The Relationship between Variant Readings and the Rhetorical Inimitability (Iʿjāz Bayānī) of Selected Verses from Sūrat al-Kahf

Objective: This study investigates the impact of Qurʾānic variant readings (ikhtilāf al-qirāʾāt) on the rhetorical and stylistic inimitability (iʿjāz bayānī) of the Qurʾān, with particular focus on five selected verses from Quran, Sūrat al-Kahf (18:17, 25, 36, 44, and 47). Special emphasis is placed on the reading of ʿĀṣim (riwāyat Ḥafṣ). The principal research problem concerns how variant readings influence the semantic and rhetorical subtleties of these verses and whether the reading of ʿĀṣim demonstrates superior coherence and preservation of the Qurʾān’s rhetorical inimitability.
Method: The study adopts a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach, drawing upon authoritative sources in Qurʾānic sciences, qirāʾāt, and tafsīr. All instances of variant readings in Sūrat al-Kahf constitute the research population, from which five verses were purposively selected due to their rhetorically significant variations. Data were collected through comparative analysis of the Seven Readings as documented in classical works such as al-Sabʿah fī al-Qirāʾāt by Ibn Mujahid and al-Taysīr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-Sabʿ by Abu Amr al-Dani, alongside rhetorical exegeses including al-Kashshāf by Al-Zamakhshari and Rūḥ al-Maʿānī by Mahmud al-Alusi.
Findings: Analysis of the five selected verses reveals that certain variants exert meaningful rhetorical effects:
18:17 (tazāwaru / tazzāwaru / tazwaruّ): The reading of ʿĀṣim (tazāwaru)
depicts the sun’s movement as gentle and natural, harmonizing with the miraculous yet orderly preservation of the Companions of the Cave; 18:25 (thalātha miʾatin / thalātha miʾati sinīn): The tanwīn form (miʾatin) is syntactically standard and rhetorically clearer.
18:36 (minhā / minhumā): The singular pronoun (minhā) coheres fully with the antecedent jannatahu in the previous verse, avoiding ambiguity; 18:44 (al-walāyah / al-wilāyah; al-ḥaqqi / al-ḥaqqu): The reading of ʿĀṣim (al-walāyatu li-llāhi al-ḥaqqi) underscores God’s rightful spiritual authority grounded in truth; 18:47 (nusayyiru / tusayyaru): The first-person plural active form (nusayyiru) emphasizes God’s direct agency and absolute power in setting the mountains in motion.
Conclusion: The reading of ʿĀṣim demonstrates greater rhetorical coherence and semantic clarity in conveying the Qurʾān’s stylistic inimitability. Excessive emphasis on multiple variants—particularly within the domain of farsh al-ḥurūf—without due regard for rhetorical consequences may introduce ambiguity and diminish the impact of the Qurʾān’s expressive miracle. Prioritizing the reading of ʿĀṣim as a primary standard for recitation and interpretation is therefore presented as the most effective means of safeguarding the Qurʾān’s rhetorical authenticity.