the meaning and identification of the narrative “iqra kama iaqra al-nas”

the narratives permitting common reading of quran, despite differences in the readings of imams and those of common ones, allow people to read as common reading. some persons regard seven readings as the proof of their permissibility. others, based on periods, have considered them as permissible only in the imams era. and some jurists have regarded only hafs’ narrative as the proof of these traditions. this research, based on seven readings’ currency in the past and some terms such as “peoples reading” and “common reading” in regard to quranic and historical texts, has tried to demonstrate the currency of each reading in the given period can be considered as its’ permissibility. thus, in the contemporary period in the eastern islamic world only the asems’ narrative by hafs ones is in currency. in these lands, hafs’ reading is the only proof in regard to the permissibility of peoples’ reading.