FAQs & Fatwas • Islamic Studies

Question Regarding Qira'a Ibn 'Amir

by Suhaib Webb
September 24, 2008
1 min read

Asalamu alaykum,

I noticed in the reading of Ibn ‘Amir of the verse, “All praise be to Allah who guided us to this and we were not from those who sought guidance” That the letter و is not mentioned. Whereas, in the other six readings it is. Any idea why?

The Answer:

In the six readings, including the Hafs, the و is known as the و of Hal. Thus, it means, and Allah knows best, “Who guided us while we were not from those who sought guidance.”

As for the reading of Ibn ‘Amir the و is missing because the statement “While we were not from those who sought guidance” is an explanation of the statement before it and is, as Ibn ‘Ashur mentions the “cause for their praise.”  “All praise be to Allah who guided us. We were not from those who sought guidance!”

And Allah knows best

Suhaib

www.virtualmosque.com

You may also like

About the author

Suhaib Webb

Suhaib Webb is a contemporary American-Muslim educator, activist, and lecturer. His work bridges classical and contemporary Islamic thought, addressing issues of cultural, social and political relevance to Muslims in the West. After converting to Islam in 1992, Webb left his career in the music industry to pursue his passion in education. He earned a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and received intensive private training in the Islamic Sciences under a renowned Muslim Scholar of Senegalese descent. Webb was hired as the Imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, where he gave khutbas (sermons), taught religious classes, and provided counselling to families and young people; he also served as an Imam and resident scholar in communities across the U.S.

From 2004-2010, Suhaib Webb studied at the world’s preeminent Islamic institution of learning, Al-Azhar University, in the College of Shari`ah. During this time, after several years of studying the Arabic Language and the Islamic legal tradition, he also served as the head of the English Translation Department at Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah.

Outside of his studies at Al-Azhar, Suhaib Webb completed the memorization of the Quran in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He has been granted numerous traditional teaching licenses (ijazat), adhering to centuries-old Islamic scholarly practice of ensuring the highest standards of scholarship. Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in 2010.

View all posts

Leave a Comment