The Quran in the Qunbul ‘an Ibn Kathir riwaya

Qunbul ‘an Ibn Kathir is one of the two transmissions of the reading of Ibn Kathir, the leading reader of Mecca. Its transmitter, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Makhzumi, known as Qunbul (810–904; 195–291 AH), was the foremost teacher of the Quran in the Hijaz, and students travelled to him from every region. Rarely heard in public recitation, it is mainly preserved in the teaching of the readings.

Ibn Kathir (665–738; 45–120 AH), a Meccan Successor, had read with the Companion ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Sa’ib and with Mujahid, a student of Ibn ‘Abbas, so that the reading goes back to Ubayy ibn Ka‘b. Qunbul received it from Ahmad al-Qawwas, whose chain passes through Wahb ibn Wadih and Isma‘il al-Qust, and also transmitted it from al-Bazzi, Ibn Kathir's other transmitter. Trusted for his integrity, he was put in charge of the police (shurta) of Mecca in mid-life.

Qunbul shares the features of Ibn Kathir: the plural mim extended with a "u" (‘alayhimū), a short separated madd, al-qurān without a hamza, or fa-talaqqā Ādama min rabbihi kalimātun (2:37), where the two nouns swap their cases. He differs from al-Bazzi on a small number of points, including as-sirāṭ, which he pronounces with a plain s instead of the emphatic ṣ, and the handling of two hamzas meeting across words. Some recordings combine both transmitters: see al-Bazzi and Qunbul.

Reciters who have recorded it include Yousef Bin Noah Ahmad, Mohamed Shaaban Abu Qarn, Ahmed Aissa El Masarawi and Mohammed Mustafa Al-Zayat.