Saba Ashra Qirat: The Ten Qira’at Course
Qira’at (قراءات) means “readings” — the different validated methods of reciting the Quran, each one traced back through an unbroken chain of transmission to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Ten of these methods are considered authoritative, together known as Qira’at al-‘Asharah, or Saba Ashra Qirat. Each is named after the reciter whose transmission became its standard.
Who Is Eligible for This Course
This is not an entry-level program, and we don’t treat it like one. To enroll, a student must be one of the following:
- An Alim-e-Deen who has already completed our Tajweed lil-Ulama course, or
- A Hafiz-e-Quran who has already completed our Tajweed lil-Huffaz course
If you haven’t completed the relevant prerequisite yet, that’s the right place to start, not this course. Trying to study the ten Qira’at without that foundation isn’t a shortcut, it’s a setup for confusion.
Course Structure
The Saba Ashra Qirat course runs for six months, during which the student completes an Ijra, a full recitation, of the entire Quran according to each of the ten Qira’at, under direct supervision. It’s a demanding pace by design; mastering ten valid ways of reciting the same text requires sustained, careful repetition, not a crash course.
We don’t offer a shortened or “muqamat” version of this course, and we’re not planning to. In our experience, there’s no meaningful way to compress serious Qira’at study without the depth of it collapsing entirely, so rather than offer a version we don’t believe in, we simply don’t offer one.
The Two Categories of Qira’at
Qira’at are classified by the strength of their transmission:
- Mutawatir — transmitted through independent chains of narration so numerous that the possibility of error is effectively ruled out, and on which there is scholarly consensus.
- Mashhur — transmitted through slightly narrower, but still extremely wide, chains that make error highly unlikely.
There are seven Mutawatir Qira’at and three Mashhur ones.
The Seven Mutawatir:
- Nafi’ (d. 169 AH / 785 CE)
- Ibn Kathir (d. 120 AH / 737 CE)
- Abu ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ala’ (d. 154 AH / 762 CE)
- Ibn ‘Amir (d. 118 AH / 736 CE)
- Asim (d. 127 AH / 744 CE)
- Hamza (d. 156 AH / 772 CE)
- Al-Kisa’i (d. 189 AH / 804 CE)
The Three Mashhur:
- Abu Ja’far (d. 130 AH / 747 CE)
- Ya’qub (d. 205 AH / 820 CE)
- Khalaf (d. 229 AH / 844 CE)
Start With a Free Trial Class
Even for this advanced course, we offer 3 days of free trial classes so you can experience the teaching method before committing. Register here to get started, if you meet the eligibility requirements above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can beginners or general students join the Saba Ashra Qirat course?
No. This course is only for Alims who’ve completed Tajweed lil-Ulama, or Huffaz who’ve completed Tajweed lil-Huffaz. If neither applies to you yet, we can guide you toward the right starting point first.
Do you offer a shorter or faster version of this course?
No, and we don’t plan to. We don’t believe a shortened “muqamat” version can deliver genuine Qira’at mastery, so rather than offer something we don’t stand behind, we only offer the full six-month program.
What does “Ijra” mean in this context?
Ijra refers to reciting the complete Quran, start to finish, according to a given Qira’at, under a qualified teacher’s direct supervision, rather than studying the rules in isolation.
