Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Al-Aḥruf al-Sabʿa in 3rd Century AH: Theological Controversies from Textual Description to Dialectical Argument

Document Type : Original article

Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’anic Sciences, University of Qur’anic Studies and Sciences, Khoy, Iran.
Abstract
This study reexamines the ḥadīth “the Qurʾān was revealed upon seven aḥruf” (al-aḥruf al-sabʿa) by returning it to its original theological context in 3rd/9th century debates on the nature of divine speech. Against traditional readings that treat the ḥadīth either as a literal description of revelation (leading to an exegetical enigma) or as evidence for textual instability (as argued by some Western scholars), this article demonstrates that it functioned primarily as a dialectical tool in the controversy between the Muʿtazila and the Ahl al-Ḥadīth over the createdness or eternality of the Qurʾān. The Muʿtazila interpreted ḥarf as letters and sounds, using the plurality of readings to prove that the Qurʾān is created (makhluq). In response, the Ahl al-Ḥadīth, led by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, interpreted ḥarf as permissible dialectal variants or modes of recitation that all point to a single, eternal divine meaning (kalām nafsī). By analyzing early lexicons, ḥadīth collections, and theological works, the study shows that the concept of “seven aḥruf” was neither a descriptive report on the mode of revelation nor a concession for ease of recitation alone, but a theological justification for multiple readings within the framework of an uncreated Qurʾān. This historical theological reading resolves the traditional exegetical puzzle and challenges both pre-modern harmonizations and modern critical claims of textual inconsistency. The article proceeds from within Islamic theological premises, engaging primarily with Sunnī kalām.
Keywords
Subjects

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  • Receive Date 17 September 2025
  • Revise Date 21 February 2026
  • Accept Date 14 March 2026