Question:

Does Ibn Shahr confirm that Asim learned the Qur’an through Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.)?

Answer:

Ibn Shahr Ashub writes: “As for Nafi’, Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr, most of their readings go back to Ibn Abbas and Ibn Abbas learned the Qur’an from Ubayy Ibn Ka’b and Ali (a.) and what those readers read did not agree with the reading of Ubayy and so it was adopted by Ali (a.). As for Asim, he learned the Qur’an from Abd-ur-Rahman As-Sulami and Abd-ur-Rahman said: “I learned the Qur’an entirely from Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.). Whereupon they said: “The most eloquent of the readings is the reading by Asim, for he delivered the original.” [Manaqib Al Abi Talib, Volume 2 Page 52]

قال ابن شهر آشوب: واما نافع وابن كثير وأبو عمرو فمعظم قراءاتهم ترجع إلى ابن عباس وابن عباس قرأ على أبي بن كعب وعلي والذي قرأه هؤلاء القراء يخالف قراءة أبي، فهو إذا مأخوذ عن علي صلى الله عليه وآله واما عاصم فقرأ على أبي عبد الرحمن السلمي وقال أبو عبد الرحمن قرأت القرآن كله على علي بن أبي طالب فقالوا أفصح القراءات قراءة عاصم لأنه أتى بالأصل

Comment:

Asim transmitted the Qur’an through Hafs, which is still widely used today.