Evaluation of the Arguments and Theoretical Foundations of the View Permitting Qur’anic Recitation in Prayer Based on Arabic Linguistic Principles

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Corresponding author, PhD Candidate in Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, University of Qom, Qom, Iran,

2 Professor of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, University of Qom, Qom, Iran,

Abstract

Objective: Qurʾānic recitation is one of the fundamental obligations of prayer, and determining the criterion for its validity has long been a controversial issue in Islamic jurisprudence. Among Imāmī jurists, a group maintains that adherence to Arabic linguistic rules suffices for a valid recitation, without the necessity of following the canonical or well-known readings. This study aims to examine and critically evaluate the foundations and evidences of this view in light of jurisprudential and uṣūlī discussions.
Method: Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, this study investigates jurisprudential, uṣūlī, and exegetical sources. First, the theoretical foundations and textual evidences of the aforementioned view were collected, and then analyzed through content analysis in order to assess the strength of its reasoning and its implications for ritual practice.
Results: The findings indicate that this view rests on three major premises: (1) restricting Qurʾānic tawātur to the core words while considering qirāʾa variations as ijtihād-based, (2) regarding conformity with Arabic grammar as sufficient for validity, and (3) distinguishing between the essential Qurʾān and its variant recitations. However, these premises face serious challenges, since separating the core from the formal aspects of Qurʾānic words undermines the tawātur of the text and contradicts historical and scholarly evidence.
Conclusions: Based on this evaluation, the permissibility of reciting the Qurʾān in prayer solely according to Arabic linguistic rules cannot be accepted. Conversely, the view that conditions the validity of prayer upon recitation consistent with the well-known qirāʾāt among Muslims is more firmly grounded in hadith, historical evidence, and jurisprudential reasoning, and better accords with the principle of precaution in acts of worship. 

Keywords

References

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  • Receive Date: 06 March 2025
  • Revise Date: 02 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 24 April 2025

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