The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page cccxiii
GENERAL INTRODUCTION Prophet, recognizing such practices, gave permission under divine dispensation for the adoption of alternative enunciations, as this had not the effect of altering the meaning or sense of the words. As non-Arabic-speaking peoples are not familiar with this peculiarity of the Arabic language, they are apt to fall into the misconception that such alternative enunciations amounted to variations in the text and that the Holy Prophet was in the habit of teaching certain verses of the Quran in one way to one person and in a different way to another. In fact nothing of the kind ever took place. The variations which have become the subject matter of discussion were not variations either of the text of a verse or even variations of a word. They were all cases of enunciation of vowel points which did not in any way alter the meaning or significance of a word. The only difference was that some tribes or families, being accustomed to pronounce certain verbs in particular declensions in a certain manner, were permitted to do so. Reciters of the Quran In addition to the four principal teachers of the Quran who had been trained by the Holy Prophet himself there were certain other well-known reciters who had committed the whole of the Quran to memory. Among these were: (1) Zaid bin Thābit, who was also one of the recorders of the revelation. (2) Abū Zaid Qais bin As-Sakan, an Anṣārī, who belonged to the Banū Najjar, which was the tribe of the Prophet's mother (Fatḥul-Bārī, Vol. 9, p. 49). (3) Abū Dardā' Anṣārī (Bukhārī). (4) Abū Bakr, concerning whom also it is related that from the very beginning he was in the habit of committing the Quran to memory. (5) Alī not only knew the Quran by heart but shortly after the Holy Prophet's death undertook to arrange the Quran in the order in which it had been revealed. (6) Nasa'ī relates that ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar also knew the Quran by heart and used to recite the whole of it in the course of one night. When the Holy Prophet got to know of this he told him to complete the recitation in the course of a month and not to attempt to recite the whole of the Quran in one night as this might prove burdensome for him. (7) Abū 'Ubaid relates that out of the Muhājirīn the following had committed the Quran to memory: Abū Bakr, 'Umar, ‘Uthmān, ‘Alī, Ṭalḥah, Sa'd Ibn Mas'ud, Ḥudhaifah, Sālim, Abū Hurairah, ‘Abdullah bin Sa'ib, ‘Abdullah bin Umar and 'Abdullāh bin 'Abbās. And out of the women: ‘Ā’ishah, Ḥafṣah and Ummi Salamah. cclxxxvii