# Warsh > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Warsh > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Warsh.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsh > Source revision: 1354768815 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Muslim theologian of Quran (728–812)}} {{About|the canonical Qur'an reciter|the surname|Warsh (surname)}}{{Infobox religious biography | honorific_prefix = [Imam](/source/Imam) | name = Warsh | native_name = ورش | native_name_lang = ar | title = {{Collapsible list | title = {{nobold|''See list of titles''}} | Imām ahl al-adāʾ {{avoid wrap|({{lit|Imam of the People of Recitation}})}} | Shaykh al-Iqrāʾ biʾl-diyār al-Miṣriyya {{avoid wrap|({{lit|The Sheikh of Recitation in the Lands of Egypt}})}} | Raʾīs ahl Miṣr {{avoid wrap|({{lit|Chief of the People of Egypt}})}} | Raʾīs fī al-dirāya {{avoid wrap|({{lit|Master of Knowledge}})}} | Raʾīs al-ḍabṭ waʾl-itqān {{avoid wrap|({{lit|Master of Precision and Perfection}})}} | Shaykh al-Qurrāʾ {{avoid wrap|({{lit|The Shaykh of the Reciters}})}} }} | image = Folio of Arabe 330 (b).jpg | caption = An early [Kufic](/source/Kufic) Quranic folio from the 8th century. Distinct colored dots serve as vocalization guides to distinguish between the Qira'at of Warsh (green) and [Hamza](/source/Hamzah_az-Zaiyyat) (red).{{cite journal | last = Ince | first = Barış | title = Arabe 330b: The Discovery of Two Canonical Readings | journal = Journal of Islamic Manuscripts | volume = 14 | issue = 2–4 | year = 2023 | pages = 115–154 | doi = 10.1163/1878464X-01303010}} | religion = [Islam](/source/Islam) | era = [Islamic Golden Age](/source/Islamic_Golden_Age) | region = [Egypt](/source/Egypt), [Hejaz](/source/Hejaz) | birth_name = Uthman ibn Sa‘id al-Qutbi | birth_date = 110 AH (728 CE) | birth_place = [Qift](/source/Qift), Egypt, [Umayyad Caliphate](/source/Umayyad_Caliphate) | death_date = 197 AH (812 CE) (aged 87) | death_place = [Cairo](/source/Cairo), Egypt, [Abbasid Caliphate](/source/Abbasid_Caliphate) | resting_place = [City of the Dead (Al-Qarafa cemetery)](/source/City_of_the_Dead_(Cairo)) | main_interests = [Qira'at](/source/Qira'at) (Quranic Recitation), [Tajwid](/source/Tajwid) | known_for = Warsh recitation (Riwayah Warsh 'an Nafi') | nickname = {{flatlist| * Al-Rawwās * Al-Warshān }} | influences = {{ubl|[Nafi‘ al-Madani](/source/Nafi%E2%80%98_al-Madani)|Isma'il bin Ja'far|Abd al-Rahman bin al-Qasim}} | influenced = {{ubl|Abu Ya'qub al-Azraq|Al-Asbahani}} | teacher = [Nafi‘ al-Madani](/source/Nafi%E2%80%98_al-Madani) | students = Ahmed al-Masri, Dawood bin Abi Tayyiba, Abu Ya'qub al-Azraq, Al-Asbahani | module = {{infobox Arabic name|embed=yes | ism = ʿUthmān | ism-ar = عثمان | nasab = ibn Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Sulaymān ibn Ibrāhīm | nasab-ar = بن سعيد بن عبد الله بن عمرو بن سليمان بن إبراهيم | kunya = Abū Saʿīd, Abū al-Qāsim, Abū ʿUmar | kunya-ar = أبو سعيد، أبو القاسم، أبو عمر | laqab = Warsh | laqab-ar = ورش | nisba = al-Miṣrī al-Qurashī | nisba-ar = المصري القرشي }} | resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|30|0|55|N|31|15|33|E}} (Before Reburial) }} {{Quran}} [[File:خاتمة مصحف المطبعة الثعالبية.jpg|thumb|The end of [Thaalibia Quran](/source/Thaalibia_Quran) printed in Warsh's narration.]] '''ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Sulaymān ibn Ibrāhīm al-Qurashī al-Miṣrī''' ({{langx|ar|عثمان ابن سعيد ابن عبدالله ابن عمرو ابن سليمان ابن إبراهيم القرشي المصري}}, 110 AH / 728 CE - 197 AH / 813 CE) commonly known by his epithet Warsh ({{IPA|ar|/warʃ/|}}) was an Egyptian scholar of Qurʾānic recitation and one of the two principal transmitters of the reading (''qirāʾah'') of [Nāfiʿ al-Madanī](/source/Nafi%CA%BD_al-Madani), the other being [Qālūn](/source/Qalun). He is known by the nickname (''laqab'') Warsh, given to him by his teacher Nāfiʿ in reference to his striking fair complexion. Born and raised in [Egypt](/source/Egypt), Warsh traveled to [Madīnah](/source/Medina) in 155 AH to study under Nāfiʿ, with whom he completed multiple full recitations of the Qurʾān. He returned to Egypt, where he established a recitation place (''maqraʾ'') that bore his name and became the foremost authority in Qurʾānic recitation in the region. His transmission was carried forward primarily through two students, Abū Yaʿqūb al-Azraq and Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm al-Aṣbahānī, the latter's path being the most widely recited today. The recitation of Warsh spread across [North](/source/North_Africa) and [West Africa](/source/West_Africa) through the influence of Andalusian and Mālikī scholarship, and remains to this day the dominant mode of Qurʾānic recitation in [Morocco](/source/Morocco), [Algeria](/source/Algeria), [Mauritania](/source/Mauritania), and much of West Africa. It has also shaped the orthographic conventions of [ʿAjamī writing systems](/source/Ajami_script) across the [Sahel](/source/Sahel) and West Africa. He died in [Cairo](/source/Cairo) in 197 AH / 813 CE and was reburied in November 2025 behind the [dome of Imām al-Shāfiʿī](/source/Mausoleum_of_Imam_al-Shafi'i), where a new dome was constructed for him. == Biography == === Name and epithet === His name was ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd. His kunyah was Abū Saʿīd. He became known by the nickname (''[laqab](/source/Arabic_name)'') Warsh, given to him by his teacher Nāfiʿ. One view holds that the word refers to a substance derived from milk, alluding to his very fair complexion. Another view traces it to ''Warshān'', a type of bird resembling a white pigeon, alluding either to his appearance or his distinctive gait.{{cite thesis |last=Sal |first=Halimah |title=القراءات روايتا ورش وحفص دراسة تحليلية مقارنة |date=2014 |degree=MA (Tafsir and Hadith) |type=Master's thesis |publisher=University of Sharjah |language=ar |pages=60-65 |trans-title=The Recitations: Warsh and Hafs Narrations – A Comparative Analytical Study}}{{cite journal |last1=Himmad |first1=Gumaa Ahmed |last2=Mokhtar |first2=Ahmad Baha’ Bin |last3=Hidayatil |first3=Rifqi |date=1 June 2024 |title=Sorotan Terhadap Riwāyat Mutawātirah Yang Kekal Pada Zaman Sekarang: Kajian Analisis |trans-title=A Review of the Remaining Riwāyat Mutawātirah in Present Time: Analysis Studies |url=https://ejurnal.kqt.edu.my/index.php/kqt-ojs/article/view/83 |journal=International Journal of Al-Quran and Knowledge (KQT EJurnal) |language=ms |publisher=Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=9–10 |access-date=27 April 2026}}{{cite journal |last1=Garba |first1=Malami Muhammad |last2=Adnan |first2=Mohamad Azrien Mohamed |last3=Zailani |first3=Muhammad Azhar |date=30 December 2023 |title=Assessment of the Critical Period Hypothesis among Adult Fulbe Adamawa in the Traditional Way of Learning the Glorious Quran |url=https://ejournal.um.edu.my/index.php/JUD/article/view/50033 |journal=Jurnal Usuluddin |publisher=Universiti Malaya |volume=51 |issue=2 |page=72 |doi=10.22452/usuluddin.vol51no2.3 |access-date=27 April 2026|doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |last=Rohman |first=Ali Abdur |date=4 September 2023 |title=QAIDAH USUL FI QIRA'AT IMAM NAFI’ (Studi Atas Perbedaan Bacaan Qiraat Warsy Dan Qalun) |trans-title=The Rules of Usul in the Recitation of Imam Nafi’ (A Study of the Differences between the Warsh and Qalun Recitations) |url=https://journal.unita.ac.id/index.php/almuhafidz/article/view/68 |journal=Al-Muhafidz: Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur'an dan Tafsir |language=id |publisher=UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=91–93 |doi=10.57163/almuhafidz.v3i2.68 |access-date=27 April 2026|doi-access=free }} Nāfiʿ used to say: "Bring him here, O Warshān; read, O Warshān; where is the Warshān?" The name was later shortened to Warsh. Warsh himself was fond of the nickname and is reported to have said: "It was my teacher Nāfiʿ who named me thus." === Birth === Warsh was born in 110 AH (728 CE) in [Qift](/source/Qift), a town in [Upper Egypt](/source/Upper_Egypt). Although born and raised in Egypt, his family origins are said to trace back to [al-Qayrawān](/source/Kairouan), modern-day [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia). From an early age, he distinguished himself in the recitation of the Qurʾān and in the Arabic language, gaining recognition among the reciters of Egypt before his journey in pursuit of advanced study. === Journey to Madinah and Study under Nāfiʿ === In 155 AH, Warsh traveled from Egypt to [Medīnah](/source/Medina) with the sole purpose of studying Qurʾānic recitation under [Nāfiʿ](/source/Nafi%CA%BD_al-Madani). Upon arrival, he attended Nāfiʿ's teaching circle, but found that it was not possible to read to him directly due to the large number of students. Warsh sat behind the circle and asked a man who the most important person with Nāfiʿ was. He was told it was the elder of the Jaʿfar clan. Warsh went to his house and requested him to act as his intermediary with Nāfiʿ. The elder agreed, accompanied him to Nāfiʿ, and introduced him, saying that this man had come from Egypt solely to study recitation. At his request, Nāfiʿ permitted Warsh to spend the night in the [Prophet's Mosque](/source/Prophet's_Mosque), and the following day accepted him into his study circle. Nāfiʿ would teach thirty verses at a time to those already in his circle. Two students each gave up ten of their verses, allowing Warsh to recite fifty verses per day. By the end of his studies, Nāfiʿ had also begun to receive recitations from Warsh in private sessions. Warsh completed multiple full recitations under him before leaving Madīnah. === Teaching Career in Egypt === After completing his studies, Warsh returned to Egypt, where he became a leading authority in Qurʾānic recitation and attracted numerous students. He is reported to have established a dedicated recitation place (''maqraʾ'') known as Maqraʾ Warsh. His students included Aḥmad ibn Ṣāliḥ, Dāwūd ibn Abī Ṭaybah, Abū al-Rabīʿ Sulaymān, ʿĀmir ibn Saʿīd, Abū al-Ashʿath al-Jarshī, ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Qāsim, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yazīd al-Makkī, Yūnus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā, ʿUmar ibn Bashshār, Abū Yaʿqūb al-Azraq and ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ibn Saʿīd al-Aṣbahānī among others. === Characteristics and Recitation Style === Warsh was described as having very fair skin, blue eyes, and a short stature with a moderately full build. He used to wear short clothes and when walking his legs were uncovered. He was especially renowned for his beautiful and captivating recitation, which listeners found both powerful and pleasing. It was reported that those who listened to him would not grow weary. === Transmission === His transmission was carried forward by two students: Abū Yaʿqūb Yūsuf ibn ʿAmr al-Madanī al-Miṣrī ({{Died in|240 AH}}) and Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ibn Saʿīd al-Aṣbahānī ({{Died in|296 AH}}). The path of al-Aṣbahānī is the most widely recited today. === Death and Burial === Warsh died in [Cairo](/source/Cairo), Egypt in 197 AH / 813 CE, during the reign of the Caliph [al-Maʾmūn](/source/Al-Ma'mun), at the age of 87.{{cite book |last=al-Dānī |first=Abū ʿAmr |title=Al-Taysīr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-Sabʿ: A Translation with Linguistic Commentary |date=2026 |publisher=Open Book Publishers |isbn=978-1-80511-642-4 |series=Cambridge Semitic Languages and Cultures |location=Cambridge |page=71 |translator-last=van Putten |translator-first=Marijn |doi=10.11647/OBP.0475 |issn=2632-6914 |doi-access=free}} He was buried in the [Al-Qarāfa cemetery](/source/City_of_the_Dead_(Cairo)), in the Qarafa al-sughra, within the Imam al-Shāfiʿī Qarāfa, at the foot of [Mount al-Muqaṭṭam](/source/Mokattam), later incorporated into the courtyard of the Abdel Fattah Bek Moharram family.{{Cite news |last=Imad Nour al-Din|date=27 May 2023|title=شيخ القراءات القادم من أعماق الصعيد.. قطار الإزالات بالقاهرة يصل مقبرة الإمام ورش|trans-title=The Shaykh of Qurʾānic Readings from the Depths of Upper Egypt… Cairo’s Demolition Train Reaches the Grave of Imam Warsh|url=http://www.aljazeera.net/culture/2023/5/27/شيخ-القراءات-القادم-من-أعماق-الصعيد|access-date=29 January 2026|work=Al-Jazeera Net|publisher=Al Jazeera Media Network|language=ar}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.egwin.net/article/4868950/%D8%BA%D8%B6%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B9-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AB%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A7|title=غضب واسع من الهجمة على المقابر التاريخية لصالح الكباري.. و"الإمام ورش" أحدث الضحايا|date=27 May 2023|trans-title=Widespread Anger over the Assault on Historic Cemeteries for the Sake of Flyovers…“Imam Warsh” the Latest Victim|access-date=29 January 2026|work=Egwin|language=ar}} In 2023, news circulated claiming that the grave of Warsh was slated for removal as part of [development projects targeting the area](/source/City_of_the_Dead_(Cairo)), prompting widespread discussion on Egyptian social media.{{Cite news |last=Ahmed al-Khatib|first=|date=25 May 2023|title=هدم المقابر في القاهرة: ما مصير مقابر الإمام الشافعي والسيدة نفيسة والسيدة زينب؟ وهل تنجو من الإزالة؟|trans-title=Demolition of Cemeteries in Cairo: What Is the Fate of the Cemeteries of Imam al-Shāfiʿī, al-Sayyida Nafīsa, and al-Sayyida Zaynab? And Will They Survive Removal?|url=https://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast-65716881|access-date=29 January 2026|work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)|publisher=[BBC](/source/BBC)|language=ar}} On 22 May 2023, images spread showing the tomb bearing a removal marker, indicating planned demolition and transfer of his remains, which prompted international concern.{{Cite news |last=Dawoud Ali|first=|date=28 May 2023|title=حتى الموتى لم ينجوا من انقلابه.. قبور قامات مصر التاريخية تحت "بلدوزر" السيسي|trans-title=Even the Dead Did Not Escape His Coup… The Graves of Egypt’s Historical Figures Under Sisi’s “Bulldozer”|url=https://www.alestiklal.net/ar/article/dep-news-1685550441|access-date=29 January 2026|work=Al-Estiklal|language=ar}} Researcher Sayyid ʿAlī reported that his attempt to reach the grave proved extremely difficult due to a heavy security cordon imposed on the area, where demolition operations were already reportedly underway. [Al-Jazeera](/source/Al_Jazeera_Media_Network) reported that heritage-preservation associations had failed to establish communication with the responsible authorities in order to halt the demolition and that the entities carrying out the demolition possessed broad powers and did not respond to inquiries from antiquities experts. [Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities](/source/Ministry_of_Tourism_and_Antiquities) disclaimed responsibility for the decision to demolish the grave, stating that the site is not registered under Islamic Antiquities and that they have nothing to do with the demolition decision. The reported action was strongly condemned by numerous scholars and members of the public. Some researchers urged the [Moroccan government](/source/Politics_of_Morocco) to intervene and transfer Warsh's remains either to [Fez](/source/Fez%2C_Morocco) or to the [Hassan II Mosque](/source/Hassan_II_Mosque) in [Casablanca](/source/Casablanca). In August 2023, the [Cairo Governorate](/source/Cairo_Governorate) denied the removal of the tomb of Warsh. The Governorate affirmed that these claims were "completely unfounded and untrue" and released photographs showing the grave intact.{{cite web |last=Felfel |first=Amany |date=29 August 2023 |script-title=ar:محافظة القاهرة تنفي هدم مقبرتي الإمام ورش بن نافع وأمير الشعراء (صور) |trans-title=Cairo Governorate denies the demolition of the tombs of Imam Warsh bin Nafi’ and the Prince of Poets (Photos) |url=https://www.vetogate.com/4962561 |access-date=23 April 2026 |website=Veto Gate |language=ar}} In November 2025, Warsh was reburied in a new location behind the [Imām al-Shāfiʿī dome](/source/Mausoleum_of_Imam_al-Shafi'i), where a new modern dome was constructed for him alongside [Wakīʿ ibn al-Jarrāḥ](/source/Waki'_ibn_al-Jarrah).{{cite web |author=Tamer al-Minshawi |date=2025-11-15 |title=نقل ضريحي الإمام ورش والإمام وكيع وبناء قبتين جديدتين خلف قبة الإمام الشافعي |trans-title=Transfer of the shrines of Imam Warsh and Imam Waki' and the construction of two new domes behind the Dome of Imam al-Shafi'i |url=https://www.anbaaalyoumeg.com/643789 |access-date=2026-04-25 |website=Anbaa Al-Youm |language=ar}} == Warsh recitation == {{Main|Warsh recitation}} '''Warsh 'an Naafi'''' is one of the main canonical methods of reciting the [Qur'an](/source/Qur'an). The recitations of the Quran, known in Arabic as [Qira'at](/source/Qira'at), are conducted under the rules of the [Tajwid](/source/Tajwid) Science.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=focLrox-frUC&dq=aasim+qira%27ah&pg=PA268|title=The New Encyclopedia of Islam|first1=Cyril|last1=Glassé|first2=Huston|last2=Smith|date=14 November 2016|publisher=Rowman Altamira|isbn=978-0-7591-0190-6|via=Google Books}} It is attributed to Imam Warsh who in turn got it from his teacher [Nafi‘ al-Madani](/source/Nafi%E2%80%98_al-Madani) who was one of the transmitters of the seven recitations. The recitation of Warsh 'an Naafi' is one of two major recitation traditions. The second is [Hafs 'an 'Asim](/source/Hafs_'an_'Asim) == History == The recitation of Nāfiʿ was preferred by [Mālik ibn Anas](/source/Malik_ibn_Anas) and his student [ʿAbd Allāh ibn Wahb](/source/Ibn_Wahb), and it remained the standard recitation of [Medina](/source/Medina) for an extended period.{{cite journal |last=Baniyahya|first=Ibrahim|date=25 May 2023|title=القراءات القرآنية بعد القرن التاسع الهجري: أماكنها وأسباب انتشارها|trans-title=Quranic Readings After the Ninth Hijri Century: Their Locations and Reasons for Spread|url=https://tafsir.net/article/5380/|journal=Tafsir Center for Qur'anic Studies|language=ar|access-date=29 January 2026}} However, according to [Ibn al-Jazarī](/source/Ibn_al-Jazari), in the 8th century, it was still practised by only a "selected few" in [Africa](/source/Africa). The transmission of the Warsh recitation to the western Islamic lands is associated with Ghāzī ibn Qays al-Andalusī ({{Died in|815}}), who travelled from [Córdoba](/source/C%C3%B3rdoba%2C_Spain) to [Medina](/source/Medina) and studied directly under Nāfiʿ. He is reported to have carefully reviewed and corrected his ''[muṣḥaf](/source/Mushaf)'', comparing it thirteen times with the copy of [Imām Nāfiʿ](/source/Nafi%CA%BD_al-Madani). Because [Al-Andalus](/source/Al-Andalus) was a major centre of learning, its scholarly authority influenced the [Maghreb](/source/Maghreb); when Andalusian scholars adopted the Warsh recitation, it subsequently spread throughout North and West Africa. Muḥammad ibn Khayrūn (d. 919) is also credited with bringing Nāfiʿ's qirāʾah to [North Africa](/source/North_Africa) after travelling to Egypt. Ibn Khayrūn became a prominent qāriʾ and attracted students from across the Islamic world. His student al-Bajāʾī al-Jazāʾirī also played an important role in transmitting Nāfiʿ's recitation in the Algerian regions, ensuring it spread westward across North Africa. According to Dr. ʿAbd al-Hādī, in 234 AH, when [Saḥnūn ibn Saʿīd](/source/Sa%E1%B8%A5n%C5%ABn_ibn_Sa%CA%BF%C4%ABd) was appointed as ''[Qadi](/source/Qadi)'' in [Qayrawan](/source/Kairouan), he used his official power to favour the recitation of Nāfiʿ. Since the [Mālikī school](/source/Maliki_school) grounds its legal methodology in the practice of the people of [Madīnah](/source/Medina), Saḥnūn held that the Qurʾānic recitation used in the courts and mosques should likewise be the recitation of the people of Madīnah, namely that of Nāfiʿ. Because ''[fiqh](/source/fiqh)'' and ''[qirāʾāt](/source/Qira'at)'' were traditionally taught together, the rise of the Mālikī school as the dominant legal authority in the Maghreb had direct consequences for recitational practice. Once Mālikī fiqh became the law of the courts and the state, the recitation of Nāfiʿ came to be treated as the standard mode of Qurʾānic recitation in mosques and educational institutions across the region. Historically, the Warsh qirāʾah was also prevalent in [Egypt](/source/Egypt) until the [Ottoman period](/source/Ottoman%E2%80%93Mamluk_War_(1516%E2%80%931517)) in the sixteenth century, after which the recitation of [Ḥafṣ](/source/Hafs) gradually became the dominant and dominant reading. The qirāʾah of Warsh is widely recited in North and West Africa. It is the dominant recitation in [Algeria](/source/Algeria), [Morocco](/source/Morocco), [Mauritania](/source/Mauritania), and much of [West Africa](/source/West_Africa), including [Senegal](/source/Senegal), [Niger](/source/Niger), [Mali](/source/Mali) and [Nigeria](/source/Nigeria), among others. It is also used in some regions of [Sudan](/source/Sudan) (notably [Darfur](/source/Darfur) and [Dongola](/source/Dongola)), [Egypt](/source/Egypt), [Libya](/source/Libya), [Chad](/source/Chad) and [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia).{{Cite news |last=Imad Nour al-Din |date=27 May 2023 |title=شيخ القراءات القادم من أعماق الصعيد.. قطار الإزالات بالقاهرة يصل مقبرة الإمام ورش |trans-title=The Shaykh of Qurʾānic Readings from the Depths of Upper Egypt… Cairo’s Demolition Train Reaches the Grave of Imam Warsh |url=http://www.aljazeera.net/culture/2023/5/27/شيخ-القراءات-القادم-من-أعماق-الصعيد |access-date=29 January 2026 |work=Al-Jazeera Net |publisher=Al Jazeera Media Network |language=ar}} Muṣḥafs according to the Warsh recitation are printed in several countries, including [Saudi Arabia](/source/Saudi_Arabia), [Morocco](/source/Morocco), [Algeria](/source/Algeria), [Syria](/source/Syria), and [Qatar](/source/Qatar). According to [Maḥmūd Khalīl al-Ḥuṣarī](/source/Mahmoud_Khalil_Al-Hussary) ({{Died in|1980}}), he was the first ''qāriʾ'' to produce a complete audio recording of the Qurʾān according to the Warsh qirāʾah. Warsh's recitation was also the qira'ah taught within the African Maḥaẓra Educational system.{{cite encyclopedia |title=The Maḥaẓra Educational System|encyclopedia=Arabic Literature of Africa Online|publisher=[Brill](/source/Brill_Publishers)|date=2018|doi=10.1163/2405-4453_alao_COM_ALA_50000_5|editor=|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/arabic-literature-of-africa-online/the-mahazra-educational-system-COM_ALA_50000_5}} Among the most notable [tafsīr](/source/Tafsir) works written in Warsh ʿan Nāfiʿ qirāʾah are by [ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Thaʿālibī](/source/Abdul-Rahman_al-Tha'alibi), [ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Bādīs](/source/Abdel-Hamid_ibn_Badis), and [Abū Bakr al-Jazāʾirī](/source/Abu_Bakr_al-Jaza'iri). == Influence == In the modern period, the [Kingdom of Morocco](/source/Kingdom_of_Morocco) has officially recognised the riwāyah of Warsh as part of the country’s religious and cultural heritage.{{Cite news |last=Tāmir Hindāwī |date=28 May 2023 |title=علامات الإزالة تهاجم تراث المصريين: هدم الجبّانات التاريخية في القاهرة |trans-title=Removal Marks Assault Egyptians’ Heritage: The Demolition of Historic Cemeteries in Cairo |url=https://www.alquds.co.uk/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%85-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%AF |access-date=29 January 2026 |work=[Al-Quds Al-Arabi](/source/Al-Quds_Al-Arabi) |language=ar}} It has also influenced the [phonological structure](/source/Phonology) of some words in [Algerian Arabic](/source/Algerian_Arabic) (Dārija).{{cite web |last=Belkhir|first=Mourad|title=تاريخ قراءة نافع بالجزائر|trans-title=History of the Nafi' Recitation in Algeria|url=https://shamela-dz.net/?p=738|website=Al-maktaba al-Jazāʾiriyya al-shāmila|publisher=Sheikh Ammar Raqba al-Sharafi|date=September 19, 2017|access-date=May 23, 2024|language=ar}} Warsh recitation also played a formative role in shaping how many African languages were written in Arabic script (ʿAjamī). Because Warsh was the standard taught in local Qurʾānic schools, its orthographic conventions, including unique characters and diacritics, became a ready “pool of forms” for scholars when adapting Arabic script to represent sounds not found in Classical Arabic.{{cite book |editor1-last=Mumin|editor1-first=Meikal|editor2-last=Versteegh|editor2-first=Kees|title=The Arabic Script in Africa: Studies in the Use of a Writing System|url=https://brill.com/display/title/24715|date=30 Jan 2014|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden, The Netherlands|isbn=978-90-04-25680-4|doi=10.1163/9789004256804|author-link2=Kees Versteegh}} In [Hausa](/source/Hausa_language), [Fulfulde](/source/Fula_language), and [Tuareg](/source/Tuareg_languages) ʿAjami systems, features such as the Warsh dot for {{IPA|ar|/e/|}} and other graphical variants were adopted to encode vowel and consonant distinctions absent in the Arabic linguistic system. Sufi orders such as the [Tijāniyya](/source/Tijaniyyah) and [Qādiriyya](/source/Qadiri_Order) also transmitted ʿAjami texts in Warsh-derived orthography, and this influence persists in modern publications, such as the [Fulfulde](/source/Fula_language) Bible (''Deftere Allah''), which retains elements of the Maghribī-style scripts associated with the Warsh tradition. == Comparison of Warsh and Hafs recitation == The [Warsh 'an Naafi' recitation](/source/Warsh_'an_Naafi'_recitation) of the Quran differs from [Hafs 'an Asim](/source/Hafs_'an_Asim) in some [orthography](/source/orthography). The majority of differences do not affect the meaning. Yet in some cases the differences change the implications of the verse. In verse 2:184 Hafs recites the verse to be "... a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person...". On the other hand, Warsh reads it "... a ransom [as substitute] of feeding poor people..."A. Brockett, ''Studies in Two Transmission of the Qur'an'', doctorate thesis, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, 1984, p.138 Other variants that go beyond orthography include : {| class="wikitable" |- ! رواية ورش عن نافع!!رواية حفص عن عاصم !! Ḥafs !! Warsh !!Chapter and Verse |- | يَعْمَلُونَ || تَعْمَلُونَ || you do || they do || Al-Baqara 2:85 |- | وًأَوْصّى || وَوَصَّى|| enjoined || instructed || [Al-Baqara](/source/Al-Baqara) 2:132 |- | سَارِعُوا || وَسَارِعُوا || And hasten to || Hasten to || [Al 'imran](/source/Al_'imran) 3:133 |- | مَا تَنَزَّلُ || مَا نُنَزِّلُ || we do not send down... || they do not come down... || [Al-Ḥijr](/source/Al-%E1%B8%A4ijr) 15:8 |- | قُل || قَالَ || he said || say! || [Al-Anbiyā'](/source/Al-Anbiy%C4%81') 21:4 |- | كَثِيرًا || كَبِيرًا || mighty || multitudinous || [Al-Aḥzāb](/source/Al-A%E1%B8%A5z%C4%81b) 33:68 |- | بِمَا || فَبِمَا || then it is what || it is what || [Al-Shura](/source/Al-Shura) 42:30 |- | نُدْخِلْهُ || يُدْخِلْهُ || he makes him enter || we make him enter || [Al-Fatḥ](/source/Al-Fat%E1%B8%A5) 48:17 |} {| class="wikitable" |- ! رواية ورش عن نافع!!رواية حفص عن عاصم !! Ḥafs !! Warsh !!Chapter and Verse |- | مَلِكِ || مَالِكِ || Owner || King || [Al-Fatihah](/source/Al-Fatihah) [Q1](/source/Al-Fatiha):4 (Q1:3 in Warsh) |- | يٌكَذّبُونَ || يَكْذِبُونَ || they lie || they were lied to (or) they deny || [Al-Baqara](/source/Al-Baqara) [Q2](/source/Al-Baqarah):10 (Q2:9 in Warsh) |- | قُتِلَ || قَاتَلَ || And many a prophet fought || And many a prophet was killed || Al 'imran [Q3](/source/Al_Imran):146 |- | سَاحِرَانِ || سِحْرَانِ || two works of magic || two magicians || [Al-Qasas](/source/Al-Qasas) [Q28](/source/Q28):48 |} == See also == === Ten readers and transmitters === *[Nafi‘ al-Madani](/source/Nafi%E2%80%98_al-Madani) **[Qalun](/source/Qalun) **Warsh *[Ibn Kathir al-Makki](/source/Ibn_Kathir_al-Makki) **[Al-Bazzi](/source/Al-Bazzi) **[Qunbul](/source/Qunbul) *[Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala'](/source/Abu_'Amr_ibn_al-'Ala') **[Ad-Duri](/source/Al-Duri) **[Al-Susi](/source/Abu_Shu'ayb_al-Soussi) *[Ibn Amir ad-Dimashqi](/source/Ibn_Amir_ad-Dimashqi) **[Hisham ibn Ammar](/source/Hisham_ibn_Ammar) **[Ibn Dhakwan](/source/Ibn_Dhakwan) *[Aasim ibn Abi al-Najud](/source/Aasim_ibn_Abi_al-Najud) **[Shu'bah](/source/Shu'bah) **[Hafs](/source/Hafs) *[Hamzah az-Zaiyyat](/source/Hamzah_az-Zaiyyat) **[Khalaf](/source/Khalaf_al-Bazzar) **[Khallad](/source/Khallad) *[Al-Kisa'i](/source/Al-Kisa'i) **[Al-Layth](/source/Al-Layth) **[Ad-Duri](/source/Al-Duri) *Abu Ja'far **'Isa ibn Waddan **Ibn Jummaz *Ya'qub al-Yamani **Ruways **Rawh *[Khalaf](/source/Khalaf_al-Bazzar) **Ishaq **Idris == References == {{Reflist}} {{Quranic qira'ates}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Warsh}} Category:728 births Category:812 deaths Category:Quran Category:Quranic readings Category:Warsh recitation Category:People from the Umayyad Caliphate Category:Quran reciters Category:Egyptian Muslims Category:8th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Category:9th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Category:Scholars from the Abbasid Caliphate Category:Scholars from the Umayyad Caliphate Category:Arab Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Category:8th-century Arab people Category:9th-century Arab people --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Warsh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsh) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsh?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.