The Role of Sciences and Techniques of Recitations (Qira’at) in Responding to the Orientalists’ Doubts

The sciences and techniques of recitation are a collection of theoretical and practical scientific skills that deal with different ways of relating to the Quran. Since the beginning of Islam, this collection has been of special interest to Islamic scholars. In the meantime, Orientalists have also paid special attention to the study of the history of the Holy Quran, manuscripts researching, recitations of the Quran and related issues, and have also raised doubts in this regard. Accordingly, the researcher of the present article intends to introduce the sciences and techniques of recitations and its role in responding to the doubts of Orientalists to examine the types of interventions proposed by Orientalists in the field of the sciences and techniques of recitation. The research method in this article is descriptive-analytical which has been formed using library resources. Orientalists’ attention to the basics of the science of recitation along with the study of various fields of sciences and techniques of recitation such as teaching and promotion of the Holy Quran, manuscripts researching, history of recitation, is one of the most important achievements of this article. Manuscripts researching with all its dimensions, including tazhib, calligraphy, recitations in manuscripts, history of manuscripts of the Quran, the way of writing letters and symbols, have attracted the most attention of Orientalists among the sciences and techniques of recitation and to answer to their doubts, learning the sciences like the science drawing, the science of discipline, recitations and Quranic sciences are required