Shu‘bah ‘an ‘Āṣim - Lexical Parsing: Seven Aḥruf Mapping to Seven Language Aspects

Abstract

This study sheds light on the lesser-known fact that the Qur’ān was revealed in seven aḥruf (letters), with the wisdom to accommodate the diverse dialects of the contemporary Arab tribes. The detailed preservation of these recitations through a chain of reciters traced back to the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him) emphasizes their enduring importance. In this research work, we categorize the words with differences into the Seven Arabic Language Aspects framework for the riwāyah (narration) of Shu‘bah ‘an ‘Āṣim. During the process of corpus development, we focus on preserving the ‘Uthmānī Muṣḥaf syntax during Arabic text modifications, utilizing calculated token count and root word count fields to address subsequent occurrences of each word in the Qur’ān systematically. This research also introduces a distinct approach by categorizing variations according to Seven Arabic Language Aspects rather than the conventional method found in qirā’āt literature, which typically focuses on emphasizing differences in ḥarakāt (vowel sounds) and letters when contrasting with the riwāyah of Ḥafṣ. This provides a deeper understanding of the reasons behind such changes, including shifts in meaning or morphological forms. Additionally, this methodology enables the quantification of specific words, facilitating targeted practice by identifying verses where particular linguistic features appear most frequently.