al-Qiraat al-sab
Seven imams. One rasm. The Prophet ﷺ was given the Quran in seven ahruf so the tribes could carry it. What Ibn Mujahid later named are not seven Qurans — they are seven living paths that still fit Uthman’s letters.
Ahruf are not the seven readings
The seven ahruf are the modes of revelation — dialects, synonyms, and slight voice — that the Prophet ﷺ taught so Quraysh, Hudhayl, Tamim and the rest could recite without strain. The seven qiraat are later, named transmissions of that allowance, each with a sound chain, each agreeing with the Uthmanic rasm. Differing on مَالِكِ and مَلِكِ in al-Fatihah is still one verse.
The hadith of the seven ahruf is in Bukhari 2419 and Muslim 818. Ibn Mujahid’s list is in Kitab al-Sabah (d. 324 AH).
5 · Kufa · d. 127 AH
عَاصِمُ بْنُ أَبِي النَّجُود
From Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, from Ali and Uthman and Zayd and Ubayy, from the Messenger ﷺ.
شُعْبَة
Shubah
Asim’s older student. A finer, older Kufan colour.
حَفْص
Hafs
The reading of Nur, of tarawih, of almost every printed mushaf.
Hafs from Asim is the reading of the ummah in the east, and of this app.
1:4 · Malik or Malik
مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Hafs, al-Kisai and Yaqub read مَالِكِ — Owner of the Day of Judgement. Nafi, Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Ibn Amir and Hamzah read مَلِكِ — King of the Day of Judgement. Both are in the rasm. Both were heard.
Open 1:42:10 · They lie, or they deny
بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ
Hafs and others read يَكْذِبُونَ — they lie. Nafi, Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr and Ibn Amir read يُكَذِّبُونَ — they deny. The rasm carries both. The meaning sits beside itself.
Open 2:101:6 · A heavier sad
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Hamzah and others may colour sirat toward a zay. Hafs keeps a clear sad. You still ask for the straight path.
Open 1:6Ibn al-Jazari (d. 833 AH) added three imams whose chains are also sound. Nur still opens Hafs. These three complete the map.
Nur recites Hafs from Asim of Kufa — the fifth of the seven, the path of tarawih. The others are not weaker. They are brothers of the same rasm.
