The Jurisprudent Attitude of the Scholars of Al-Hilla towards the Qur’anic Recitals

الموقف الفقهي لعلماء الحلة من القراءات القرآنية

Abstract

The Imami scholars-and among them the scholars of Al-Hilla- are well-known for their less interest in the Qur’anic recitals, let alone exploring and going deep in studying such recitals. In this paper, I try to shed light on the interest of the scholars in Qur’anic recitals on one side only:
the jurisprudent side. This will show that the scholars of Al-Hilla have been familiar with these recitals. In fact, they have had their own clear vision in this respect. They have known these recitals well. This knowledge has sprung from both recounting and expertise. They have piously employed this knowledge in the jurisprudent side. Their jurisprudent attitude towards the Qur’anic recitals is indicated in three directions, which will be the parts of the present paper. The First Part is the general jurisprudent attitude towards the Qur’anic recitals and their succession in narration.
They believe that the glorious Qur’an is one, which descended from the One Lord, but its narrators differed. The Second Part deals with the effect of these recitals, which the scholars of Al-Hilla have consulted, when deducting the jurisprudent rules: to support a jurisprudent rule, to increase the number of its proofs or to show the reason of the difference and disagreement of the jurisprudent opinions about a certain problem. Although they have consulted these recitals, they are not a source of jurisprudent deduction to them. The Third Part tackles the judgment of using such recitals in prayer. Although the scholars of Al-Hilla have been interested in
the validity of the recitation of the Qur’anic Suras in prayer, the necessity of their preciseness and avoiding covert and overt solecism, they have written less about these recitals. I have found that only with Ibn Idrees and Al-Allama Al-Hilli. Ibn Idrees allows adopting in prayer the recitals which are already widespread. Al-Allama Al-Hilli permits adopting the seven recitals in prayer.