Does the Quranic Reading Change When Jurisprudence Does? Manuscript Evidence from al-Andalus

Abstract

The influence of political authorities, particularly judges, on the spread of certain schools of jurisprudence throughout Islamic history is well established. This article examines a case study of al-Andalus to explore the possibility that the choice of preferred quranic reading (qirāʾa) was also influenced. The prevalence in al-Andalus of the prominent school of al-Awzāʿī from Syria before the establishment of the Maliki school may have contributed to the earlier dissemination of the Shāmī reading of Ibn ʿĀmir, a prominent reader associated with the al-Awzāʿī school. Although historical sources are silent on which reading was predominant in al-Andalus during its early conquest, prior to the introduction of jurisprudence and authoritative readings associated with the Maliki school, analysis of early manuscripts provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that Ibn ʿĀmir’s reading was popular during this formative period.