The science of Qirāʾāt, or Qur’anic recitation, constitutes a critical field within the Islamic sciences, emerging as part of the broader endeavour to safeguard the verbal integrity of the Qur’an following the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) demise. Rooted in the notion of the seven-letter concession (al-aḥruf al-sabʿa), which recognises divinely sanctioned recitational flexibility, Qirāʾāt evolved into a rigorous discipline centred on tracing, documenting, and analysing the variant readings of the Qur’an transmitted through meticulously preserved isnād (chains of transmission). These variations, whether phonetic or lexical, not only facilitated the oral transmission of the divine text across a linguistically diverse ummah but also infused the exegetical landscape with unparalleled richness and interpretive plurality.

Within Qirāʾāt, two fundamental categories have been classically recognised: Uṣūl and Farsh al-Ḥurūf. Uṣūl refers to the systematic principles governing recitation, including articulation, elongation, and stopping rules (tajwīd), and typically does not alter semantic content. In contrast, Farsh al-Ḥurūf pertains to dispersed lexical variants that often yield different semantic shades, theological nuances, or legal implications. Over centuries, Farsh readings have served as crucial references for scholars in tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), kalām (theology), and especially taṣawwuf (Islamic mysticism), shaping multiple layers of meaning embedded in Qur’anic discourse.

This study focuses on the intersection between Qirāʾāt and Sufi hermeneutics, with particular attention to the work of Muḥyiddīn Ibn al-ʿArabī (d. 638/1240), whose encyclopaedic treatise al-Futūḥāt al-Makkīyya represents a unique fusion of exoteric and esoteric Islamic knowledge. This study investigates how Ibn al-ʿArabī, one of the most influential metaphysical thinkers in Islam, employed variant recitations not merely as philological data but as tools for constructing symbolic, metaphysical, and ontological meanings. By doing so, this research reveals how technical disciplines such as Qirāʾāt become spiritually and philosophically fertile ground within Sufi frameworks.

Born in Murcia and educated in the rich scholarly environment of al-Andalus, Ibn al-ʿArabī received instruction in the Qirāʾāt al-sabʿ under Abū Bakr al-Lahmī. His educational background endowed him with both theoretical and practical knowledge of Qur’anic recitation. Although he did not author dedicated works on Qirāʾāt, his extensive referencing and subtle use of recitational variants in al-Futūḥāt attest to his profound familiarity with the science. His intellectual itinerary—spanning Seville, Tunis, Mecca, Baghdad, Mosul, Konya, and Damascus—exposed him to a wide array of Qur’anic readings and interpretive traditions, which he eventually synthesised into a distinct metaphysical cosmology centred on divine unity (waḥdat al-wujūd).

Al-Futūḥāt al-Makkīyya, composed over two decades and encompassing thirty-seven volumes, integrates discourses on cosmology, ontology, theology, and Qur’anic exegesis. Although it is not a conventional tafsīr, it contains hundreds of references to Qur’anic verses, frequently accompanied by ḥadīth citations and interpretations that display sensitivity to both recitational form and spiritual substance. Central to Ibn al-ʿArabī’s methodology is the conviction that the Qur’an is not only a textual revelation but also a mirror of the cosmos—a dynamic, multilayered expression of divine attributes and ontological truths.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Ibn al-ʿArabī’s engagement with Qirāʾāt is his metaphysical interpretation of phonetic phenomena. He opens his discussions with linguistic and tajwīd-based details—such as the articulation points (makhārij alḥurūf) and the characteristics of letters (ṣifāt)—and proceeds to assign ontological and cosmological functions to these elements. Letters, in his view, are not inert phonemes but living realities through which divine breath (nafas al-Raḥmānī) manifests existence. For instance, the letter alif becomes the metaphysical prototype of all letters and beings, paralleling the ʿaql al-awwal (first intellect) in Neoplatonic and Islamic philosophical cosmology. The breath that causes letters is mirrored in the divine breath that animates creation, making speech and existence two facets of the same reality.

Ibn al-ʿArabī extends this framework to the science of elongation (madd), particularly concerning the role of alif as the foundational letter for phonetic lengthening. He correlates various degrees of madd—one, two, three, or four alifs—with the levels of ontological descent: intellect, soul, nature, ether, and body. He draws on classical recitational authorities such as Abū ʿAmr, Ibn ʿĀmir, Warsh, and Ḥamzah to support these correlations, suggesting that the degrees of phonetic prolongation serve as symbolic markers of existential gradation. Thus, even technical tajwīd features are imbued with philosophical and cosmological meaning.

Furthermore, Ibn al-ʿArabī engages with the juridical aspects of recitation, particularly the issues surrounding istiʿādhah and basmalah. In chapter 101 of al-Futūḥāt, he delves into the theological significance of the divine names in the basmalah and addresses the classical dispute regarding the presence or absence of the basmalah at the beginning of Sūrat al-Tawbah. He ultimately sides with the opinion that al-Tawbah is a continuation of al-Anfāl, hence justifying the omission. While he does not perform independent ijtihād in these matters, his detailed knowledge of canonical practices and regional customs underscores his deep immersion in Qirāʾāt discourse.

The study also categorises Ibn al-ʿArabī’s references to variant readings into two functional types. First, some verses are cited with awareness of recitational differences but without hermeneutic elaboration (e.g., al-Fātiḥah 6, al-Māʾidah 6). In these cases, he merely recorded the variants, often acknowledging their canonical or anomalous status. Second, and more significantly, there are verses in which he actively employs Qirāʾāt variations to deepen his esoteric interpretations. In Sūrat al-Baqara 222, the contrast between yaṭhurn (“they become pure”) and yataṭahharn (“they purify themselves”) is used to reflect on passive versus active spiritual purification. Similarly, the noun-verb distinction in Āl ʿImrān 97 (ḥijj vs. ḥajj) is interpreted as indicating the outer pilgrimage to Mecca and the inner pilgrimage of the heart.

Other examples include his commentary on al-Anʿām 14 and Ṭāhā 13, where recitational shifts serve as entry points for metaphysical discussions on divine speech, manifestation, and unity. In Yā Sīn 38, he reflects on the variant attributed to Ibn Masʿūd to explore the cyclical, ever-renewing nature of divine will as it unfolds in cosmic time. These readings show how Ibn al-ʿArabī uses Qirāʾāt not as mere linguistic artefacts but as portals into deeper realities.

Ultimately, this study affirms that Ibn al-ʿArabī’s treatment of Qirāʾāt exemplifies a sophisticated interplay between linguistic form and mystical content. By linking technical precision with spiritual insight, he reimagines recitation as a metaphysical act that both reflects and enacts the divine order. His unique contribution lies in the way he expands the interpretive potential of Qirāʾāt beyond traditional boundaries, transforming it into a vehicle for unveiling the unseen dimensions of revelation.