Question

Salam.

 What are the names of the 7 types of recitation? 

Jazakallah Khairan.

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh.

There are seven different qira'aat or complete recitations that have authentic chains of transmission outlined by Imam Ash-Shatibiyy, and each of the seven are named for the reciter that made this particular recitation, or recitations famous.  Each of the seven have two branches off them, by two students of this recitation, either directly from the imam himself or with a sheikh or two in between them.  Each recitation then has the main name of the imam that made it famous by his mastery, and two names off of it for those imams that learned from this main imam either directly or indirectly.  The two branches may have very different rules, as each has its own chain of transmission and each is its own identity.

1.  The first of the seven is Imam Naaf'i, his full name is: Ibn Adur-rahmaan bin Abee Na'eem. Naaf'i recited to seventy of the taabi'een, the most notable, Abu Ja'far Al-Qa'qaa'. 

            a.  The first branch of Imam Naaf'i is Qaloon.  His name is: 'Iysaa bin Meenaa, and he was nicknamed Qaloon by his Sheikh (Naaf'i) because his good smooth recitation.  The word Qaloon in the Roman language means good.

            b.  The second branch of Imam Naaf'i is Warsh.  His name is: Abu Sa'eed 'Uthmaan bin Sa'eed Al-Misree.  Qaloon nicknamed him Warsh because of his strong white color.

 

2. The second imam is Ibn Katheer.  His name is Abdullaah bin Katheer bin Al-MuTalab Al-Qurayshee. He himself was of the taabi'een, and met up with some of the sahaabah, including Abu Ayoob Al-Ansaari, and Anas bin Maalik.

            a.  The first of his branch is Al-Bazzee.  His name is: Ahmed bin Abdullaah ibn Al-Qaasim bin Naaf'i bin Abee Bazzah. 

            b.  The second of Ibn Katheer's two famous branches is Qunbal.  His name is Muhammed bin Abdur-rahmaan bun Khaalid Al-Makee.

 

3. The third imam is Abu 'Amrin Al-BaSree Al-Mazinee.  He had the most shuyookh of all the seven reciters, and of his shuyookh was Ibn Katheer. 

            a.  The first of his branch is Ad-Dooree.  His name is: Hafs bin 'Umar Ibn Abdulazeez. 

            b.  The second of this branch is As-Soosee.  His hame is: SaaliH bin Zayaad As-Soosee.  Both Ad-Dooree and As-Soosee took the recitation of Abu 'Amrin Al-Basree from Imam Yahya Al-Yazeedee, who learned directly from Imam Abee 'Amr.

 

4.  The fourth imam is Ibn Aamer.  His name is Abdullah bin Aamir Al-YaHSabee.

            a.  The first of the two that are known for relating the recitation made famous by Imam Ibn Aamer is Hishaam.  His name is: Hishaam  bin 'Ammaar bin NaSeer.

            b.  The second is Ibn Thakwaan (with a ).   His name is: Abdullaah bin Ahmed bin Thakwaan Ad-Dimashqee.

 

5.  The fifth recitation is known by the name 'AaSim.  His name was 'AaSim Abee An-Najood.  He was of the taab'ieen.

            a.  The first of the two relaters of this Imam is Shu'bah.  His name is: Shu'bah bin 'Ayaash bin Saalim.

            b.  The second of the two, Hafs (different than the previously mentioned Ad-Dooree), has the full name of: Hafs bin Sulaymaan bin Al-Mugheerah Al-Asadee Al-Kufee.  This is the way of recitation that the majority of the Muslims today recite, and the way of tajweed explained on this site.

 

6.  The sixth recitation is known as Hamzah.  The Imam that made this way of recitation famous is: Hamzah Habeeb Az-Zayyaat.   

            a. The first of the two that relayed from Imam Hamzah is Khalaf.  His full name is: Khalaf bin Hishaam Al-Bazzar Al-Baghdadee.

            b. The second is Khallad.  His name is: Khallaad bin Khalid Ash-Shaybanee Al-Kufee. 

 

7.  The seventh recitation is known as Al-Kisaa'ee.  He was named this nickname because it is said he made ihraam for going to Mekkah in a bag (Kees).  His real name is: Ali bin Hamzah bin Abdullaah Al-Asadee.

            a.  The first branch or relater of Al-Kisaa'ee is Al-Layth.  His name is: Al-Layth bin Khalid Al-Bahgdaadee.  His nickname is Al-Haarith.

            b.  The second is Ad-Dooree, and he is the same Imam that related the recitation of Abu 'Amr Al-Basree. 

 Wa iyyakum.