The Quran is well-known for its rich oral tradition and the diversity of its recitations, known as qira'at. The variant readings have been a subject of extensive study, reflecting both linguistic nuances and the depth of the Quranic text. The Quran is not a single text, but rather it is multifaceted and contains numerous words with different readings. These differences arise primarily for two main reasons:
The word "mālik" (Q1:4) mentioned above is shown in color in Iqra, indicating the existence of a variant reading:
The standard reading and its variant are depicted in the panel shown above. Five readers used here a short "a", and two readers read the same word with a long "ā".
In Iqra, nearly 1200 words are marked as having variant readings. About three-quarters of these variations are related to the vowels alone, without any consonant change. In the remaining 320 words, consonantal changes are permitted, but these variations are minimal: almost all involve a single-letter modification, whether through addition, removal, or substitution.
As to the differences extending beyond a single letter, the variation is strictly limited to two letters: a couple added, a couple removed, or a couple replaced by two other letters. Notably, no variant reading alters more than two letters, underscoring the controlled nature of these differences. All words with a two-letter variation are shown below:
| Verse | Standard | Reader | Variant | Remove | Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58:8 | yatanājauna | 6 | yantajūna | ta nun | nun ta |
| 9:100 | taḥtahā | 2 | min taḥtihā | mim nun | |
| 57:24 | huwal-ġaniyyu | 1 4 | al-ġaniyyu | ha waw | |
| 10:22 | yusayyirukum | 4 | yanšurukum | (syr) | (nšr) |
| 29:58 | nubawwiʾanna | 6 7 | nuṯwiyanna | (bwa) | (ṯwy) |
| 4:94 49:6 | fa-tabayyanū | 6 7 | fa-taṯabbatū | (byn) | (ṯbt) |
Pink denotes Spelling change and yellow denotes Root change. The link for the complete list of variant readings is given above, before the table.
The numbers clearly refute both of the following claims:
• Claim by some Muslims: "Variant readings are merely differences in regional pronunciation." This is incorrect. While phonetic variations constitue the majority, approximately 1000 words (including repetitions) exhibit slight differences in meaning across various readings.
• Claim by some non-Muslims: "There are numerous instances of omitted and inserted words, even entire verses." In reality, within the domain of valid recitations, both verse order and word order remain fixed. The only case of word addition involves a two-letter word (min) and the single instance of removal is another two-letter word (huwa), as shown in the table above. There is no instance of verse order or word order being altered within valid recitations.
Some orientalists have attempted to portray the variations as textual corruption. However, Islamic scholars assert that these readings were divinely revealed and that the Prophet recited both at different times. It is inconceivable that the companions, who meticulously preserved the Quran, would have overlooked the difference between "malik" and "mâlik". Since both readings have been conveyed through mass transmission (tawātur), both meanings are equally acceptable and part of the Quranic revelation.
There are only a small number of valid recitations that go all the way back to the companions with a chain of narration (isnâd). For a recitation to be valid, both verbal and written evidence is required: a solid chain of narration and conformity with an acceptable codex (mushaf). Anyone who claims "That word can also be read like this" is bound by the two rules: The claimer must have an authentic isnâd and the reading must conform to an Uthmani mushaf.
Al-Dānī described seven canonical recitations in his book al-Taysīr. Each recitation is associated with a region and a reader representing the variant. The seven readers (qâri) are listed below, along with the region where they lived and the hijri year of death.
Region -- Reader (death) 1 Medina -- Nāfi` (169) 2 Mecca -- Ibn Kaṯīr (120) 3 Basrah -- Abū `Amr (154) 4 Syria -- Ibn `Āmir (118) 5 Kufa -- `Āṣim (129) 6 Kufa -- Ḥamzah (156) 7 Kufa -- al-Kisāī (189)
Variant readings can be classified into five groups. You will find below for each group, a list of words, approximate number of words, and a sample word from each list:
In each example below, if you click on the verse number, the verse will be displayed in the Iqra software. When you click on the word, variant readings of the verse are opened on the Corpus Coranicum website. Below the yellow line you can see the standard Asim/Hafs narration, and above the line the variant readings are shown.
In most of the variant readings, the letters remain the same, only the pronunciation is different: the spelling and meaning of the word do not change. Since their number is quite large, only a small part of this group is displayed in the Iqra software.
Nāziʿāt 79:15 —
Mūsā ⇒ Mūsæ | Mūsē
In this verse, the word "Mūsā" readable in three different ways, depending on the local accent. There are many similar examples: "hudâ", "hawâ", "tajallâ" and similar words are written with the dotless "ya" instead of the alif, to allow for different readings. Similarly, there are qâris who read the words "nâr" and "kâfirûn" as "niyr" and "kiyfirûn"! At first hearing, they sound a bit annoying, but different accents really add richness to the sound.
In this category, the word (consonants) remains the same, only the vowels are different.
Māidah 5:6 —
arjulakum ⇒ arjulikum
In this example, the meaning really gets richer: According to half of the readers, it is necessary to wash the feet, and according to the others, it is sufficient to wipe the feet. There are interpretations that include both meanings. We know that the companions washed the feet most of the time and sometimes wiped them.
Most of the consonant differences are related to verbs. Differences have been recorded in matters such as the subject, mood, tense of the verb, and whether it is passive.
Hijr 15:8 —
nunazzilu ⇒ tanazzalu | tunazzalu
While the readers of Kufa read this verse as meaning "we send down the angels," others say "the angels descend." The subject is different but the net meaning is the same.
In 14 verses, two words with different meanings have the same spelling. Both meanings are valid together and they enrich the meaning. Since one is not considered "more correct" than the other, both are preserved in memory, but were depicted in the same way in the Uthmani mushafs.
ʿAnkabūt 29:58 —
nubawwiʾanna ⇒ nuṯwiyanna
The two words sound very different, but without the dots, the spelling in Kufic script does not change. The meaning is also very close: To settle in a place is to make that place your home.
In 44 verses, the spelling of a word can change: one or two letters are different. In order to record the differences in reading, each mushaf was written according to the reading appropriate to the region it was going to. Since one was not considered "more correct" than the other, both were recorded as "regional differences" in the Uthmani mushafs.
Yūnus 10:22 —
yusayyirukum ⇒ yanšurukum
Ibn ʿĀmir alone read this verse with a different word that is very similar in meaning. The root sin-ya-ra, which is the choice of the majority, means "to roam" on the earth, while the root nun-šin-ra means "to spread". The difference is not easily seen in Kufic script.
Three hundred years after the Hijra, in the 900s, an important classification was carried out in Baghdad, the center of the Abbasid Islamic state, regarding variant readings of the Quran: Ibn Mujahid compiled the readings of seven readers chosen from five regions (Medina, Mecca, Basra, Damascus, Kufa) and wrote his work called Kitāb al-Sabʿah fī al-Qirāʾāt (Seven Recitations). A century later, in Andalusia, Abu ʿAmr al-Dani simplified the seven readings in his famous book al-Taysīr.
In 1930, the German orientalist O Pretzl republished this work in Istanbul. Again a century later, Dutch scholar M van Putten translated the same book into English, making it widely accessible and supplementing it with introductory insights. The tables linked on this page have been extracted from van Putten's valuable contribution.
Institutions and scholars worldwide engage in preserving and teaching these recitations, ensuring the Quran's multifaceted oral heritage remains alive. The variant readings of the Quran exemplify the linguistic richness of the text and the meticulous efforts of generations to preserve its oral and written forms. These variations, far from indicating discrepancies, highlight adaptability of the Quran, offering multiple layers of understanding and reflection.
The claim that "not even a single letter has changed" reflects a lack of awareness of variant readings. In reality, the preservation of the Quran is much stronger than that: The Quran has been preserved in its entirety, including all its variant readings. There is no alteration in the order of surahs, verses, or even words. While some words exhibit differences in vowels, or in 320 cases consonants, these variations are accurately preserved. Recitational differences are safeguarded through oral transmission, while spelling variations are recorded in the Uthmani mushafs.
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Mesâhif Feb 2025