Qaloun Quran

The riwaya of Qaloun 'an Nafi'

Qaloun is the nickname of 'Isa ibn Mina al-Madani, a student of Nafi' al-Madani — the same teacher as Warsh. Both riwayat therefore go back to the same reader of Madinah through two different students, which is why a Qaloun mushaf resembles a Warsh one more closely than a Hafs one, without being identical to it. The riwaya of Qaloun is today the reference reading in Tunisia and across much of Libya.

Who this page is for

Primarily for families of Tunisian or Libyan origin who want to pass on the reading they learned, for students following a qira'at curriculum who need one mushaf per riwaya, and for teachers with pupils trained in the Maghreb. If you memorised in Qaloun and revise from a Hafs mushaf, the differences in rasm and vowelling will get in your way on every page — better to go back to a copy in your own riwaya.

Qaloun, Warsh, Hafs: don't mix them up

Three riwayat, three different mushafs — and frequent errors from resellers who sell "an Arabic Quran" without looking at the title page. The useful markers:

• Qaloun 'an Nafi' — Tunisia, much of Libya. Same teacher as Warsh, with its own rules of prolongation and pronunciation.
• Warsh 'an Nafi' — Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, West Africa.
• Hafs 'an 'Asim — Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, the Levant, Egypt, Turkey, Asia.

The riwaya is always printed on the mushaf's title page, at the foot or inside the cartouche. We carry it over to every listing and check it on the physical copy before dispatch.

One edition for the whole memorisation

As with Warsh, Qaloun has no universal layout comparable to the 15-line Madinah mushaf: pagination depends on the edition. If you are memorising, or a child is, pick one edition and stay with it — the visual memory of the page is what holds a hifz together over time, and it does not survive a change of model. Check the lines-per-page figure and the publisher on the listing before you buy.

Sizes, paper, binding

Size: pocket (10 × 14 cm) for travel, medium (14 × 20 cm) for daily reading, large (17 × 24 cm and up) for memorisation and long sessions. Paper: cream or ivory, slightly thick, is markedly easier on the eye than thin white stock that shows the reverse. Binding: sewn opens flat and lasts years; glued comes apart. Every listing states the size in centimetres, the line count, the paper, the binding, the script and the publisher.

Availability: why Qaloun is scarcer

Print runs in Qaloun are far smaller than in Hafs, and the editions circulate little outside Tunisia and Libya. In practice that means the quantities shown here are small and reflect stock actually on the shelf, never a supplier lead time. If the model you want is sold out, write to us: we will tell you honestly whether a restock is planned and roughly when, rather than leaving you waiting on an open order.

The other riwayat

To compare before buying: Warsh Quran ('an Nafi'), from the same teacher as Qaloun, is the reading of Morocco, Algeria and West Africa; Hafs Quran ('an 'Asim) is the reading of Saudi Arabia, the Levant, Egypt and Asia, with the 15-line Madinah mushaf. For the full range, see Quran in Arabic.

Shipping and packing

Every mushaf ships shrink-wrapped and packed in a rigid box. Dispatched within 24 to 48 working hours, shipped to Europe, North Africa and worldwide. For a Quran-school order or a gift we check the riwaya, the line count and the print quality of the copies that will ship.