IBN BERRI AL-FASI )D. 730 AH ( AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MOROCCAN SCHOOL OF QUR’ANIC EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52747/aqujssis.6.1.455Keywords:
Ibn Berri al-Fasi, Diacritical Notation (Ḍabṭ), Orthography (Rasm), Qur’anic Recitations (Qirāʾāt), Qur’anic Education.Abstract
This study examines the scholarly contributions of Imam Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad Ibn Berri al-Fāsī (d. 730 AH) to the formation of a distinct Moroccan tradition of Qur’anic education, with particular focus on the disciplines of orthography (rasm), diacritical notation (ḍabṭ), and Qur’anic recitation (qirāʾāt). At the center of this inquiry is his influential didactic poem al-Durar al-Lawāmiʿ fī Aṣl Maqraʾ al-Imām Nāfiʿ, which emerged as a foundational text in the Moroccan transmission of Warsh ʿan Nāfiʿ and became emblematic of the region’s Qur’anic identity. The study seeks to analyze Ibn Berri’s role in standardizing modes of Qur’anic performance and in codifying principles of orthographic and phonetic precision within the Maghrib. It further aims to evaluate the methodological and epistemological characteristics of this scholarly tradition and to explore its potential relevance for the reform of contemporary Qur’anic pedagogy. The central research question addresses the extent to which Ibn Berri contributed to the development of a coherent Moroccan school in rasm and ḍabṭ, and how this intellectual legacy may inform current efforts to renew Qur’anic instruction. Adopting both historical and textual-analytical approaches, the research situates Ibn Berri’s work within the broader intellectual context of his era while offering a close reading of al-Durar al-Lawāmiʿ in terms of its structure, pedagogical objectives, and technical content. In addition, the study traces subsequent scholarly engagement with his work across generations, highlighting its enduring influence on recitational traditions, instructional methodologies, and the cultivation of phonetic discipline in Qur’anic education. Ultimately, the study argues that reintegrating this foundational legacy into modern curricula has the potential to enhance coherence, authenticity, and continuity within Moroccan Qur’anic scholarship.
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