Are the Ten Canonical Modes of Recital the same as the Qur’an?

Question: Are the Ten Canonical Modes of Recital the same as the Qur’an? What is the difference between the Seven Modes and the Ten Modes?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

The Qur’an by definition is something recited, and not the book (Mukhtasar Ibn al Hajib). This definition tells us that there is a difference between the Qur’an and the mushaf, but also that there is no difference between the Qur’an and the Ten Modes of Recital.

Some scholars do seem to make a difference between the two concepts but what I have mentioned is the better explanation (Itqan al Burhan, Dr Fadl Abbas).

While the Seven Modes are mass-narrated (mutawatir), the remaining three are merely well known by the scholars of Qur’an recital. To compare, we can say that both the Seven Modes and the remaining three are in keeping with the Uthmanic script (al mushaf al imam), and in keeping with Arabic language and grammar. The only difference is how well known they were (Al Itqan, Suyuti).

Please also read:

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/differences-between-the-canonical-recitations-of-quran/

Please see: https://seekersguidance.org/courses/ulum-al-quran-on-revelation-how-it-was-preserved-and-understood-and-why-it-is-true/

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language