Question

Assalaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu.

Could you please explain the difference(s) between 'Ashara Sughra and 'Ashara Kubra?  All I understand is that there are different chains of transmission for the two.
Jazaakallahu khairan kathiran
Wassalaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

 

Answer

Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

The lesser ten (Al-‘Ashara As-Sughra) refer to the seven qira’aat outlined in the Shatibiyyah poem  by Imam Ash-Shatibyy and the three qira’aat outlined by Imam Ibn Al-Jazaree in the Durrah poem  making a total of ten qira’aat each with their two riwaayaat . 

The greater ten (Al-‘Ashara Al-Kubra) refer to the same ten qira’aat and the two riwaayaat for each of them, but with all of the authentic ways for each of them outlined in Imam Ibn Jazaree’s book An-Nashr fi-l-qir’aat al-‘ashr, and his poem Tayyibah An-Nashr.  The authentic ways for each qira’ah in Imam Ibn Al-Jazaree’s work can be quite numerous.  Included though in all these different ways of the greater ten, are the seven qira’aat outline by Imam Ash-Shatibiyy and the three outlined by Imam Al-Jazaree, so the chains of transmission for those are exactly the same.  The other authentic ways in the ‘Ashara Al-Kubraa though have different chains.

Wa iyyaakum.

Wa assalaam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.