Ibn Mujāhid and Canonical Recitations

Abstract

In the early fourth/tenth century, the emerging field of science of recitation found a master organizer who composed a fundamen- tal work in the field. He is known by his petronym, Ibn Mujāhid. This paper explores the background of his fundamental work, its historic context, and its raison d’être. It begins with a brief historical account of the emergence of the science of Canonical Recitations, lists early works on the subject, provides details of Ibn Mujāhid’s Seven Reciters and then expands the list to fourteen reciters. It also provides samples of their recitation.