Ithāf Fuḍalāʾ al-Bashar bi-Qirāʾāt al-Arbaʿata ʿAshar by Imām Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Bannā al-Dimyāṭī (d. 1117 AH): A Descriptive Study of Its Manuscript and Printed Versions

إِتْـحَـافُ فُـضَلَاءِ الـبَشَـرِ بِـالقِرَاءَاتِ الأَرْبَـعَـةَ عَـشَـرَ للإمامِ شهابِ الدِّينِ أحـمدَ بنِ مـحمَّدٍ الـبَـنَّـا الدِّمْيَاطِيِّ (1036 - 1117هـ) دِرَاسَــــةٌ وَصْفِـيَّـةٌ لِــنُسَخِـهِ الـخَطِّـيِّـةِ والـمَطْبُـوعَـةِ

Abstract

The book Ithāf Fuḍalāʾ al-Bashar bi-Qirāʾāt al-Arbaʿata ʿAshar by Imām Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Bannā al-Dimyāṭī (d. 1117 AH) occupies a prominent position in the field of Qurʾānic readings (Qirāʾāt), particularly among later scholars. Its scholarly significance is reflected in the wide dissemination of its manuscript copies, preserved in libraries across more than twenty countries, as well as in its early and repeated publication following the emergence of printing.

This study aims to examine the textual transmission of the work through a descriptive analysis of the available manuscript copies and a critical evaluation of its printed editions. By surveying these materials, the research highlights variations, editorial shortcomings, and methodological issues present in the existing prints. The study argues that the currently available editions do not fully meet the standards of rigorous textual verification and scholarly editing. It concludes by emphasizing the need for a new critical edition based on sound academic principles and encourages further specialized studies to enhance the academic utilization of this important work.