Ibn Hishām al-Anṣārī's Methodology in Citing Qur'anic Variant Readings as Grammatical Evidence: A Comparative Study of His Commentaries on Qaṭr al-Nadā and Shudhūr al-Dhahab
منهج ابن هشام الأنصاري في الاحتجاج بالقراءات القرآنية) دراسة مقارنة في شرحي قطر الندى و شذور الذهب(
Keywords:
: Ibn Hish?m al-An??r?; Qur??nic Variant Readings (Qir???t); Arabic Grammar; Grammatical Evidence; Shar? Qa?r al-Nad?; Shar? Shudh?r al-Dhahab; Comparative Study; Qur??nic ExegesisAbstract
This study examines the methodology of Ibn Hishām al-Anṣārī (d. 761 AH) in employing Qurʾānic variant readings (qirāʾāt) as grammatical evidence through a comparative analysis of his two pedagogical works, Sharḥ Qaṭr il-Nadā wa-Ball is-Ṣadā and Sharḥ Shudhūr id-Dhahab fī Maʿrifat Kalām il-ʿArab.
The research is confined to instances in which a variant reading directly influences grammatical reasoning, whether by establishing a rule, resolving a grammatical problem, or identifying an exception, while excluding Qurʾānic citations without such grammatical significance. Adopting an inductive and analytical methodology, the study comprehensively surveys the occurrences of qirāʾāt in both works, analyses Ibn Hishām’s mode of argumentation, compares his treatment of recurrent examples, and evaluates his position regarding canonical and non-canonical readings.
The findings demonstrate that Ibn Hishām consistently regards Qurʾānic readings as authoritative linguistic evidence, giving precedence to authenticated transmission over purely analogical reasoning. His approach extends to the use of non-canonical (shādh) readings when their transmission is established, employing them not only for illustration but also to challenge grammatical opinions that conflict with transmitted evidence. The study further identifies eighty-five unique instances of grammatical reliance on variant readings and shows that, although Sharḥ Qaṭr al-Nadā covers a broader range of topics, Sharḥ Shudhūr al-Dhahab provides more extensive grammatical analysis and justification. These differences reflect the distinct pedagogical aims and intended readership of the two works while highlighting Ibn Hishām’s coherent methodology in grammatical argumentation.
Keywords: Ibn Hishām al-Anṣārī; Qurʾānic Variant Readings (Qirāʾāt); Arabic Grammar; Grammatical
