The Efforts of Sheikh Ghanem Qaddouri in the Science of Qur'anic Recitations, Its Guidance, and Refuting Doubts about Them

(A Descriptive Study)

Abstract

This study aims to highlight the scholarly contributions of Shaykh Ghānim Qaddūrī al-Ḥamd in the field of Qur’anic qirāʾāt (variant readings) and their interpretive directions, as well as to elucidate his methodological approach in refuting the Orientalist criticisms of Qur’anic readings and related sciences. Al-Ḥamd has produced a prolific and diverse body of academic work, reflecting his deep engagement with numerous Qur’anic disciplines. His comprehensive scholarship significantly influenced his students and guided many contemporary researchers towards specialized subfields that have enriched Qur’anic studies, such as Arabic phonetics, the orthography of the muṣḥaf, and the system of diacritical marks. He devoted considerable effort to addressing and refuting misconceptions surrounding Qur’anic readings, often tracing these objections back to their origins and underlying motivations. The study recommends further research into the contributions of leading contemporary Iraqi scholars in qirāʾāt and Qur’anic transmission, a focused examination of al-Ḥamd’s methodology in analyzing the muṣḥaf’s orthography and his rebuttals of comparisons with archaeological inscriptions, as well as an in-depth study of his approach to phonetics and its relevance to interpreting Qur’anic readings.