Description

First: His name, lineage, and nickname:

Nafeh bin Abdul Rahman bin Abi Na’im, his nickname is Abu Ruwaim or Abu Abdullah, reciter of (the city of) Al-Madinah , and one of the seven reciters. He originated from Isfahan (a city in central Iran). He was born around 70 AH in the caliphate of Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, but he became famous in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara (the illuminated city).

 Second, his characteristics:

He was swarthy (in complexion), bright in face, with good manners, and had a sense of humour, smelling of musk perfume when he spoke. He was told: “O Aba Abdullah or O Aba Ruwaym: Do you perfume (musk) every time you sit to recite?” He said: “I don’t touch musk perfume at all, but I saw the Prophet (pbuh) while he was reciting, and from his mouth (would emanate) the scent of musk perfume (that is, from the prophet’s (pbuh) mouth), and from that time onwards, I can smell this scent from my mouth. 

And this is what Al-Shatibi referred to in his poetry. He said:

فأمَّا الكريمُ السرِّ في الطِّيب نافعٌ

فَذَاكَ الذي اختارَ المدينةَ منزلا

The essence of this honour is in the scent (of musk) emanating from Nafeh,

He is the one who chose Al-Madinah as his abode.

It was said to Nafeh: “How bright is your face, and how good are your manners!” He said: “How can I not be like this when the Messenger of God (pbuh) shook hands with me, and before him I recited the Qur’an, that is: in sleep”.

Furthermore, Qalon said, “Nafeh was one of the purest of people in character, and one of the best in reciting, and he was ascetic and generous, and he prayed in the mosque of the Prophet (pbuh) for sixty years…”

Third: His status and knowledge:

He was one of the prominent figures, and one of the seven famous reciters, he became famous in Al-Madinah, and through succession, he became the master of reciting there, and he recited to the people for more than seventy years. Malik bin Anas, may God be pleased with him, said: “Nafeh was Imam of people in recitation”. Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal said about him: “I asked my father: “Which recitation is the most beloved to you?”, he said: “The recitation of the people of Al-Madinah”, meaning the recitation of Imam Nafeh, I said: “If not (Imam Nafeh)?”, he said: “Then the recitation of Imam Asim al-Kufi””. 

Fourth: His teachers of recitation:

Nafeh recited the Holy Quran before a group of the followers of the people of Al-Madinah, and it was narrated that he recited it before seventy followers. So, he recited before Abd al-Rahman ibn Hormuz al-Araj, Abi Ja`far Yazid bin al-Qa’qa’, and Shaybah ibn Nasah, and Abu Ruh Yazid bin Roman. And these people took the reciting from our master Abi Huraira and Abdullah bin Abbas and Abdullah bin Ayyash bin Abi Rabi`ah.

Fifth: Narrators of his recitations:

Nafeh recited to the people for a long time and some of the earlier scholars recited before him such as: Imam Malik bin Anas and Al-Layth bin Saad and Abu Amro bin Al-Ala Al-Basri and also Issa bin Wardan and Suleiman bin Muslim bin Jammaz. The most famous of those who narrated from him are: Issa bin Mina, nicknamed “Qaloon” and Othman bin Saeed, nicknamed “Warsh”.

Sixth: Imam Nafeh Al-Madani’s approach in reciting:

Sheikh Abd al-Fattah al-Qadi, one of the most prominent contemporary scholars of recitations, says: “Nafeh’s recitation is continuous, and there is no evidence of its continuity except that he received it from seventy of the followers of the Prophet’s companions, and it is mutawaatir (relevant) in the majority of styles (categories)”. Al-Nafeh’s recitation was narrated by many of the companions of the Messenger of God (pbuh) and (narrated) by many of the followers of the prophet’s companions. Then it was narrated by nations until it reached us, and this report is mentioned in all the recitings of the ten imams.

Seventh: Transformation of spreading and extinction:

The current map of the spread of recitation in the Islamic world has undergone major transformations since the crystallisation of this science in the second and third centuries AH. The people of Al-Madinah used to recite in the way of Imam Nafeh bin Abd al-Rahman al-Madani until the fifth century AH and in Egypt, the narration of Warsh, on the authority of Nafeh, prevailed until the fifth century AH. The fact that Warsh was an Egyptian contributed to this. Therefore, he travelled to meet with Nafeh and recited the Holy Quran four times before him and then he returned to Egypt and began spreading the recitation of Nafeh.

As for the reason for the spread of Nafeh’s reciting in the Arab Maghreb (North Africa), it is because the recitation of their Imam Malik bin Anas, may God have mercy on him, was just as the Moroccans were taking the jurisprudence of the people of Al-Madinah, and so, they also took their recitation.

The places the recitation is widespread today:

Warsh al-Masry’s narration, on the authority of Nafeh al-Madani: It is the narration that is widespread in the countries of the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania), and in West Africa (Senegal, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, and others). It is the narration that had spread in the first centuries in Egypt, and from there spread to those countries. Qaloon’s narration, on the authority of Nafeh, is common in Libya (the official recitation) and in most of Tunisia.

Eighth: His death: 

Nafeh bin Abi Naim died in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah (the illuminated city) in the year 169 AH and when his death approached, his sons said to him: “Deliver your commandment to us!” He said:

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Have fear of Allah and set things right between you.

Obey Allah and His Messenger if you are believers

May God (Allah) bestow his wide mercy on him and reward him on behalf of all Muslims with the best of rewards.