Representation of the recitation and collection of the Quran by Imam Ali (AS) in early Shiite narrations, Discourse analysis, Historical

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Tehran Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Farhangian University, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ahl al-Bayt (AS), University of Isfahan, Iran. .

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to delineate the intrinsic characteristics of the prophetic recitation taught to Imam ʿAlī (a), elucidate his unique scholarly authority (marjaʿiyyah) in Quranic sciences relative to other companions, and bridge the historiographical gap regarding the qualitative content analysis of the prophetic pedagogical traditions (Iqrāʾ).
Methodology: Employing a descriptive-analytical approach and mixed (quantitative and qualitative) content analysis, the research rigorously examines core traditions regarding the codex of Imam ʿAlī (a) recorded in foundational Shi'i corpora (e.g., Kitāb Sulaym ibn Qays, Baṣāʾir al-Darajāt, al-Kāfī, and Tafsīr al-Qummī). It conducts a semantic and philological analysis of pivotal technical terms, namely Iqrāʾ, Imlāʾ, Muṣḥaf, and Kamā Unzila.
Findings: Quantitative and qualitative findings reveal that hermeneutic sciences (33.8%) and compilation/codification (30.8%), alongside recitation and dictation, constitute the thematic core of these traditions. The evidence proves that the revealed prophetic recitation was strictly singular, uniform, and divinely authorized. Transmission to Imam ʿAlī (a) occurred systematically across three integrated dimensions—oral recitation (iqrāʾ), prophetic dictation (imlāʾ), and immediate transcription (kitābah)—encompassing all semantic tiers, including esoteric hermeneutics (taʾwīl), exegesis (tafsīr), abrogation (nāsikh wa-mansūkh), and contexts of revelation.
Conclusion: The codex and recitation of Imam ʿAlī (a) serve as the primordial benchmark for revelation authenticity, providing a divine-prophetic criterion for adjudicating textual integrity and variant readings, thereby establishing the comprehensive epistemological authority of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in safeguarding the Quranic text and its authentic meanings.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 March 2026
  • Revise Date: 01 April 2026
  • Accept Date: 24 April 2026

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