi, 1971, p.21.] has very convincingly explained the proper understanding of some accepted difference in reading. He wrote that in al-fatiha (1: 3): the readings "maliki" and " mâliki " both describe one of the attributes of Allah, and there is absolutely no contradiction between 'sovereign' and 'master' of the day of judgement, but 'these two readings make the meaning of the verse all the more clear'.

Similarly, 5:8 arjulakum [Qiraa'at (karatu) na Nafi', Hafs 'an 'Asim, al-Kisa'i.] da arjulikum [Qiraa'at na Ibn Kathir, Abu 'Amr, Abu Bakra 'an 'Asim, Hamza.] suna ɗauke da ma'anoni biyu: "Ku wanke" ko "Ku shafa" ƙafafunku. Dukansu daidai ne, domin a yanayi na al'ada mutum zai wanke ƙafafunsa, yayin da wani mutum daban, misali matafiyi, zai iya shafa su. A nan nassin Alƙur'ani yana ɗauke da ma'anoni biyu a lokaci guda. Wannan hakika fasali ne na musamman na wahayin da ya fito daga Allah.

Similarly 5:8 arjulakum [Reading of Nafi, Hafs 'an Asim, Kisa'i.] and arjulikum [Reading of Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Abu Bakra 'an 'Asim, Hamza.] carry two meanings: "Wash" or "Wipe" your feet Both are indeed correct, for under normal circumstances a man will wash his feet, while some other person e.g. a traveler may wipe them. Here the text of the Qur'an carries both meanings at the same time. This is indeed a unique feature of the revelation from Allah.

Masu karatu Karatu da tilawar Alƙur'ani sun kasance tun lokacin da aka fara saukar da shi, kuma Annabi ﷺ ne ya fara karanta shi. An riga an tattauna wannan a cikin sashen da ya shafi isar da rubutun. Bayan rasuwarsa, karatun ya ci gaba ta hannun Sahabbansa. Daga cikin shahararrun masu karatu waɗanda yawancin Tabi'ai suka koyi karatu a wurinsu akwai Ubayy bin Ka'b, Ali, Zaid bin Thabit, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari da wasu da yawa.

Readers among the Sababa Reading and reciting of the Qur'an has been done since revelation began, and the Prophet was the first to recite. This has already been discussed in the section on transmission of the text. After his death, the recitation continued through his Companions. Among the famous readers from whom many of the tabi'un learned, were Ubay bin Ka'b, 'Ali, Zaid bin Tbabit, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and many others.

Daga baya, yayin da Musulmai suka yi zaman kansu a sassa daban-daban na duniya, an karanta Alkur'ani ta hanyoyi iri-iri, wasu daga cikinsu ba su dace da rubutun da aka amince da shi ba da kuma karatun da aka isar daga Manzon Allah ﷺ da sahabbai ba. Wannan ya sa aka wajaba a yi cikakken bincike da bambance-bambance tsakanin abin da yake sahihi (ingantacce) da abin da yake shaz (banbanci da ba a saba ba).

Later Development Later on, with Muslims settling in many parts of the world, the Qur'an was recited in a variety of ways, some of which were not in accordance with the accepted text and the transmitted readings from the Prophet and the Companions. This necessitated a thorough screening and distinction between what is sahih (sound) and what is shadh (exceptional).

Karatun Bakwai An daidaita "karatun bakwai" a ƙarni na biyu na Hijira, wato na takwas bayan haihuwar Annabi ﷺ. Ibn Mujahid, malamin Musulunci a ƙarni na tara, ya rubuta littafi mai suna The Seven Readings, inda ya zaɓi karatu bakwai daga cikin hanyoyin karatun Alƙur'ani da ake yi a lokacin, a matsayin waɗanda aka fi tabbatar da isnadinsu kuma suka fi aminci. Daga baya an ƙi wasu, ciki har da karatun Ibn Mas'ud da na 'Ubayy bin Ka'b, aka ma yi adawa da su. Duk da haka, wannan ba yana nufin dole ne mutum ya takaita da ɗaya daga cikin waɗannan karatu bakwai, ko kuma ya karanta dukansu ba. Ga jerin asalin kowane karatu a yankinsa, da sunayen masu karatun [Don gajeruwar tarihin rayuwarsu, duba Fihrist, I, shafi na 63 gaba] da wasu masu ruwaya (rawis) da ke da alaƙa da su:

The Seven Readings The 'seven readings' were standardised in the second/eighth century. Ibn Mujahid, a ninth-century Muslim scholar, wrote a book entitled The Seven Readings, in which he selected seven of the prevailing modes of recitation as the best transmitted and most reliable. Others were subsequently disfavoured and even opposed, among them the readings of Ibn Mas'ud and 'Ubay bin Ka'b. However, this is not to say that one must restrict oneself to one of these seven readings, or to all of them. Below are listed the local origin of the seven readings and the names of readers [For their short biographies see Fihrist ,I, p. 63ff.] and some transmitters (rawis) connected with them:

Wuri Mai karatu Mai ruwaya Madina Nafi' (169/785) Warsh (197/812)

Place Reader Transmitter Madina Nafi' (169/785) Warsh (197/812).

Makka Ibn Kathir (120/737).

Makka Ibn Kathir (120/737).

Dimashƙu Ibn 'Amir (118/736).

Damascus Ibn 'Amir (118/736).

Basra Abu 'Amr (148/770).

Basra Abu 'Amr (148/770).

Kufa 'Asim (127/744) Hafs (180/796).

Kufa 'Asim (127/744) Hafs (180/796).

Kufa Hamza (156/772).

Kufa Hamza (156/772).

Al-Kisa'i Kufi (189/804) Duri (246/860).

Kufa Al-Kisa'i (189/804) Duri (246/860).

Karatu na 1 da na 5 suna da muhimmanci ta musamman: karatun da Warsh ya ruwaito ya yadu a Afirka, banda Masar, inda, kamar yadda yake yanzu a kusan sauran sassan duniyar Musulunci, ana bin karatun da Hafs ya ruwaito.

Readings No. 1 and 5 are of particular importance: the reading transmitted by Warsh is widespread in Africa, except Egypt, where, as now in almost all other parts of the Muslim world, the reading transmitted by Hafs is observed.

Daga baya kuma wasu ra'ayoyi suka fito, har suka zama karatu goma ko goma sha huɗu da aka sani. Baya ga bakwai da aka ambata a sama, waɗannan su ne suka cika karatu goma da goma sha huɗu:

Later on other views emerged, making ten or fourteen well-known readings. In addition to the seven above, the following make up the ten and the fourteen readers:

Wuri Mai karanta Mai ruwaita Madina Abu Ja'far (130/747)

Place Reader Transmitter Madina Abu Ja'far (130/747)

Basra Ya'qub (205/820)

Basra Ya'qub (205/820)

Khalaf (229/843) na Kufa

Kufa Khalaf (229/843)

Basra Hasan al-Basri (110/728)

Basra Hasan al Basri (110/728)

Makka Ibn Muhaisin (123/740)

Makka Ibn Muhaisin (123/740)

Basra Yahya al-Yazidi (202/817)

Basra Yahya al-Yazidi (202/817)

Kufa al-A'mash (148/765)

Kufa al-A'mash (148/765)

Hakazalika karatun an raba su kamar haka: [Suyuti, Itqan, I, shafi na 77] Mutawatir (wanda mutane da yawa suka ruwaito; sun hada da karatu bakwai sanannu).

The readings are also divided as follows: [Suyuti, Itqan, I, p 77]  The mutawatir (transmitted by many; they include the seven well-known readings).

Al-āḥād (wanda aka rawaito ta hanyar mutum ɗaya; suna da nau'i uku, wanda ya koma ga sahabbai, kuma tare da bakwai suna cika goma).

 The ahad (transmitted by one; they number three, going back to the sahaba and together with the seven make up the ten).

Shaadh (na banbanci; suna komawa ga tabi'un kawai).

 The shadh (exceptional; they go back to the tabi'un only).

Malamai na Musulunci sun kafa ka'idoji guda uku don karɓar kowace qira'a, da kuma wasu ka'idoji guda uku don fifita wasu a kan wasu. Mafi kyawun watsawa shi ne, babu shakka, mutawatir. Ka'idoji guda uku don karɓar sauran qira'o'i su ne:

Muslim scholars have laid down three criteria for the acceptance of any qira'a and three criteria for preferring some over others. The best transmission was of course mutawatir. The three criteria for acceptance of other readings are:

Mafi kyawun taƙaitaccen bayani a kan wannan maudu'i watakila yana cikin kalmomin malamin nan Abu-l-Khair bin al-Jazari (d.833/1429), wanda ya rubuta:

The best summary on this topic is perhaps contained in the words of the scholar Abu-l-Khair bin al-Jazari (d.833/1429), who wrote:

"Duk karatun da ya dace da nahawun Larabci, koda ta hanyar wani bangare ne kawai, kuma ya dace da daya daga cikin rubuce-rubucen Mushafin Uthman, koda kuwa dacewar tana iya yiwuwa ne kawai, kuma tana da sahihin isnadi, to karatu ne ingantacce (sahih), wanda ba za a ki shi ba, kuma ba za a musanta shi ba. Yana cikin harrufan bakwai (ahruf) da aka saukar da Alkur'ani a kansu, kuma wajibi ne mutane su karbe shi, ko yana daga cikin Imamai bakwai, ko goma, ko kuma daga sauran Imamai karbabbu. Amma idan daya daga cikin wadannan sharudda uku bai cika ba, to dole ne a ki shi a matsayin mai rauni (da'if) ko kebantacce (shadh) ko baraleli (batil), ko yana daga cikin bakwai ko kuma daga wanda ya fi su tsufa." [Suyuti, Itqan, I, p.75 ]

'Every reading in accordance with Arabic (grammar) even if (only) in some way, and in accordance with one of the masahif of 'Uthman, even if (only) probable, and with sound chain of transmission, is a correct (sahih) reading, which must not be rejected, and may not be denied, but it belongs to the seven modes (ahruf) according to which the Qur'an was revealed, and the people are obliged to accept it, no matter whether it is from the seven Imams, or the ten or from other accepted Imams, but when one of these three conditions is not fulfilled, it must be rejected as weak (daif) or exceptional (shadh) or void (batil), no matter whether it is from the seven or from one who is older than them.' [Suyuti, Itqan, I, p.75 ]