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Is the variation between the Ten Qira'at, in terms of meaning and the addition or omission of certain letters, extensive or limited?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The types of variations in Quranic readings can be summarized into three categories: variation in wording with unity of meaning (e.g., al-sirāt and al-ṣirāt), variation in wording and meaning with the possibility of their combination (e.g., maliki and māliki in His saying, "Sovereign of the Day of Recompense"), and variation in wording and meaning with the impossibility of their combination (e.g., the reading of 'alimtu and 'alimta in the Almighty's saying: "You have certainly known / I have certainly known that these [idols] do not send down [anything]").

Furthermore, the readings are divided into uṣūl (principles) and furūsh (branches). The uṣūl are the consistent rules that apply to all particulars and are frequently used (such as the rules of prolongation and imāla). The furūsh are words whose repetition is rare and are scattered throughout the surahs (such as a variation in the reading of a specific word). All of these readings are valid, and it is not permissible to abandon the implication of one for the sake of another.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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