The Circle Of The Qur'an #1[The Arkaan Series] ✓

Crescent 11: Halaqât are diverse!(2)

Giving a light laugh, he continued,"Zakariyya, though you've learnt and memorized many ahadith in depth with their isnâd, try to help with the initial halaqah of Qur'an alright, don't show off too much..."
At this, the boys looked at one another wryly. Who was showing off his pride of a son as of the moment?...

Arkaan looked at Hajj Ya'qûb in amazement. The man had such overwhelming patience and wisdom that could just be deduced from his calm speech. Also, he didn't mind showing his doting on his son, though it seemed to be only Zak...

"Those senile schemers of the four tribes love their warsh recitation. They don't know that, of the seven Qira'at(styles of recitation), my Zakariyya has already completed six, and is now on the seventh... though some talk of ten recognized schools of Qira'at, others mentioned seven - even still, the four tribes only prize their warsh Qira'ah." Hajj Ya'qûb thought, clearly fuming against the elders of the four native tribes.

Under normal circumstances, a person with the caliber of Hajj Ya'qûb wouldn't think and behave this way. Yet, after spending a major portion of any day with the rivalrous and conniving council elders who had a majority coming from the four tribes, it'd be hard for anyone not to change and assimilate such a mindset, even if it were only occasionally.

Hajj Ya'qûb hadn't been like this, but the shameless spirit of competition the four tribes' leaders always showed overtly had eventually worn-off on him, and rubbed off his normal taciturn demeanour.

Though, his doting on Zak was genuinely his behaviour, with or without the influence of the four tribes. He doted upon all his sons, and cherished all his daughters the same way. Yet, every child had their own strengths, and sometimes you couldn't stop your heart from loving one among many too much.

Right now, the discussion was on Zak's field, and though his other brothers understood this and reined in any feelings of envy, the natural feeling of rivalry was rising.

"So I hope you've considered learning the seven Ahrûf also, after you finish the seven Qira'at. You know the hadith, Zak - the seven styles of Qur'an recitation, different from Al Qira'at as-Saba' ," Hajj Ya'qûb asked, suddenly taking a bunch of grapes from the sufrah and eating one at a time.

At this, the boys' eyes came back to their foods, and they gulped, their throats dry at the undivided attention they gave the old man. They immediately returned to eating their sumptuous and particularly festive dinner the family had specially prepared for the return of the father of the house.

"Zak?!!!" Zak thought in his mind. His father only referred to him as that when he was intensely happy. "In shaa Allah, when I complete first the seven Qira'at. Right now, I'm almost at the late stage with my hifz on the warsh of Naafi'."

Zak knew very well about the seven Qira'at of the Qur'an, and the reciters attributed to them. There were seven styles(Ahrûf) revealed upon the prophet, alayhis-salaam.

These were different from the seven or ten recitation forms(Qira'at), depending on which of the scholars one relied upon.

In the present day, all seven to ten Qira'at fell under only one out of the seven Ahrûf. When the Third Caliph made copies of the Holy Qur'an, he did so according to one style or Harf.

One Harf, seven reciters.

Those who studied under them and transmitted the recitation were the Ashâbut-Turûq(lit. Companions of the paths).

Any who wished could study all, perhaps with the correct âdab(etiquette), they might reach another level to where they might tap into the treasures of the Qur'an...