"القراءة" (al-qira'a，复数 qira'at)派生自动词 qara'a，意为"阅读、诵读"，《古兰经》(Qur'an)一词也源于此。它是一个动名词，意为诵读。在专业术语中，它既指《古兰经》的口头诵读，也指与口头诵读相对应的书面经文标点。

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.

示例：

Examples:

根据毛杜迪的解释，《古兰经》的一些被接受的诵读差异，应当这样正确理解。他在《古兰经研究导论》（德里，1971年，第21页）中非常有说服力地阐明：在《开端章》（1：3）中，"maliki"与"mâliki"两种读法都描述了安拉的一种属性，"主宰审判日"的"君主"与"主人"之间绝无矛盾，而"这两种读法使经文的含义更加清晰"。

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'.

同样，5:8 中的 arjulakum [纳菲尔、哈夫斯（承阿绥姆）、凯赛贝的读法] 与 arjulikum [伊本·凯西尔、阿布·阿姆尔、阿布·巴克拉（承阿绥姆）、哈姆扎的读法] 都带有两种含义："洗"或"擦"脚。两者确实都是正确的：通常情况下，人会洗脚，而其他人，例如旅行者，可能只是擦脚。此处《古兰经》的经文同时承载了这两种含义。这确实是真主启示的独特之处。

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.

Sababa读者 自启示开始，《古兰经》的诵读与背诵就一直在进行，先知ﷺ是第一位诵读者。这一点在关于经文传承的章节中已经讨论过。先知ﷺ去世后，诵读仍通过他的圣门弟子延续下来。许多再传弟子从中学习的著名诵读者有：乌ban·本·凯卜、阿里、宰德·本·萨比特、伊本·麦斯欧德、艾布·穆萨·艾什尔里以及其他许多人。

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.

后来的发展：随着穆斯林散居世界的许多地区，《古兰经》出现了多种诵读方式，其中一些与公认的经文及从先知和众门徒传承下来的读法并不相符。这就需要对经文进行彻底的审查，区分何者为沙希德（可靠的，sahih），何者为沙兹（孤例的、异常的，shadh）。

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).

"七种诵读" "七种诵读"的标准化大约发生在第二世纪(公元八世纪)。九世纪的穆斯林学者伊本·穆贾希德(Ibn Mujahid)撰写了一部名为《七种诵读》的著作,在其中挑选了七种流行的诵读方式,认为它们传承最为可靠、最为可信。此后,其他诵读方式逐渐受到冷落,甚至遭到反对,其中包括伊本·麦斯欧德(Ibn Mas'ud)和欧拜·本·凯尔卜('Ubay bin Ka'b)的诵读。然而,这并不意味着人必须只限于这七种诵读中的某一种,也不意味着必须全部采用。下面列出这七种诵读的地方来源,以及诵读家的姓名[其简短传记见《目录》第一卷第63页及以后]和与之相关的一些传述者(rawis):

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:

地点 读者 传述者 麦地那 纳菲尔（169/785） 瓦尔什（197/812）

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

麦加 伊本·凯西尔（120/737）

Makka Ibn Kathir (120/737).

大马士革的伊本·阿米尔（118/736）。

Damascus Ibn 'Amir (118/736).

巴士拉的阿布·阿穆尔（148/770）。

Basra Abu 'Amr (148/770).

库法的阿辛（127/744）、哈夫斯（180/796）。

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

库法的哈姆扎（156/772）。

Kufa Hamza (156/772).

库法的Al-Kisa'i(189/804)、Duri(246/860)。

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

第1种和第5种诵读尤为重要：经华尔什(Warsh)传述的诵读在非洲广泛流传，埃及除外；在埃及以及如今穆斯林世界几乎其他所有地区，则遵循经哈夫斯(Hafs)传述的诵读。

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.

后来又出现了其他的观点，形成了十种或十四种广为人知的诵读方式。除上述七种之外，以下几种构成了十种和十四种诵读者的诵读方式：

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:

地点 读者 传述者 麦地那 Abu Ja'far (130/747)

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

巴士拉 叶尔古卜（205/820）

Basra Ya'qub (205/820)

库法·赫拉夫（229/843）

Kufa Khalaf (229/843)

巴士拉的哈桑·巴士里（110/728）

Basra Hasan al Basri (110/728)

麦加·伊本·穆哈辛（123/740）

Makka Ibn Muhaisin (123/740)

巴士拉的叶海亚·亚兹迪（202/817）

Basra Yahya al-Yazidi (202/817)

库法的阿麦什（148/765）

Kufa al-A'mash (148/765)

这些诵读也分为如下几类：[Suyuti, Itqan, I, p 77] 《Mutawatir》（经众多传述者传述者；其中包括七种著名的诵读）。

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

"āḥād"(单传)（即由一人传述的圣训；其数有三种，追溯至圣门弟子，与七种合在一起，共成十种）。

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

"shadh"(罕见的、异常的;这些说法仅追溯到再传弟子)。

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

穆斯林学者为接受任何一种诵读方式（qira'a）制定了三条标准，并为在各种诵读之间进行优选制定了三条标准。最可靠的传承当然是穆塔瓦特尔（mutawatir）传承。接受其他诵读方式的三条标准是：

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:

Correctness according to Arabic grammar.

 Correctness according to Arabic grammar.

与奥斯曼所定的书面文本保持一致。

 Agreement with the written text of 'Uthman.

关于这一主题，最好的概括或许可以见于学者阿布·海尔·伊本·吉扎里（卒于833年/公元1429年）的话，他写道：

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:

“凡是符合阿拉伯语（语法）的任何一种诵读，即使只是在某一方面符合；凡是符合奥斯曼的某一部穆斯哈夫（mashahif），即使只是可能符合；凡是传承可靠的，都是正确（sahih）的诵读。这样的诵读不可拒绝，也不可否认，它属于《古兰经》降示所依的七种读法（ahruf）之一，人们有义务接受它，无论它出自七位伊玛目、十位伊玛目，还是其他被接受的伊玛目。但是，只要这三个条件中有一个不具备，就必须将其视为弱（da'if）、变异（shadh）或无效（batil）而加以拒绝，无论它出自七位伊玛目，还是出自比他们更早的人。” [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 ]