Ash-Shatibiyyah

Hirz Al-Amani wa Wajh At-Tahani, universally known as Ash-Shatibiyyah, is the most celebrated poem in the science of Qira'at (Quranic readings), composed by Imam Abu Al-Qasim Al-Qasim ibn Firruh ibn Khalaf Ar-Ru'ayni Ash-Shatibi Al-Andalusi (d. 590 AH). Written in the Tawil meter, it versifies the entire content of Imam Abu 'Amr Ad-Dani's prose work "At-Tayseer," covering the Seven Mutawatir Qira'at across 1,173 rhyming couplets — an extraordinary feat of condensing an entire technical discipline into memorable verse.

Since its composition, Ash-Shatibiyyah has served as the primary reference memorized by students of Qira'at throughout the Muslim world, and the majority of printed Mushafs and recitation transmissions in use today — including the transmission of Hafs from 'Asim — are described as being "via Ash-Shatibiyyah," referring to this poem's specific chain and wording for each ruling.

Structure of the Poem

Ash-Shatibiyyah opens with an introduction on the seven reciters and their transmitters (the same imams and transmitters detailed on this site's Science of Qira'at page), followed by chapters covering, in order:

• The foundational rules of Isti'adhah and Basmalah between surahs, and the differences among the seven reciters regarding them.
• Rules of Idgham Al-Kabeer (major merging) among the reciters.
• Rules of Hamzah — its Tahqeeq (full articulation), Tasheel (softening), and the differences among reciters in handling single and double Hamzahs.
• Rules of Madd and Qasr according to each of the seven readings.
• Rules of the Noon Sakenah and Tanween, and Idgham, according to each reading.
• Individual chapters covering each surah of the Quran in order, from Al-Fatiha through An-Nas, noting every point of difference among the seven readings verse by verse — making up the bulk of the poem's 1,173 verses.
• A concluding chapter on the etiquette of recitation and the virtues of the Quran.

Given the immense length of Ash-Shatibiyyah and its highly specialized, verse-by-verse comparative treatment of the seven Qira'at across all 114 surahs — a level of detail intended for advanced students working directly with a qualified teacher of Qira'at — this page presents an overview of the poem's significance and structure rather than a verse-by-verse rendering. Readers interested in the specific differences between the seven readings for Hafs's transmission and others are encouraged to consult the Science of Qira'at page, or a specialized teacher and printed edition of the poem itself.