Narration of Warsh from Nafi:
The narration of Warsh from Nafi for the Holy Quran is considered the second reading in the Islamic world after the narration of Hafs, and it remained in first place for many centuries in the Maghreb countries.
Who is Warsh bin Nafi?
Although this great imam is known throughout the Islamic world as "Warsh bin Nafi", his real name is Othman bin Saeed bin Abdullah bin Amr bin Suleiman and he is nicknamed Abu Saeed. As for the story of the name "Warsh", it is a title given to him by his teacher Imam Nafi bin Abi Naim, who called him "Warshaan", which is a type of wild pigeon with a sweet voice, and he used to say to him: "Bring it, Warshaan! And read, Warshaan! And where is the Warshaan?" Then the name was later shortened to "Warshaan", and it was said that the reason for this title is the whiteness of Othman bin Saeed, as the Warsha is something made of milk.
Regardless of the reason for the name, this title stuck with him throughout his life and he was known only by it. It was one of his favorite titles because his teacher was the one who gave it to him. It is also clear that he greatly respected his teacher, Imam Nafi’, to the point that he called himself by his name, so he became known as Sheikh “Warsh ibn Nafi’”.
It is mentioned that Warsh traveled to Medina specifically to meet Imam Nafi’, where he stayed for one month during which he recited many Khatmahs to Imam Nafi’.
The life and death of Warsh ibn Nafi’:
Warsh ibn Nafi’ was born in Egypt in 110 AH (728 AD), specifically in one of the Qift neighborhoods south of Qena Governorate in Upper Egypt. “Al-Qifti” was one of his titles in reference to his city, and he was also nicknamed “Al-Awami” because one of his grandfathers was a client of Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam.
Warsh ibn Nafi lived poor in Qift, and he used to sell cattle there, and due to this work he was also called "Al-Rawas".
When ibn Nafi learned the recitations of the Qur'an, he traveled to Fustat and settled there for a period of time, where he gathered students around him in the Mosque of Amr ibn al-Aas to teach them recitation.
Among his students were Abu al-Rabi' al-Mahri, Ahmad ibn Salih, Yunus ibn Abd al-A'la, Dawud ibn Abi Tayyiba, Yusuf al-Azraq Abu Ya'qub, Abd al-Samad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim, Amer ibn Saeed Abu al-Ash'ath al-Jarshi, Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Makki and others.
As for his teachers, the most famous of them were Imam Nafi' ibn Abi Na'im, Imam Ismail al-Qast, Abu Omar al-Tamimi, and Hafs al-Kufi, the famous reciter.
It is mentioned that Warsh ibn Nafi was considered the Sheikh of the reciters in Egypt and was distinguished by his sweet voice and beautiful recitation. He was one of the trustworthy reciters and those who are relied upon at that time and until this day, to the point that he assumed the "presidency of recitation in the Egyptian lands".
Sheikh Warsh ibn Nafi died in Egypt at the age of eighty-seven years in 197 AH, and was buried in the cemetery of Imam al-Shafi'i at the foot of al-Muqattam.
Warsh ibn Nafi's recitation
Warsh gained his fame in the Islamic world because of his recitation that he transmitted from his Sheikh Nafi', to become the most widespread recitation in North Africa, its West, and in Andalusia. It became popular in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Libya, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and others. His recitation remained the most famous in Egypt for several centuries until the Ottomans entered it in 1517, where the Ottomans popularized the recitation of Hafs, which was distinguished by being easier and smoother, to become the most widespread recitation since then.
Today, Warsh's reading ranks second in the Islamic world after Hafs's narration from Asim. Among the characteristics of Warsh's reading are the softening of the hamzat al-qata' and the inclination of the alif to the ya' at the ends of some words.
