Exploring the Influence of Companions’ Qirāʾāt on Early Sunni Tafsīr

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Eghlid Higher Education Center, Eghlid, Iran

2 Corresponding Author, Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

3 M.A. Graduate in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the impact of the Qurʾānic recitations (qirāʾāt) of the Companions—particularly ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿūd and Abī ibn Kaʿb—on early Sunni tafsīr (1st–4th centuries AH). The primary research question examines how and to what extent these qirāʾāt influenced the exegetical approaches of early commentators, and their relation to the standardized ʿUthmānī codex.
Method: A descriptive-analytical approach was employed, focusing on key early Sunni tafsīrs: Maʿānī al-Qurʾān by al-Farrā, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm by Ibn Abi Hatim al-Rāzī, and Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān by Al-Naḥḥās. Instances of the Companions’ qirāʾāt were systematically collected and analyzed, with attention to their alignment or divergence from the ʿUthmānī qirāʾah and the interpretive approach of the commentator (reporting, explanatory, or analytical).
Findings: Research findings indicate that the majority of the companions' opinions in early commentaries pertain to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and Ubay ibn Ka'b. Commentators, while referencing the well-known and widespread recitations, also alluded to the recitations of these two companions. However, these references were primarily reportative, and the commentators did not engage in analyzing, clarifying, or prioritizing the companions' recitations. In numerous instances, such as in verses Baqarah 78, Baqarah 24, Kahf 4, Kahf 8, and Zummar 3, commentators treated the companions' recitations as their interpretive theories rather than independent recitations. Furthermore, the recitations of Ibn Mas'ud and Ubay ibn Ka'b were sometimes in agreement with the prevalent recitation (e.g., Yunus 2 and Insan/4) and sometimes divergent (e.g., Baqarah 322 and Al-Imran 818). In cases of discrepancy, commentators, without favoring a particular recitation, contented themselves with merely reporting the difference.
Conclusion: Despite the formal establishment of the ʿUthmānī codex, early Sunni exegetes did not omit reference to the Companions’ qirāʾāt. Their approach was largely cautious and reporting-oriented; they recognized these readings as exegetical insights rather than independent textual variants to rival the ʿUthmānī text. This cautious approach reflects: (1) the marginalization of non-ʿUthmānī codices, and (2) uncertainty regarding the permissibility of elevating or interpreting variant readings. Nonetheless, the consistent reporting of these qirāʾāt indicates the exegetes’ effort to preserve the interpretive heritage of the pious predecessors, illuminating the early interplay between Companion recitations and Sunni exegetical tradition

Keywords

References

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Studies of Quran Reading
Volume 13, Issue 25 - Serial Number 25
September 2024
Pages 287-316

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History

  • Receive Date: 09 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 08 November 2025
  • Accept Date: 07 December 2025

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