Most Muslims today recite the Quran in the way of Hafs from ‘Asim. But if you travel to Morocco, Sudan or Libya, you may hear a slightly different recitation of the very same Quran. These are the qira'at — the recognised ways of reciting the Quran, each passed down through a chain of teachers back to the Prophet ﷺ.
This guide explains the ten qira'at in simple words: who the readers were, who passed on their reading, and where each is recited today.
Qira'at, riwayat and ahruf — three words
Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
Qira'ah (plural qira'at) | A way of reciting, named after a famous reader (qari') | The qira'ah of ‘Asim |
Riwayah | The version of that reading passed on by one of the reader's two main students | Hafs from ‘Asim |
Ahruf | The "seven modes" in which the Quran was revealed, mentioned in hadith | Not the same as the seven qira'at |
The Prophet ﷺ said that the Quran was revealed in seven ahruf (reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim). Scholars explain that the qira'at preserve parts of these modes — but the seven qira'at are not the same thing as the seven ahruf. That is a common confusion.
The ten readers and their narrators
In the 4th century AH, the scholar Ibn Mujahid gathered seven well-known readings. Later, Ibn al-Jazari (d. 833 AH) confirmed three more, making ten. Each reader has two main narrators (rawis).
# | Reader | City | Two narrators |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nafi‘ | Madinah | Qalun, Warsh |
2 | Ibn Kathir | Makkah | al-Bazzi, Qunbul |
3 | Abu ‘Amr | Basra | al-Duri, al-Susi |
4 | Ibn ‘Amir | Damascus | Hisham, Ibn Dhakwan |
5 | ‘Asim | Kufa | Shu‘bah, Hafs |
6 | Hamzah | Kufa | Khalaf, Khallad |
7 | al-Kisa'i | Kufa | Abu al-Harith, al-Duri |
8 | Abu Ja‘far | Madinah | Ibn Wardan, Ibn Jammaz |
9 | Ya‘qub | Basra | Ruways, Rawh |
10 | Khalaf al-‘Ashir | Baghdad | Ishaq, Idris |
Which are recited today?
Riwayah | Where you will mostly hear it |
|---|---|
Hafs from ‘Asim | Most of the Muslim world: the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, Turkey, Europe, the Americas |
Warsh from Nafi‘ | North and West Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and much of West Africa |
Qalun from Nafi‘ | Libya, parts of Tunisia |
al-Duri from Abu ‘Amr | Sudan and parts of Central and West Africa |
The other readings are mostly studied by advanced students of qira'at, who often learn several of them with a teacher and receive an ijazah.
What are the differences like?
The differences are small, and none of them changes the message of the Quran. Examples:
- The length of madd. Warsh lengthens some vowels more than Hafs.
- Hamza. Some readings soften or change the hamza in certain words.
- A vowel or letter. In Al-Fatiha, Hafs reads مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (Maliki, "Owner"), while Warsh reads مَلِكِ (Maliki with a short a, "King") — both are names of Allah and both meanings are true.
- Imalah. Some readings lean certain long a vowels towards "e".
Every one of these readings is the Quran, transmitted with an unbroken chain — not a different version of it.
How do I know which one my Mushaf uses?
Look at the last pages of your Mushaf. Most say "according to the riwayah of Hafs from ‘Asim". Mushafs printed in North and West Africa often say Warsh, and they also use a different script (Maghribi), where some letters have different dots. Our guide to Hafs vs Warsh explains those differences.
Learning more
To understand how readings are passed on, read what an ijazah is. To master the most common reading first, start with our Tajweed guide or the online Tajweed course, which follow Hafs from ‘Asim.
FAQ
How many qira'at are there?
Ten recognised qira'at, each with two main narrators, giving twenty riwayat. Seven were gathered by Ibn Mujahid and three more were confirmed by Ibn al-Jazari.
Are the seven qira'at the same as the seven ahruf?
No. The seven ahruf are the modes of revelation mentioned in hadith. The qira'at preserve parts of them, but they are not the same thing.
Which qira'ah is most common today?
Hafs from ‘Asim. Warsh from Nafi‘ is the next most common, especially in North and West Africa.
Should a beginner learn more than one qira'ah?
No. Beginners should learn one riwayah well, usually Hafs. Other readings are for advanced students with a qualified teacher.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4992 — the Quran revealed in seven ahruf — Sunnah.com
- Surah Al-Fatiha 1:4 — Quran.com
- Qira'at — Wikipedia
- Ibn al-Jazari — Wikipedia