TheCollectionandPreservationoftheQur'anAyatullahSayyidAbulQasimAlKhui-XKP

Published:2013Tag(s):islam"tharifquran""tahrefquran"khuikhoie"AyatullahSayyidAbulQasimalKhui""CollectionPreservationQuran"khoeixkp"islamicebooks""ayatullahkhui""collectionkoran""preservationofve

1ChapterForeword

"In the name of Allah,Most Gracious,MostMerciful. Praise be to AllahWho has sent to His

servantTheBook and has allowed no deviation therein.And the best ofAllah's blessings andHismost complete peace upon His Apostle whom he sent with His Guidance. And upon his chosen,virtuousprogenywhobelievedinhim,honouredhim,helpedhimandfollowedtheLightWhichwassentdowntohim".Amid all the diversity of thoughts, leanings and inter pretations,Muslims are united by a single

cohesiveforce,aneternalandabidingmiracleofMuhammad(‘s);HolyQur'an.AprinceamongtherevealedBooks,Qur'anhasremainedpristineandunsulliedbytheprofanehands.TheexternalforcesworkingrestlesslytowrecktheMuslimunityandconsensushavenowresorted

to a new ploy. From among the Muslims themselves, they have succeeded to instigate sectariandifferencesbasedonQur'an.WenowseescholarsofonesectaccusingthefollowersofanothersectofdisbelievinginQur'an,orbelievinginaBookwhichhasdisappearedorbeeninterpolated.From Saudi Arabia, South Africa and particularly Pakistan, recent publications against

theShiahsectharpononeandthesamenote.Theygotowearisomeandtediouslengths,justtoprovethattheShiahsarenotMuslimsbecausetheydonotbelieveintheexistingQur'an.ItissurprisingtofindamanofAbulHasanNadawis'calibrejoiningthenotoriousbandandenteringinextricablyintothequagmire.TheforcesofkufrhavethussuccessfullycreatedawiderchasmbetweenthetwomainsectsofIslam,theShiahandtheSunni;andsomescholarshaveplayedintotheirhands.ThefactisneitherSunninorShiahMuslimsbelieveinanyOur'anotherthantheexistingone,nor

dotheysubscribetotheviewssupportinginterpolations,distortions,omissions,additionsoranysortoftamperingintheHolyBook.In our selection of two chapters from Ayatullah Sayyid Abul Qasim al‑Khui's famous work al

Bayan fi Tafsiril Qur'anwe have deliberately given a prime choice to the subjects ofTahrif andcollectionof theQur'an.Later,wehopetotranslateandpublishfurtherchapterssothat,eventually,wholebookisplacedinthehandsoftheMuslimaswellasnon‑Muslimreaders.Ayatullahal‑Khuicompletedthisworkdecadesago.HeisoneofthegreatShiahmujtahidsof this

era, internationallyknownforhiserudition.ThebookwasacclaimedasamasterpiecebyShiahaswell as Sunni scholars, leaving no doubt in the minds of its readers that Qur'an as a great forcebindingalltheMuslimstogetherhascometostayforever.ThelineofargumentpursuedbyAyatullahal‑Khuiisunique.Whileheenumeratesanddiscusses

all the reports from Shiah aswell as Sunni sources, he very ably concludes that according to thereliableandauthentic traditions,Qur'anhasremainedpure,pristineandunprofaned.HisargumentsprovingthatthebeliefinTahrifgoesagainstal‑Kitab(i.e.Qur'an),as‑Sunnah,al‑Aqlandal‑Ijma',arecompellingandpersuasive.Hisanalysisofall thosereportswhichindicatedesultory,unmethodicaland haphazard later day collection of Qur'an leaves no shred of doubt that they are false andfabricated.Inhisprefacetothefirsteditionofal‑BayanfiTafsirilQur'an,alKhuiwrites:‑"IwasenamouredbyQur'anfromthechildhood,alwayskeentounravelitssecretsandtodiscover

itsmeaning. Itbehovesevery trueMuslim,andevennon‑Muslimthinkers toponderoverQur'an, tounfold its hiddenmeaning and to benefit from its light. For it is a Bookwhich has amessage forhumanwelfareandguidesittosuccessandsalvation.Qur'anisareferenceforthelinguist,aguidetothegrammarian,anauthorityforthejurist,anexamplefortherefined,alosttreasureforthewise.Itevenguidesthosewhoadmonishandshowsthegoalinlife.Itisasourceofsocialaswellaspoliticalsciences,anduponitrestthesciencesofIslam.Itwillrevealtoyouthefascinatingsecrets.ofNature,andintroduceyoutothelawsofcreation.Qur'anistheabidingmiracleofthiseverlastingreligion,andacodeofconductbasedonthehighandesteemedShariah".ItisourearnesthopethatthispublicationwillservetobridgethegapbetweenMuslims,createdby

thesubtleforcesofkufr.Further, itwill Inshallahenable them,bothShiahandSunni, torealize thatQur'an is their only hope of deliverance from the unscrupulous manipulations of un-Islamic andanti‑Islamicpropagandists.LetnoMuslimbedeceived intobelieving thatheorhisbrother,despitethe sectarian differences, believes in any authority other than that of the existing Qur'an. It iscomplete,pure,pristineandunaltered.

SecretariatTheWorldFederationofK.S.I.MuslimCommunities

London

2ChapterIntroduction

Tothingsimmortal,timecandonowrong,

Andthatwhichneveristodie,forevermustbeyoung.Withthepassageoftime,manygreatmessageshavebeenlost,andthosewhichhavesurvivedmust

besubjectedtoclosescrutiny.Howoftendowehearandlearnacorruptversionofastatementoranevent, even if the lapse of time in between was short? It was perhaps for this reason that evenEmerson,thefamousandcomparativelycheerfulsage,declared:"Thesurestpoisonistime.".Historyhasalwaysbeenhauntedbythisravaginganddevour ingaspectoftime.Eversincemanwascreated,theprinciplemessagetohimhasbeenthatofabsoluteunityofGod,

andthatallmenandwomenarehisslaves.Today,thedefacedformofthismessageisvisibleintheformofnumerousdeities,someopenlypolytheistic,othersundertheguiseofmonotheism.Thegreatbooks revealed to the earlyProphetshavebeenvictimsofprofanehandswhich succeededeven toconvertsomepartsofthesacredtextsintothemosttastelessandimmoralanecdotesandparables.Thesubstanceof theoriginalmessagewasdeliberatelyallowedtodisappearwithagrowingnumberofinterpolations.Humanity todaywouldhavehadnochancewhatsoever toknowabout themessage in itspristine

form,haditnotbeenredeemedbythegreatProphetofIslam,Muhammad(peacebeuponhimandhisprogeny).Among thehostilepeopleofvarious shadesof faith, someengaged inpolytheismwhileothersindualismandtrinityofgodhead,hisfamoussimpledictumwas:"Say:There isnoGodbutAllah,andyouwillbesaved".Allgods,madeofmetalwoodorothermaterials,andthosecomprisingofpiousprophetsandvirtuousmenandwomen,wereaskedtosuccumbbeforeoneGod,Allah,andHisWill.He toldhumanity then, and continues to do so even today, that the eternalmessage fromAllahisthatofHisabsoluteunity,andthatnonebeworshipped;notevenhumandesirewhichlieslikeavenomousviperinthebosoms.This great message is enshrined in the Qur'an, the only book of God, which has remained

unsullied, untainted, pure and unprofaned. The sure greedy hands of time could not destroy thesacrosanct quality of Qur'an, not because it was not tried, ‑ but because Qur'an is inherentlyincorruptible.Ithasastyleandformwhichisinimitable,renderinganychangeoralterationcreepingstealthily into it easily detectible. The transmission of every verse of this great Book has beencontinuouseversinceitleftthelipsoftheProphetasarevelationfromAllah.Andthenthereisthecontentof theBook,destined to remainan illuminating,ever shining light for thosewhogrope indarkness.Qur'anisirreplaceable.OursixthImam,Ja’faras‑Sadiq(‘a)hassaid:

"Qur'anisliving,itsmessageneverdied.Itturnsliketheturnofdayandnight,itisinmotionlike

thesunandthemoon.Itwillembracethelastofus,thewayitembracedthefirstofus"[1]Sadlyenough,Muslimshaverecentlyinitiatedamudslingingmatchamongstthemselves,accusing

each other of disbelief in the Qur'an or interpolation. Such an attack from non‑Muslims isunderstandable,becauseQur'an stands ina sharpcontrast to thecorrupteddivine texts theyhold intheirhands.ButwhytheMuslims?AyatullahSayyidAbulQasimalKhui,thegreatMujtahidofourera,examinesherethesubjectwith

aninsightsingular lyhisown.Notes:[1]Al‑Ayyashi

3ChapterTheHolyQur’an,Pure,PristineandUnprofaned

Beforewe dwell upon this subject at length,we feel it is necessary to discuss certain connected

issueswhichcannotbeoverlooked,thatarethefollowing:àTheMeaningofTahrif(interpolationortampering);àMuslimviewonTahrif;àAbrogationofRecitationaFactoraMyth;àTahrifandtheBookItself;àTahrifandSunnah;àPermissiontoRecitetheSurahinthePrayers;àTheClaimthatTahrifwascausedbytheCaliphs;àSomeDoubtsbythosewhobelieveinTahrif;àTheTraditionsaboutTahrif;àTrueMeaningoftheTraditions.

4ChapterTheMeaningofTahrif

TheMeaningofTahrif(interpolationortampering)

This word is used with common denotations, some of which are acceptably applicable to the

Qur ’an;andtheothersareeitherinapplicableordisputed.Thedetailsareasbelow.First,themeaningistotransferanobjectfromitsplacetoanother.Allahsays:Muslims are agreed upon the fact that such an interference has occurred in theQur ’an, because

wheneversomeone interprets theQur ’anwithoutunderstanding its truemeaningand transforms itsrealmeaningtosomethingirrelevant,hetamperswithit.ManyhaveintroducedinnovationsandunfoundedbeliefsintoIslambybasingtheirargumentson

interpretationoftheQur ’anaccordingtotheirownwhimsandopinions.Thereareseveraltraditionswhichforbidthistypeofinter pretations,andcondemnitsperpetrators.

Inal-Kafi,atraditionbyImamMuhammadal‑Baqir(‘a)saysthathewrotetoSa'adal‑Khayr:"Oneof theexamplesof their repudiationof theBookhasbeen that they stoodby its lettersand

distorteditsinjunctions;theynarrateit,butdonothavedeferencetoitsteachings.Theignorantareimpressedbytheirnarrationsandrecitations,whilethelearnedaregrievedtoseetheirdisregardforitsprotection…"[2]Secondly, the meaning of Tahrif is an omission or an addition of a letter or a change in

grammaticalinflections,withouteffectinganychangeinthecontentoftheQur ’an.ThischangemaysometimesnotbediscerniblefromtherestoftheQur ’an.ThistypeofchangehasdefinitelyoccurredintheQur ’an.Wehavealreadypointedoutearlierthat

thesocalledvariousreadingsoftheQur ’anwerenotbasedontawattur,whichmeansthattheQur ’anwas really based on only one authentic system of reading, and the rest were either additions oromissions.The thirdmeaning ofTahrif is an omission or an addition of aword or two, at the same time

leavingtheessenceoftheQur ’anuntouched.ItisthetypeofinterpolationwhichsurelyoccurredinthefirstcenturyofIslam,andinthedaysof

thecompanionsoftheProphet(‘s).ThefactthatUthmanburntupallothercopiesoftheQur ’an,andorderedhisemissariestodoawaywithallthecopiesotherthanthecodexpreparedbyhimself,isan

ampleproof that thereexisted somedifferencebetweenhis copyand theothers, elsehewouldnothaveaskedfortheirdestruction.In fact, some of the scholars have recorded those differences, like Abdullah b. Abi Dawud

as‑Sajistaniwhowroteabooktitled:KitabulMasahif.Itcouldbeinferredthatsomeinterpolationhadoccurred,eitheronthepartofUthmanoronthepartofthescribeswhopreparedtheircopies.ButwewillsoonestablishthatthecopyofUthmanwasactuallytheonealreadyknowntotheMuslims.ItwastheonewhichwashandedoverfromtheProphet(‘s)andwidelyused.TheTahrifbywayofadditionoromissionhadoccurredin thosecopieswhichceasedtoexistafter theeraofUthman.Asfor theexistingQur ’an,itistotallyfreefromanyomissionoraddition.In short, thosewho rightlybelieve that those extra codicesof theQur ’anwerenot authenticated

bytawattur,thatistosaythattheirauthenticitywasnotestablishedbywidecurrencyandacceptanceamongMuslims, for them it isalso right tobelieve that this sortof tamperinghadoccurred in thebeginning, but it ceased to exist after the time of Uthman. This leads us to believe that only thatQur ’anremainedauthenticwhichwassupportedbyacontinuouschainjoinedwiththeProphet(‘s).Thosewhoholdthatallthecodices,despitetheirvariations,werebasedontawattur,willhaveto

subscribetothedisputedviewthatTahrifhasoccurredintheQur ’an,andthatsomepartsofitislost.Tabarihasclassified,asyouhavenoticedearlier,thatUthmandismissedthesixvariationsofreading,andallowedonlyonetosustain.ThefourthmeaningofTahrifisadditionorsuppressionofanayahoraSurah,at thesame time

preservingtherevealedQur ’anintact,andacceptingthefactthattheProphet(‘s)reciteditasapartoftheQur ’an.AndthishasdefinitelyoccurredintheQur ’an.The"basmalah"forexample,isanayah forwhich

Muslims unanimously hold that the Prophet (‘s) recited it before everySurah excepttheSurahofal‑Tawbah.Yet,among theUlama’ofAhlus Sunnah, it isasubjectofdispute.SomeofthemsuggestthatitisnotapartoftheQur ’an,andtheMalikiteshavegonetotheextentastoconsideritMakruh to recite itbefore theSurahofFatihah in the daily prayers, exceptwhenone intends totherebydigressfromanotherSurah.AndthenthereisagroupamongthemwhosaythatitisapartoftheQur ’an.TheShiahs areunanimous thatbasmalah isapartof everySurah exceptal‑Tawbah, and this has

been accepted by some Sunni scholars as well. When we start our commentary of the Surahal‑Fatihah, we will enlarge upon this subject. So we see that Tahrif in the form of exclusion orsuppressionhascertainlytakenplace.The fifthmeaning ofTahrif is that an addition of such a nature has taken placewhich rendered

certainpartsunauthentic.ThisindeedistotallyinapplicabletotheHolyQur ’an.SuchachangehasnotoccurredintheQur ’an,andthismustbebelievedinascardinalpartofthefaith.The sixth meaning is Tahrif by omission. This would imply that the Qur ’an we have today is

incompleteandthatpeoplearedeprivedofsomepartsofQur ’an.It is over this implication that the dispute arose, with certain people rejecting it altogether, and

certaingroupconcedingit.

Notes:[2]al-Wafi,p.274

5ChapterMuslimviewonTahrif

TheacceptedviewofMuslimsabouttheQur ’anisthatitisfreefromallprofanitiesandtampering.

TheyfirmlybelievethattheBookexistingamongthemhasthecompletetextofwhatwasrevealedtothegreatProphet(‘s).Manyscholarsofreputehavesupportedthisview,amongthemisMuhammadibnBabawayh,popularlyknownasSheikhSaduq,whohasincludedthisviewintheprincipletenetsofShiaIthna‑Asherisect.SheikhalTaifahAbuJa'farMuhammadb.al‑Hasanal‑TusihasdweltonthissubjectinhiscommentaryalTibyanandinsupportofthisview,hasquotedhismasterAlamulHudaSayyid Murtadha, relating his extensive arguments. The great commentator, aI Tabrasi, has lentcredencetothisviewintheprefacetohisfamousworkMajma‑ul‑Bayan,andsohasShaikhJa’farinhischapterontheQur ’an,fromhisbookKashfulGhita;whereinheclaimsaconsensusonthisview.AllamahShahshahaniinhisbookAlUrwatulWuthqasaysthatthemajorityofmujtahidsconcurthatthere has been no Interpolation in the Qur ’an; and Mulla Muhsin Kashani in his twoworlds,al‑Wafiand llm‑ul‑Yaqin reiterates thesameview.Wefindthis repeatedby thegreatscholarSheikhMuhammadJawadal‑BalaghiintheforewordtohisTafsirAla‑ur‑Rahman.Besides,manygreatscholarslikeSheikhMufid,ShaikhBahaiandMuhaqqiqQadhiNurullahare

knowntohavebeenpartisansoftheviewthattherehasbeennotamperingintheQur ’an.EventhosegreatShiahscholarswhowroteonthesubjectofImamat,criticizingthefactionswhicharosetousurptherightsofAhlul-Bayt(‘a),havenotascribedTahriftothem.Thisisaverypertinentpoint,becausehadtheysubscribedtotheviewthattheQur ’anhadbeenprofaned,theywouldhavementioneditwithmorecandourthanmerelygrievingabouttheburningupofthecopiesoftheQur ’anorothersimilarmatters.Tosumup,thegeneralbeliefofShiahUlama’hasbeenthat theQur ’anis intactandpristine.Of

course,therehasbeenasmallgroupoftraditionalists,bothamongShiahsandSunnis,whoheldthatthe Qur ’an has been tampered with. al‑Rafai says: "A group of theologians used to hypotheticalpresumptionshavesubscribedtotheviewofTahrif;thosewhohaveahabitof resorting tovariousmethodsofdisputationsineverywordandineverylaw,havefounditprobablethatsomethingfromtheQur ’anmayhavebeenlostbecauseofthewayitscollectionhasbeendescribed"[3].InMajmaulBayan,TabrasihasascribedthisviewtothegroupofHashawiyyahamongSunnis.Itwillsoonbeevidentfromwhatfollowsthattoconfirmthattherecitationofcertainpartsofthe

Qur ’anhadbeenabrogatedistantamounttobelievinginTahrif.ThoseUlama’ofAhlu‑sSunnahwhodeclaresuchanabrogationareinrealitydeclaringthatsometamperinghasoccurredintheQur ’an.

Notes:

[3]IjazulQur’an,p.41

6ChapterAbrogationofRecitationaFactoraMyth

Most of the SunniUlama’ have mentioned that the recitation of some parts of the Qur ’an was

abrogated,confirmingat thesame time, through the reports, that thoseabrogatedpartswere in theQur ’anduring thedaysof theProphet (‘s).Wewillquotesomeof thosereportshere toprove thatsuchabeliefmakesitnecessarytoalsobelievethataninterpolationtookplace.

Traditionn.1

(a)IbnAbbasreportsthatUmarsaidwhileonthepulpit:"GodsentMuhammad(‘s)withTruth,andsentdownuntohimtheBook.Andamongthatwhichwas

revealed was an ayah about rajm which we read, understood and heeded. And based on that, theProphet(‘s)stoned,andafterhim,westoned.Ifearthatwiththelapseoftime,peoplemaysay:`wedonotfindtheayahofrajminthebookofGod',andthusgoastraybyabandoningthatwhichGodhasordained. The ordinance of stoning was indeed prescribed for the adulterers in the book of God…..Andthen,amongversesweread,therewasaversewhichsaid[4]

oritwas

AndSuyutihasmentioned:IbnAshtahhasreportedfromLaythb.Sa'ad,whosaid:"ThefirstpersontocollecttheQur’anwasAbuBakrandZaidwroteitdown…AndUmarcameup

withtheayahofrajm,buthedidnotrecorditbecauseUmarwasthesolereporter".[5]Thisverseof rajmwhichUmar claimed tohavebeen in theQur ’an, andwas rejected, hasbeen

reportedinseveralforms;amongthemare:(i)and(ii)and(iii)Whateverbethecase,thereisnothingintheQur ’antodaywhichindicatesthelawofstoningthe

adulterers. And if the reports are to be considered true, then it follows that an ayahhas definitelydisappearedfromtheQur ’an.

Traditionn.2

(b)TabranihasreportedwithreliablechainofnarrationfromUmarb.al‑Khattab:"TheQur’anhadonemillionandtwentyseventhousandletters".[6]WhiletheexistingQur ’andoesnothaveevenonethirdofthenumber.So,oneisledtobelievethat

morethantwo‑thirdoftheQur ’anhasbeenlost.

Traditionn.3

(c)IbnAbbasreportsfromUmar:"GodsentMuhammad(‘s)withTruthandsentdownuntohimtheBook.Andamongthingsrevealed

wasanayahofrajm.SotheProphet(‘s)stonedandafterhimwestonedtoo".ThenUmaradded:"Weusedtorecite[7]or

Traditionn.4

(d)Nafe'reportsthatIbnUmarsaid:"One of you might claim that he has taken the complete Qur’an, but what does he know of the

CompleteQur’an?MuchfromtheQur’anhasdisappeared,soheshouldsay:Ihavetakenwhathasbeentraced"[8].

Traditionn.5

(e)Urwahb.ZubairreportsfromAisha: "TheSurahofal‑Ahzabas readduring the timesof theProphet (‘s) comprisedof twohundred

verses.WhenUthmanpreparedthecodex,wedidnotgetexceptwhatithasremainedtobe"[9].

Traditionn.6

(f)HamidahbintiAnassays:Itwasreadbeforemyfatherwhowas80,fromthecodexofAisha:Shesays:`ThiswasbeforeUthmanchangedthetexts'.

Traditionn.7

(g)AbuHarbb.AbilAswadreportsfromhisfather:"AbuMusaAl‑Asha'ri sent for theQura' (the reciters of Basrah), and three hundredmen called

uponhim,whohadallreadtheQur’an.Thenhesaid:`YouarethebestofthepeopleofBasrah,andtheirreciters.ReadtheQur’anconstantly,otherwise.beforetoolong,yourheartmayhardenthewaytheheartsofyourpredecessorshadhardened.WeusedtoreadaSurahwhichwecompared,inlengthandseverity,withtheSurahofBara’ah,butIhavenowforgottenit,exceptaversewhichsays:

AndweusedtoreadaSurahwhichwecomparedwithoneofthemusabbihat(Surahswhichbegin

withsabbahaoryusabbihu)butIhaveforgottenitexceptaverseIremember[10]:

Traditionn.8

(h)Zarrsays:Ubayyb.Ka'b toldme,OZarr:"HowmuchofSurahofalAhzabdoyouread?"I

said:"Seventythreeverses".Hesaid:"thoughitwasequaltotheSurahofalBaqarah,oritwaslongerthanthat".[11]

Traditionn.9

(i) IbnAbiDawud and IbnAmbari report from IbnShihabi: "Wehave been informed thatmuch

more of theQur’an had been revealed ‑ but those who knew it were killed at Yamamah. They hadpreservedit,anditwasneverknownorwrittenafterthem..."[12]

Traditionn.10

(j)UmrahreportsfromAisha:"AmongthatwhichwasrevealedintheQur ’an,isthefollowingverse:thenitwasabrogatedtoreadandtheyremainedintheQur ’antilltheProphet(‘s)died.[13]

Traditionn.11

(k)Miswarb.Makhramahreports:"UmarinquiredfromAbdulRahmanb.Awfifhehadfoundthe

followingayahintheQur’an:AbdulRahmanansweredthattheayahhaddisappearedalongwiththelostpartsoftheQur’an.[14]

Traditionn.12

(l)AbuSufyanal‑Kala'isaysthatMuslimahb.Mukhalladal‑Ansaritoldthemoneday:"Informme

aboutthosetwoversesoftheQur’anwhichwereneverrecorded".Nonewouldanswer,notevenAbulKanood,Sa'adb.Malikwhowasthere.ThenIbnMuslimahrecited[15]:AndithasbeennarratedinvariouswaysthatthecopiesofIbnAbbasandUbayyb.Ka'abcontained

twoextraSurahs:Al‑Khala'andAl‑Hafd.Itreads[16]:It is nowevident that to say that certain parts of theQur ’an have been excluded from recitation

meanstoconfirminterpolationandomissionintheQur ’an.This can be further explained this way. The abrogation of those recitations was either

recommended by the Prophet (‘s) himself, or it was done by those who came to power after theProphet'sdeath.IfonesaysthattheProphet(‘s)himselfrecommendedit,thenitisaclaimwhichcallsforsubstantiation.AllUlama’areagreedupontheprinciplethattheQur ’ancannotbesupersededorabrogatedbyan

isolatereport‑i.e.atraditionwhichhasbeenreportedsingly.Thejuristshavemadethisabundantlyclear in theirworkson theprinciplesof jurisprudence. In fact,Shafi’iandmanyotherscholarsgofurthertosaythattheBookofGod,(i.e.theQur ’an)cannotbesupersededorabrogatedbyeventhosetraditionswhichhavereachedcontinuityandacquiredwidespreadcurrency.ThishasbeenconfirmedbyAhmedb.Hanbal inoneof the two traditions reportedbyhim.Even thosewhoproposed thatacontinuousandwidespreadSunnahmaypotentiallysupersedetheQur ’an,haveconfirmedthatsuchasituation has in reality never occurred. In view of the foregoing, it is incorrect to ascribe theabrogation to the Prophet (‘s). Even those reportswhichmention the omissions clearly say that itoccurredaftertheProphet(‘s).Butifitisproposedthattheabrogationwasperpetratedbythosewhoassumedleadershipafterthe

Prophet(‘s),thenthatindeedistamperingwiththeQur ’an.ItcansafelybeassertedthattheoccurenceofTahrif in the Qur ’an is supported by the majority of SunniUlama’, because they believe thatcertainayahsoftheQur ’anwereabrogated,inasfarastheirrecitationwasconcerned,irrespectiveofwhether the law contained in thatayah remained in force or not. Interestingly enough,we findcertain scholars among them disputing whether a person in the state of janabah can recite thoseverseswhosereadinghavebeenreportedlyabrogated,orwhetherapersonwithoutwudhuwouldbepermittedtotouchthescriptofsuchaverse.Someofthemhaveadoptedaviewthatthiswouldnotbepermissible. Yes, among the Mutazilites, there is a group which believes that an abrogation ofrecitationneveroccurred[17].Is it not surprising to find SunniUlama’ disputing the fact that some of them are supporters

ofTahrif.Alusi has censuredAl‑Tabrasi of having falsely accusedHashawiyyah.Hewrote: "Not asingle scholar among theSunnis has ever supported that view".Then he proceeds to presume thatal‑TabrasihasbeeninsistingontheabsenceofTahriftoalleviatetheharmdonebysomeShiascholarswhobelievedtothecontrary.AllthismakesapatheticreadingespeciallywhenitiswellknownthattheShiahscholarsdonotsubscribetoTahrifintheQur ’an,whileAl‑Tabrasihimselfhasextensively

quotedSayyidMurtadha,enumeratingallhisargumentsinsupportoftheQur ’an'spurity.Notes: [4]Sahih,Bukhariv8, p.26.; Sahih,Muslimv5, p.116,without the last sentence "And then, among

verses…."[5]Al‑Itqan,v1,p.101[6]Al‑Itqan,v1,p.121[7]Musnad,AhmedHanbal,v1,p.48[8]Al‑Itqan,V.2,p.40-41[9]Al‑Itqan,V.2,p.40-41[10]Sahih,Muslimv3,p.100[11]MuntakhabKanzulUmmal,onthemarginofMusnad,AhmadHanbalv2,p.43[12]MuntakhabKanzulUmmal,onthemarginofMusnad,AhmadHanbalv2,p.50[13]Muslim,Sahih,v4,p.168[14]alItqan,v2,p.42[15]alItqan,v2,p.42[16]al-Itqan,v1,p.122,213[17]Al‑AhkamfiUsulilAhkam,Amediv3p.217

7ChapterTahrifandtheBookItself

Considering the foregoing, the fact is that Tahrif, in the sense which has been a subject of

disputationandcontradictoryopinions,hasneveroccurredintheQur ’an.HerewegiveproofsfromtheQur ’anitself:First,AllahsaysintheQur ’an:

"Surely,Wehavesentdownthereminder,andWewillmostsurelybeitsguardian".(Qur ’an,15:9)Thisayah adequately proves that theQur ’an has been guar ded from all tampering, and that the

profanehandsshallhavenowilyaccesstoit.Somehavetriedtointerpretthisayahdifferently,statingthat(reminder)representstheProphet(‘s)

asmentionedinthefollowingverse:"Allah has indeed revealed to you a reminder: An Apostle who recites to you the clear

communications.”(Qur ’an,65:10-11)But this interpretation hasmany faults. Theword “ اًرْكِذ ” has been used in the context of ((- لیزنتلازنا ))sendingdown",andtherefore,itbefittinglyappliestotheQur ’an.HaditbeenfortheProphet,

the appropriate word would have been(( لاسرالا )) (sending our or sending away) or somethingsynonymous.AndifweweretoacceptthatrepresentstheProphet(‘s)inthesecondayah,itcertainlydoes not in the first ayah wherein Allah guarantees the protection, because it preceded by thefollowingayah:"And they say:O you towhom the reminder has been sent down!You aremost surely insane".

(Qur ’an,15:6)This ayah undoubtedly refers to the Qur ’an as ركذلا and it becomes easy to deduce

that ركذلا occurringinthesubsequentayahhasthesamemeaning.Other interpreters have said that the preservation and protection promised by Allah refers to

guardingtheQur ’anagainstvilificationsandprotectingitfromanyrepudiationofitsteachings.Thisinterpretation is also far‑fetched, because if it was meant to be protected from vilification by thedisbelievers,thentheQur ’anhashadenoughofitfromtheenemiesofIslam.AndifitisheldtomeanthattheteachingsoftheQur ’anareaboveanyvilificationsbecauseoftheirmajesty,sublimityandtheinherent strength in the arguments, then this is true, but this kind of protection does not becomenecessaryafter the revelation. The inspiring quality of the Qur ’an is self‑protecting, needing no

furtherprotection.Theayah,asyouwillobserve,tellsaboutprotectionaftertherevelation.Thereisathirdinterpretationadvancedbysomewhichmaintainsthattheguardianshippromisedin

theayahisrelatedtothewholeoftheQur ’anasanentity,anddoesnotapplytoitsindividualversesandchapters.Accordingtothem,theQur ’aninitscompleteformissafewiththeTwelfthImam(‘a)whoisinconcealment,andthusthepromisehasbeenfulfilled.Thisinterpretationisthemostdefective,becausetheQur ’anhastoremainguardedforthebenefit

ofthepeople,forwhomitwasrevealed.TosaythatitissafeinthepossessionofthetwelfthImam(‘a), theway itwas fully entrenched in lawhemahfuzor in the possessionof an angel, is just likesomeonesaying:"IamsendingyouagiftandIshallkeepitinsafecustody,orinthecustodyofmychosenone".The suggestion that the guardianship is related to the Qur ’an as a whole emanates from the

presumptionthattheQur ’aniswhatexistsamongusinabookform,orwhatisonourtonguesasaspokenword.Thisisnotso,becauseabookorawordmaynotexistforever.Actually,theQur ’an,or ركذلا mentionedintheayah,isthatwhichwasrevealedtotheProphet(‘s),andguardingitmeanswardingoffallpossibilitiesofdistortions,interpolationsandtampering,andprotectingitfrombeinglostsoastoensurethatpeoplehaveaccesstoitinfull.Whenwesaythataparticulareulogyorpoemisguarded,wemeantheoriginalhasbeenpreserved,andprotectedfrombeinglost.Yes, there isanotherdoubtwhichcouldcreepinto themindsof thosewhoinsistonTahrif.They

wouldsaythatitisunfairtobaseanargumentagainstTahrifonthisayahbecauseitisquitepossiblethat theayah itselfmighthavebeen tamperedwith.So, inorder tobeable to relyon thisayah as abasisofourargument,wehavetoreverttoprovingthattherehasbeennoTahrifintheQur ’an.Thusaviciouscircleisformed.ThisdoubtistheresultofalienatingtheAhlul-Bayt(‘a)fromdivineauthority.Thosewhodonot

considerthemanauthorityshouldfindthisargumentirrefutable.Asforthosewhobelievethattheyaretheauthoritydivinelyappointed,andthattheyaretherightfulcompanionsoftheBookwithwhomwemustacquiesce,forthemthereisnoroomforsuchadoubt.ThefactthatAhlul-Bayt(‘a)basedalltheirdeductionsandconclusionsontheQur ’an,andinstructedtheircompanionsimplicitlyaswellas explicitly to accept it, amply demonstrates that thisQur ’an is an authority, even if it is claimedthatTahrifhadoccurred.Ultimately,theevidencefromtheQur ’an,againstanyinterpolationhavingoccurred,.isbasedontheirattestation.ThesecondprooffromtheQur ’anis:"….andmostsurely,itisamightybook.Falsehoodshallnotcometoitfrombeforeitnorfrom

behindit;arevelationfromtheWise,thepraisedOne".(Qur ’an,41:41-42)ThisverseclearlyindicatesthattheBookisfreefromallsortsoffalsehood,andwhenthistypeof

generalnegationoccurs, itdenotes totality.Nodoubt,Tahrif isakindof falsehoodand therefore itcannotfinditswaytotheholyBook.Thissubmissionhasbeenopposedbysomewhomaintainthatthepreventionoffalsehoodmeans

theabsenceofanycontradictioninitslaws,andthatitsmessageisfarfrombeinguntrue.Theyseek

support from Ali b. Ibrahim al‑Qummi who has quoted this tradition in his Tafsir from ImamMuhammadal‑Baqir(‘a):"No falsehood can be imputed to it fromTorah, nor from injil or zabur; and nor frombehind it,

whichmeansnobookwillevercometorenderitfalse".And they also quote another tradition from both Imam Muhammad al‑Baqir and Imam Ja’far

as‑Sadiq(‘a),recordedinMajmaulBayan,whichsays:"Thereisnofalsehoodinwhatithasreportedofthepast,norinwhatithasconveyedofthefuture".InreplyIsubmitthatthesetraditionsdonotinanywayconfinethemeaningoftheword`falsehood'

to any single interpretation, nor do they forbid us from accepting its general connotation. In theforegoingchapteron"TheexcellenceoftheQur ’an",IhavecitedmanyreportswhichindicatethatthemeaningsoftheQur ’anarenotrestricted.ThisayahexemptstheQur ’anfromallfalsehoodatalltimes, and since inter polations and tampering are a type of falsehood, they are also precluded. Afurtherevidenceisprovidedbytheayah itselfwhenitdescribestheQur ’anasaMightyBook.The`might'iscontainedinitsabilitytofortifyitselfagainstalllossorchanges.Torestrictthemeaningoffalsehood to contradictions or falsehood within the book would not fully justify the use of thewordal-‘izza.

8ChapterTahrifandSunnah

Thethirdproofisfromthetraditionsofthaqalayn,twoinvaluablethingsleftbehindbytheProphet

(‘s),whereinhesaid that theywouldhold together till theyarrivenearhimat theHawdh (thepoolofKawthar)andheaskedhisfollowerstoremainadheredandattachedtothem.ThesetwothingsaretheQur ’anandtheAhlul-Bayt(‘a)(histrueprogeny).ThesetraditionshavebeenoverwhelminglyreportedbytheacceptedchainsofnarrationfromboththesectsofIslam[18].This tradition helps us establish the purity of the Qur ’an fromTahrif in two ways. First, the

adherence would not be practical nor conceivable if parts of the Qur ’an were lost by way ofinterpolationorchange.Butasthetraditionclearlysetsout,theadherenceisrequiredoftheummahforever,tilltheDayofJudgement.Therefore,Tahrifcannotbeacceptedtohaveoccurred.Further,thesetraditionsshowthattheAhlul-Bayt(‘a)andtheQur ’anwillremaintogether,present

amongmentilltheDayofJudgement.ItisthereforeabsolutelyimperativethatapersonshouldexistwhomQur ’anaccompanies,andalso,theQur ’anmustexisttobeincompanywiththeAhlul-Bayt(‘a),tilltheyreachtheProphettogetherattheHawdh.AndastheProphet(‘s)hassaidinthistradition,adherencetobothofthemwouldguardtheUmmahfromgoingastray.Obviously, the adherence toAhl ul-Bayt (‘a)is brought about by affinity to them, by following

whattheyenjoinandrefrainingfromwhattheyforbid,andbywalkingontheirguidedpath.ItdoesnotatallneedadirectcontactwiththeImamortalkingtohimpersonally.Infact,suchacontactisnotpossible for all Muslims even when an Imam is visibly present, to say nothing of the days ofconcealment.Thosewhoinsistonacontactofthisnaturedosowithoutanyreasonableargument.TheShiahs,forexample,areadherentsoftheirImaminconcealment(‘a)bywayofloveforhim,andbyfollowing his behests, which include following theUlama’ who carry their traditions, to guide inmatterswhicharecontingentorincidental.As for adherence to theQur ’an, it is not possiblewithout direct access to it, and therefore it is

absolutelyessentialforittobepresentamongtheUmmahforguidanceandpreventionfromgoingastray.ThisexplainswhyitisunnecessarytodiscussabouttheguardedQur ’anbeinginpossessionoftheImam(‘a)inconcealment,becausemereexistenceoftheQur ’anisnotenoughforUmmahtobeabletofollow;ithasgottobeavailable.ItmaybearguedthatthetraditionsofThaqalaynindicatethatonlythoseversesoftheQur ’anhave

remainedunalteredwhichdealwith thedivinerulesandlaws,for theyare theones tobefollowed.Theydonotnecessarilycoverotherpartswhichdonotenunciateanylaws.TheyforgetthattheQur ’anisabookofguidancetomen,asawhole,withallitsverses,conducive

toperfectioninallaspectsoflife.Thusthereisnodifferencebetweenthepartswhichcontainthelawsand theothers. In the foregoingchapteronexcellenceof theQur ’an,wehaveexplainedhoweventhoseverseswhichapparentlydealwith thepasthistoryhavemorale andadmonition in them.Thebasicissueofcontroversyhasbeentheclaimbysomewhosaythattheverseofwilayahandrelatedsubjectshavebeenomitted.TheansweristhatifthosehadbeenprovedtobepartsoftheQur ’an,thenitwouldhavebeenobligatoryupontheUmmahtoadheretothemaswell.The benefit of this tradition is that if interpolation, distortions, deformations, alteration or

omissions are allowed in the Qur ’an, then its authority lapses, and it would not be incumbent tofollowtheoutwardorliteraltextsoftheQur ’an.Insuchcircumstances,thebelieversTahrifhavenochoicebuttorefertoAhlul-Bayt(‘a)forgettingtheQur ’ancertifiedasanauthenticbook,worthyofreferencebythepeople,inspiteofthetamperinghavingoccurred.Thismeans that theauthorityof theQur ’anprimarilydependsupon thesanctionbyAhl ul-Bayt

(‘a), oruponanyonehaving twoauthorities forwhich theProphet (‘s)orderedadherence.Butofthesetwo,theQur ’anisgreaterandthereforeitsauthoritycannotbesubservienttotheratificationofalesserauthority,i.e.Ahlul-Bayt(‘a).ThereasonwhywesaythattheauthorityoftheQur ’anwouldlapse if Tahrif is allowed is that because of such changes, there is every possibility that thepostulationsoftheQur ’anhadsomecontextuallinkwithotherqualifyingpartswhicharelost.Anargumentrunningcountertothismaintainsthatitisnotrationaltoanticipateacontradictoryor

qualifyingpartifitdoesnotreadilyexist.Onehastorelyupontheliteraltextwhichismanifestandexisting.Wehaveourselvesexplainedinourdiscussionsoftheprinciplesofjurisprudencethatitisnotrationaltoanticipateanycontextwhichisnotsyntacticorwhichdoesnotappearimmediatelyintheconstructionofasentence.Infact,eventhosecontexts,whichareinthesyntax,canbeignorediftheyhavebeencausedbythecarelessnessofthespeakerornegligenceofthelisteners.But in this case, we maintain that this principle does not apply. Here, there are the believers

inTahrif,whosaythatsomethingislost,andtherefore,reasonwillguideustorestrainfromrelyingsolelyupontheexistingliteraltextoftheQur ’an.Letussay,forexample,ascriptureisfoundwhichinstructsitsfollowerstobuyahouse.Nowifafollowerfoundoutthatcertainpartsofthescripturehavebeenruinedormissing,suspectingthatthosemissingpartsmayhavefurtherspecificationswithregardtothesizeofahousetobebought,oritsvalueorlocation,itwouldbequiterationalforhimtorefrainfrompurchasingahouse.Hecannottaketheexistingtextascomplete,andifheboughtahousehewouldnotbesurethathehascarriedouttheintendedinstructionofhisLord.Thereadermaythinkthatwiththisanalogy,thewholefoundationoffiqh,togetherwiththesystem

ofdeductionsandinferencesof thedivine lawswouldcollapse;because theydependchieflyonthetraditionsreportedfromthemasumin(‘a)(theProphet(‘s)andhispureprogeny).Andinthese,thereis a possibility that their sayingmaynot have been reportedwith the qualifying contexts.Butwithlittleextraeffort,thisdoubtcanbeallayed.Inthecaseofthetraditions,whatistobefollowedisthereportofanarratorinitscompleteform.Iftherewasanycontextualevidence,hewouldincludeitinthenarration.Theabsenceof anycontextualqualificationsor contradictions in the traditionwouldsimplymeanthattheydidnotexist.ItisnowanestablishedfactthatbeliefinTahrifnecessarilymeansthatthetextoftheQur ’ancannot

be taken as an authority. Somepeople say that, before accepting this conclusion, onemust at least

havea comprehensiveknowledgeabout thoseayahs inwhich anydeficiencymayhaveoccurred. Imaintain that thisdoesnotapply in thecaseofTahrif,becausecomprehensiveknowledgebecomescredible onlywhen its effect is seen in practice.Most of the verses of theQur ’an inwhichTahrifisbelievedtohaveoccurreddonotdealwithanylaws,andthereforetheywouldnotberequiringthisconsideration.TheremightbeaclaimthatsincetheImamsofAhlul-Bayt(‘a)havebasedtheirguidanceonthe

text of the Qur ’an, and since their followers and companions have acquiesced to their directive,thereforetheauthorityofthetextoftheQur ’anhasbeenreinstated,eventhoughitmayhavelapsedbefore due toTahrif.This claim has no substance because the Imams ofAhl ul-Bayt (‘a) did notinitiate the authority of theQur ’an.What they didwas to confirm the authority of theQur ’an byinstructingtheirfollowerstoadheretothescripturaltext,givingfullrecognitiontotheQur ’anasanindependent,autonomousauthority.

Notes:[18] Musnad,Hanbal, v3, p14,17,26,59 reported fromAbu Saeed al-Khudri;v4, p.366,371 from

Zaidb.Arqam.;v5,p.182,189fromZaidb.Thabit.)Jalal-ud-dinSuyutiinhisJama’usSaghirreportedfromTabranibyZaidb.Thabit,declaringitasauthentic.Allamahal-Manawiinhiscommentary:v3,p15wherein he reports al-Haythami having said: `All the narrators are trustworthy'. AbuYa'lareporteditwithanunblemishedchainofreporters,andHafizAbdulAzizb.al-Akhdharquotedthiswithanaddition:ThiswassaidbytheProphet(‘s)atthetimeofthelastHajj.Healsocastigatedthoselike Ibn Jawzi who have classified this tradition as false. As-Samhudi says: This is among thosechapters wherein more than twenty companions of the Prophet (‘s) have reported. al-Hakim hasreportedinal-Mustadrakv3,p.109fromZaidb.Arqamandhasauthenticatedit.al-Dhahabihasnotcriticizedit.Thewordsintheactualtraditionsvary,butthemeaningconveyedisconstant.

9ChapterPermissiontoRecitetheSurahinthePrayers

ThefourthproofiscontainedinthedirectiveoftheImamsofAhlul-Bayt(‘a)toreadacomplete

Surah in the first tworaka’ats of every obligatory prayer, after the Surah of al Fatihah. And theyallowedtodivideaSurahormoreinthecaseofSalatulayat(prayerswhichbecomeincumbentduetonaturalphenomenalikeeclipsesorearthquakesetc.),thedetailsofwhichcanbefoundinitsplaceinFiqh.Obviously, these lawsareestablishedpartsofSheriahever since theprayersbecameobligatory,

and they were not prompted by taqiyyah or dissimulation. For those who hold that Tahrif orinterpolationhastakenplaceintheQur ’an,itisimportantthattheydonotrecitethoseSurahswhichtheyconsidertohavebeentamperedwith,becauserestraintistheonlysurealternativeinthecaseofdoubt. Their excuse that since a complete, unvaried Surah is not available, therefore they have toacceptwhateverisavailable,cannotbeacceptedbecausethatwouldapplyonlyiftheybelievethatalltheSurahshavebeen interpolated.Since there isaSurah, likeSurahofIkhlas,whichhas remainedintact,theywouldhavetoresorttoitsrecitationexcludingtheothers.ThedirectivebytheImamsofAhlul-Bayt(‘a)wouldnotbeofanyhelptothemasanyauthority,

becausetheveryfactthattheImamshavepermittedanddirectedtoreadacompleteSurahfromtheexistingQur ’anindicatessatisfactorilythattherehasbeennoTahrifwhatsoever.Otherwise,aMuslimunabletofulfilthe,requiredconditionofrecitingacompleteSurahafteral‑Fatihahwouldhavetobeexempted from theobligatoryprayers.We find that the Imamshavedirectedus to read theSurahsofIkhlasandQadr,recommendedforeveryprayer.Sincethequestionoftaqiyyahwasneverrelevanthere,therecommendationanddirectivetoreadthesetwocompleteSurahsextendstoallotherSurahsoftheQur ’an.ApretextthattheobligationtoreciteacompleteSurahhasbeenabrogatedinthefavourofreading

whateveriscurrentlyavailableinthepresentQur ’anisunacceptable,andIdonotthinkthebelieversin interpolationwould seek refuge under it. The fact is that no abrogation of this type could laveoccurred after the Prophet (‘s). Some scholars have hypothetically discussed the possibility orotherwiseofsuchanabrogation,butwearenotconcernedwiththosehypotheseshere.Inshort,thereisnodoubtthattheImamsofAhlul-Bayt(‘a)havedirectedtorecitetheSurahsfrom

theQur ’anwehaveamongusintheprayers.Thisordinancehasnoroomfortaqiyyaheither.OnehastobelievethatthiswasalsotheestablisheddirectivegivenbytheProphet(‘s)himself.Itcouldnotbealaterdevelopmentbecausethatwouldimplyanabrogation‑andnoabrogationeveroccurredaftertheProphet(‘s), inspiteofthehypotheticalpossibility.Whenit isestablishedbeyonddoubtthattheordinanceofrecitingcompleteSurahsexistedinthedaysoftheProphet(‘s),itfollowsthattherehasbeennoTahrif.This is evidenced in every lawofShariah, and it has been successfully applied by

theAhlul-Bayt(‘a)totheirdirectivetoreciteacompleteSurahoracompleteayah.

10ChapterTheClaimthatTahrifwascausedbytheCaliphs

Some hold that the interpolation, alteration, omissionmay have occurred after the death of the

Prophet (‘s), perpetrated by the first two Caliphs or by Uthman when he came to power, or bysomeoneofthelaterperiod.Alltheseclaimsareinvalid.IfabuBakrorUmardidit,thentherecanbetwo assumptions. They either did it unintentionally, because, as it is believed, theQur ’anwas notavailable in itsentiretyas ithadnotyetbeencompiled.Or theydidit intentionally.Inanycase, theversesinwhichtheyinterferedbywayofTahrifwouldbethoseconcerningtheirleadershiporevenothers.Inall,therearethreeconsiderations:First, to say that they had no access to the whole of the Qur ’an is totally out of question. The

Prophet(‘s)hadtakengreatpainstoseethatitwascommittedtomemory,andwasconstantlyrecited,slowly and elegantly, and the companions had compiled during the Prophet's time and after hispassingaway.ThismakesuscertainthattheQur ’anwaswiththem,wellguarded,allinoneplaceoratvariousplaces,intheheartsofpeopleornoteddownonthepapers.Theywerethepeoplewhohadproudly preserved the poems and speeches of the pre-Islamic era.How could they be expected toignore thegreatBookwhose laws theyproclaimed, forwhich theyhadstaked their lives, left theirhomes, spent theirwealth,abandoned their familiesandchildren,andhad takena firmstand in thebrillianthistoryofIslam.Canareasonablepersonbelievethattheywouldbesoindifferentsoastocause any loss of the Qur ’an? A loss which could not be retrieved without the evidence of twowitnesses? Is it not tantamount to believing that there has been an addition or an omission in theQur ’anwhichwasrevealedtotheProphet(‘s)?Then there is the famous andwidely acknowledged tradition of thaqalayn which invalidates all

presumption,aboutTahrif.TheProphet(‘s)said:'Ileavebehindmetwoinvaluablethings:theBookofAllahandmyAhlul-Bayt'.ThisstatementbecomesmeaninglessifitisbelievedthattheQur ’anhadbeenlostduringhistime,

becausethatwhichwaslostwoulddefinitelybepartsoftheBook.Infact,thistraditionpointstothecollectionoftheQur ’anduringtheProphet'sera;becausescatteredormemorisedliteraturecannotbetermedabook.WewilldealwiththesubjectofthecollectionoftheQur ’anlater.ThequestionisthatiftheMuslimsdidnotcaretocollecttheQur ’anwhiletheProphet(‘s)lived,whydidtheProphet(‘s)himselfneglect it, inspiteofhisvehementemphasison its importance?Didhenot foresee theresultofsuchcarelessness?Orwasitimpossibleforhimtodoso?Obviously,theseareallinvalidexcuses.Ifwewere topropose that thefirst twoCaliphseffectedTahrif in thoseverseswhichdidnotdeal

with their leadership, and the leadership of their friends, then this seems to be unlikely because it

serves no purpose. Definitely, this did not occur. The Caliphate was a political matter, ostensiblybasedontheirconcernforthereligion,andassuchtherewasnoneedfortouchingtheQur ’an.EventhoselikeSa’adb.UbadahandhiscompanionswhoobjectedtotheruleofAbuBakr,andthosewhorefused toswearoathofallegience tobothof them,neveraccused theCaliphsofhaving tamperedwith theQur ’an.DidAlib.AbiTalib (‘a), inhis famousdiscourseofShaqshaqiyyahor elsewherewhereheobjectedtoAbuBakrtakingprecedenceoverhim,mentionanythingabouttheCaliphsef-fecting any changes in the Qur ’an? It is not conceivable that theMuslims cited any such instancewithoutusknowingaboutit.Therefore,thispropositioncannotbetrue.Finally,itisanindisputablefactthatthetwoCaliphsdidnotcauseanypurposefulinterpolationor

omissionofthoseverseswhichmayhavedealtadverselywiththeirleadership.Alib.AbiTalib(‘a)alongwithhiswifeFatimahZahra(‘a)andcertainfriendsfromthecompanionsoftheProphet(‘s)protested against the two Caliphs onmatter of Caliphate, basing their objection onwhat they hadheardfromtheProphet(‘s),presentingwitnessesfromamongtheMuhajirinandAnsar,andalsoonthefamoustraditionofAlGhadirandothers.InthebookofAl‑Ihtijaj,itisreportedthattwelvemenprotestedagainsttheCaliphateofAbuBakr,quotingthetextofwhattheysaid.AllamahMajlisihassetout a complete chapter on the subject of the objections by Ali b. Abi Talib in the matter ofCaliphate[19].Had there been anything in theQur ’an disparaging their leadership, theywould have definitely

quotedthemintheirprotests,andsowouldalltheMuslims.TheCaliphateisamatterwhichcametotranspirewellbefore theso‑calledcollectionof theQur ’an.Thesilenceof thecompanionson thissubject, from the beginning till the end when Ali b. Abi Talib (‘a) became the Caliph, is anindisputableevidencethatsuchaninterpolationoromissionneveroccurred.ItisallthemoredifficulttoacceptthatTahrifwascausedbyUthman,forthefollowingreasons:(a)IslamhadgainedastrongfootholdbythetimeofUthman,andwaswidelyspread.Itwasnot

possibleforUthmantotamperwiththeQur ’an,norforanyoneelsemoreinfluentialandhigherinstatusthanhim.(b) If it were presumed that he tamperedwith the verseswhich had no bearing on the question

ofwilayahortheCaliphateofhispredecessors,thenitwouldbeafutileexercise.Andifhetamperedwiththoseverseswhichhadsuchconnections,thentheCaliphate,inthefirstinstance,wouldnothavecometohim,becausetheQur ’anwouldhaveguidedtheMuslimsagainsthim.(c) His tampering with the Qur ’an would have become a major and prominent reason for his

assassination.Therewouldhavebeennoneed toascribe toUthmanotherreasons likesquander ingtheBaitulMaloftheMuslimsunlikehispredecessors,orothersuchreasons.(d) It would have become incumbent upon Ali (‘a) to restore to the Qur ’an what had been

interpolatedoromitted,andtobringituptodatewiththeoriginalasitexistedduringthetimeoftheProphet(‘s)andthefirsttwoCaliphs.Insodoinghecouldnothavebeencensured.Infact,Ali(‘a)could have advanced a convincing reason against thosewho accused him of having condoned thekillingofUthman,andsoughtrevengefromhim.ItisknownthatAli(‘a)returnedallthelandstotheirrightfulownerswhichhadbeenwrongfully

grantedtoothersbyUthman.Inhissermon,hesaid:"ByGod,ifIweretofindthatsomewomenweremarriedbythatwealthorsomemaidservantswere

owned by it, I would return it to their rightful owners. Whoever finds justice stifling, must findinjusticeandtyrannyallthemoreso".[20]ThisiswhatAli(‘a)saidinrespectofthewealth.Onecaneasilyimaginewhathisstandwouldbeif

hefoundoutthattheQur ’anwasinterpolatedortamperedwith.ThefactthatheacceptedtheQur ’anasitexistedinhistimeisaconvincingproofagainstanyTahrif.NoattemptattheinterpolationoftheQur ’anareknowntohaveoccurredaftertheeraofthefour

Caliphs,exceptareportthatHajjajomittedmanyversesfromtheQur ’an,whichdealtdisparaginglywiththeruleoftheUmayyids,andalsoaddedtoitsomewhichwerenotthereoriginally.Thenheisalleged tohavepreparedanewcodex fordistribution inEgypt,Syria,Mecca,Medina,BasrahandKufah.Thus,itispresumedthatthepresentQur ’anistheonepreparedbyHajjaj,whomethodicallydestroyedallthepreviouscopies,allowingnotasingleonetoremain[21].Obviously, this isaclaimbasedonconjectureand it smacksofdelirium.ForHajjajwasmerely

one of the generals in the Umayyid regime, with little influence and almost no ability to do theQur ’ananyharm.Infact,hewas incapableofeffectinganychangein themostelementary lawsofIslam,nottospeakoftheQur ’anwhichisthefoundationofourfaith,andpillarofIslamicLaws.Onewondershowhecould influenceanychangein theQur ’anafter ithadgainedcurrencyinsomanyMuslimcountries.Notasinglehistorianorcommentatorhaschronicledthischangewhichbecauseofitsimportanceshouldnothaveescapedtheirnotice.NocontemporaryMuslimeverobjectedtothis,andevenafterhisrule,theMuslimsseemtohavecondonedthisabominableact.IfatallitisbelievedthathemanagedtowithdrawallthepreviouscopiesoftheQur ’an,replacing

itwithhisnewcodex,howcouldheeradicateitfromtheheartsoftheMuslimswhohadcommittedittomemory, andwhose great number is knownbynone butAllah?Had there been anything in theQur ’anwhichwasuncomplimentarytotheUmayyids,Muawiyahwouldhavebeenthefirsttoseeitomittedbecause,comparedtoHajjaj,hewasmoreinfluentialandpowerful.Ofcourse,ifMuawiyahhaddone this, the companionsofAli (‘a)wouldhave arguedwithhim, theway theydidonmanyoccasions,asrecordedinthebooksofHistory,HadithandTheology.Aswesaidearlier,thepretencethattheQur ’anhasbeentamperedwithhasnosubstancewhatsoever.Notes:[19]Biharalanwar,Majlisi,v8,p.79[20]Nahjalbalaghah[21]ManahilulIrfanp257

11ChapterSomeDoubtsbythosewhobelieveinTahrif

TherearecertaindoubtswhichseemtolendsomestrengthtothosewhobelieveinTahrif.Wemust

studythem,andallaythemonebyone.

FirstDoubt

It is a fact that interpolation and omissions have occurred in Torah and Injil. According to the

continuoustraditionsrecordedbyboth,ShiahandSunni,allthatwhichoccurredintheprecedingeramust recur in thisMuslimUmmah aswell. as‑Saduq, for example, has recorded the following inhisalIkmalfromGhiyasb.IbrahimwhoreportsfromImamas‑Sadiq(‘a)throughhisforefathers:"TheProphet(‘s)said:`Allthatwasintheprecedingpeoples,musthappeninthisUmmah,inthe

wakeoftheirfootsteps,exactlyidentical"[22]So, it follows thatTahrifmust occur in theQur ’an also, otherwise this traditionwould have no

meaning.Thiscanbeansweredinmanyways.First, the tradition is not continuous orwidely acknowledged one, as alleged. In fact, it is from

amongstisolatereports.TheyhavenotbeenrecordedinthefourgreatbooksofHadith,andassuchtherecanbenocomparisonbetweentheQur ’anandtheTestamentsonthispoint.Secondly, if thisargument is tobeconsidered fully, thenonehas toaccept that togetherwith the

omission,someadditionhasalsooccurred,justasintheTestaments.This,asweknow,isevidentlyuntrue.Thirdly, many events which occurred among the foregoing peoples never occurred among the

Muslims. For example, the worshipping of the calf, the stray wandering of Banu Israel for fortyyears, the drowning of Pharaoh and his people, the kingdom of Sulaiman overmen and jinn, therisingof Jesus alive to theheaven, thedeathofHarunbeforeMusa, thoughhewas theWasiy, the'greatninesignsofMusa,thebirthofIsawithoutfather,thecurseoftransmutationfrommentoapesand pigs, and many such occurences which we cannot all enumerate, have not occurred in thisUmmah. Themeaning of the tradition, therefore, has got to be construed differently fromwhat itapparentlyconveys.WhatitactuallymeansisthatcertainincidentsoccuringinthisUmmahwillhaveitscorrespondingcounterpartintheancienthistory.Itdoesnotmeanthatallofthemmustrecur.InthecaseofQur ’an,sufficeittosaythattheMuslimsfailedtoadheretothebehestsoftheQur ’an,

thesamewayastheprecedingpeoplefailedtofollowtheirscriptures,althoughthetextoftheQur ’anwaspreserved.WehavealreadymentionedthissortofTahrifearlierwhenwequoteda report. It isfurther stressed by a report by Abu‑Waqid Al‑Laysi who says: "When the Prophet (‘s) advancedtowards Khaybar, he passed by a tree which was revered by the idolaters. It was called DhatuAnwat,uponwhichtheysuspendedtheirweapons.ThecompanionsurgedtheProphet(‘s):`OMessengerofAllah,letushaveatreeliketheonethey

have'.TheProphet(‘s)said:"GlorybetoAllah!ThisislikewhattheyhadaskedMusawhentheysaid:`Letushaveagodlike

theonetheyhave'.ByGod,youaregoingtofollowinthewakeofthepeoplebeforeyou"'.[23]

ThistraditionclarifiesthatcertaineventsinthisUmmahwillbearresemblanceofwhattranspired

intheprecedingUmmah,insomeway.Lastly,ifweweretoacceptthatthetraditionisauthenticandalsocontinuous,itdoesnotinanyway

provethatTahrifwouldoccurinthepast,orintheearlydaysofIsalm.Thereisnothingtoindicatethattheoccurrenceisconfinedtothosedays.TheQur ’anisforever,andasevidencedbyal‑Bukhari,itwillremaintilltheDayofJudgement.SotheyshouldexpectTahriftooccuratanytime,eveninthefuture.WhyshouldtheyspeakofTahrifintheprimeofIslamoratthetimeoftheCaliphsonly?

SecondDoubt

ImamAli(‘a)hadacodexofhisown,otherthantheexistingone.Hebroughtittothepeople,but

theydidnotacceptitfromhim.HiscodexcontainedcertainsectionswhicharenottobefoundintheQur ’anwehave, and so it proves that thepresentQur ’an is lesser than theone ImamAli (‘a) hadcollected.This thenis theTahrifwhich issaid tohaveoccurred. It issupportedbymany traditions,likeatraditionwhereAli(‘a)isreportedtohavearguedwithagroupofMuhajirinandAnsar:"O Talha, every ayah that was revealed to the Prophet (‘s) by Allah is withme, dictated by the

Prophet (‘s) and in my handwriting. And an explanation to every ayah in respect of that which ispermissible,forbidden,penalcode,lawsorthingsofwhichthisummahmaystandinneedtillthedawnofqiyamah.TheyarewithmedictatedbytheProphet(‘s)andwritteninmyownhand,eventhebloodmoneyrequiredtocompensateascratch".[24]Again,thereisanothertraditioninwhichAli(‘a)isreportedtohavetoldanatheistwhilearguing

withhimthathiscodex"…… was a complete Book containing all the revelation and all the interpretations, all clear,

canonicalversesandthoserequiringelucidations,theabrogantsandthoseabrogated.Inshort,everyletterfromAliftoLamwasthere.Buttheydidnotacceptit".[25]Another tradition is inal-Kafiwhere theauthornarrates itwith thechainof reportersendingup

withJabirwhoreportsfromImamMohammadBaqir(‘a):“NoonecanclaimthathehasacompleteQur’anwithhim,itsexterioranditsinterior,exceptthe

successorsoftheProphet(‘s)(i.e.al‑awsiya).”[26]Andfurther,areportfromJabirsays:"IheardAbu‑Ja'far(‘a)(i.e.ImamMohammadBaqir(‘a),saythatwhoeverclaimstohavecollected

thetotalQur’anasitwasrevealedisindeedaliar.NonehascollectedandpreserveditinthewayitwasrevealedbyAllahexceptAlib.AbiTalib(‘a)andtheImams(‘a)afterhim".[27]Theanswer toall this isvery simple.ThecodexpreparedbyAli (‘a)differed from theexisting

Qur ’aninthearrangementandorderoftheSurahs.Thisisbeyondanydoubt,andhasbeenacceptedbythegreatscholarstoanextentthatwedonothavetogotoanylengthtoproveit.Similarly,ifweweretoaccept that thecontentsofhiscopyweremorethanthecontentsof thisQur ’an, there isnoevidencetoprovethattheadditionfoundinhiscopybelongedtothetextoftheQur ’an.Thetruthisthatthoseadditionswerebywayofinterpretation,explainingtheoriginalintentionoftherevelation.Or,eveniftheyformedapartofwhatwasrevealedbyAllah,theycameasinterpretation,indicatingthetruemeaning.Infact,thisdoubtoriginatesfromthemeaninggiventothetwowords:tanzilandtawilbythelater

scholars, in that they construe tanzilas thatwhichwas sent downas theQur ’an, and 'tawil'as thatwhichissupposedtobethetruemeaningorinterpretationoftheword,ameaningwhichmaydifferfromthe immediatesenseof theword.But these interpretations.havebeenfabricated,because they

are not in anyway supported by the language nor are they in anyway indicated by the authentictraditionsofAhlul-Bayt(‘a).InGrammar,`tawil'isaninfinitivederivingfromal‑awlwhichmeans"toreferto"or"toreturnto".

It is also used to mean "the end result" or "the consequence" and also "that to which the mattereventuallyresorts".Basedonthese,wefindthemusedinthefollowingayahs."Andteachyoutheinterpretationofthestories".(Qur ’an,12:6)"Tellusthemeaningthereof”.(Qur ’an,12:36)

"Thisisthemeaningofmyvision".(Qur ’an,12:100)

"Thatisthemeaningofthingsoverwhichyouwereunabletoholdpatience'".(Qur ’an,18:72)AndithasbeensimilarlyusedatseveralotherplacesintheQur ’an,wheretawilmeansaneventor

afacttowhichthespeechisrelated,oritsconsequence,regardlessofwhetheritisclearlyunderstoodby thosewhoknowArabic,orwhether ithasahiddenmeaningnotknownbyanyoneexcept thoseendowedwithprofoundknowledge.Similarly,tanzilisaninfinitivederivingfroman‑nuzul,meaningthatwhichwassentdown.Inthe

Qur ’an,wefindthisuseinmanyverses:"ThisisindeedAQur’an,mosthonourable,InaBookwell‑guarded,whichnoneshalltouchbut

thosewhoareclean,SentdownfromtheLordoftheWorlds".(Qur’an,56:77-80)Asstatedearlier, it isnotcorrect topresumethateveryrevelationwasapartof theQur ’an.The

traditionwhichstatesthatAli's(‘a)codexhadsomeadditionsof tanzilandtawil,doesnothaveanyindicationthatthoseadditionswerepartsoftheQur ’an.Thisiswhywefindincertainreportsthathiscodex had clear mention of the names of the hypocrites. This evidently was in the form ofelucidation;becausewehaveprovedbeyonddoubtthatnoomissionoradditionevertookplaceintheQur ’an.MoreovertheProphet(‘s)inhisbidtowinovertheheartsofthehypocrites,alwaystreatedhisknowledgeabouttheirhypocrisysecretly.ItisknowntoeverystudentofhistorythattheProphet(‘s)displayedutmostpatiencewhendealingwiththem;thereforeitisinconceivablethattheirnameswouldappear in theQur'an. If itdid, itwouldmean that theProphet (‘s)was indirectly forcing thehypocrites to curse themselves through the Qur'an openly, and also the Muslims to do the sameagainstthenamedhypocrites.Couldthisbepossiblyacceptedwithoutlookingintothecredibilityofthe report, or by simply accepting those traditionswhichmention that thenameswere there in thecodexpreparedbyAli(‘a)?Ofcourse,therecanbenocomparisonwithAbuLahabwhowasopenlycursedintheQur'anbecauseofhisdefianceandbecausetheProphet(‘s)knewthathewoulddieanunbeliever.Itisquitepossiblethough,thattheProphet(‘s)revealedthenamesofthehypocritestohisconfidantelikeAli(‘a)intheexclusivesittings.Tosummarise,evenifitwereacceptedastruethatAli's(‘a)codexcontainedthoseadditions,they

werenotthepartofthetextoftheQur ’an,norweretheyintendedfortheProphet(‘s)torevealtohispeople.TheargumentofthosewhoconcludeotherwiseisincompatiblewithalltheaforementionedproofsadvancedagainstTahrif:

ThirdDoubt

It is said that there are some widely reported and continuous reports from the Ahl ul-Bayt

(‘a)whichindicatethetamperinghavingoccurred.ThefactisthatthereisnoindicationinthosereportstoproveTahrifinthesensewhichhasbeena

subjectofdebate.Again,mostof themareweak, reportedfromthebookbyAhmedb.MuhammadAs‑Sayariwhohasbeenacknowledgedbyallscholarsofrijalasoneofcorruptbeliefs,likethathebelievedinreincarnation.SomeofthemaretakenfromAlib.Ahmedal‑Kufiwhohasbeendescribedbythescholarsofrijalas"kadhab"aliar;andthathisbeliefswerecorrupt.Ofcourse,theabundanceofcertainreportsfromMasumin(peacebeuponthem)givesusenoughreasontopresumethattheyhave been correctly attributed. Among them are traditionswhich have been reliably reported, andthereforewedonotseeanyneedtogointothedetailsoftheirauthenticity.Notes:[22]Biharalanwar,v8,p.4,andthereareothersunnisourcesalso.[23]Sunan,Tirmidhi,v9,p.26[24]Muqaddimah,Tafsiralburhan,p.28.ThistraditionalsoclarifiesthatthepresentQur ’anhasno

addition.[25]6thMuqaddimah,TafsirasSafi,p.2[26]alWafi,v2,kitabalhujjah,chapter76,p.130[27]alWafi,v2,kitabalhujjah,chapter76,p.130

12ChapterTheTraditionsaboutTahrif

It is imperative to investigate the correct interpretations of these reports and to clarify that they

havedifferentapplications.Thereportsareofvarious types,andwemustexplainandcommentoneachtypespecifically.Thefirsttype:ThesearetraditionswhichspeakofTahrifinitsliteralmeaning.Theyaretwentyin

allbutwewouldconfineourselvestosome,leavingoutthosewhicharerepetitive.

Traditionn.1

1. ReportedbyAli b. Ibrahimal‑Qummi,withhis ownchainof narrators fromAbuDharr:

"Whenthisayahwasrevealed:theProphet(‘s)said:"MypeoplewillcometomeontheDayofJudgmentunderfivebanners".Thenitmentionsthatthe

Prophet(‘s)willaskthemabouttheirdealingswiththaqalayn(i.e.theQur ’anandAhlul-Bayt).Thepeopleofthefirstbannerwillsay:"Asforthegreaterone(i.e.theQur ’an),wetamperedwithit,anddiscardedit.Andthesmallerone,(i.e.Ahlul-Bayt)weoffendedit,hateditanddealtwithitunjustly".Thesecondgroupwillsay:"Asforthegreaterone,wetamperedwithit,toreitintopieces,andturnedhostiletoit.Andthesmallerone,weoffendeditandfoughtagainstit…."

Traditionn.2

2.ReportedbyIbnTa'usandSayyidal‑MuhaddithalJaza’ariwith theirchainsofnarratorsfrom

Hasanbinal‑HasanAsSamarri,alengthytraditioninwhichtheProphet(‘s)spoketoHudhaifaaboutonewhowoulddesecratetheharam,"HewillleadpeopleastrayfromthepathofAllah,tamperwithHisBookandchangemySunnah".

Traditionn.3

3. Reported by Sa'ad b. Abdillah al‑Qummiwith his chain of narrators from Jabir al Jufi' who

reportedfromAbuJa'far(ImamMuhammadBaqir(‘a)."TheProphet(‘s)calledpeopletoassembleatMinaandannounced:"Opeople!Ileavebehindtwo

invaluablethings;youwillnotgoastrayaslongasyouadheretothem:theBookofAllah,andmyAhlul-Bayt‑andKa'ba, thesacredHouseofGod".ThenAbuJa'far (‘a)said:"Asfor theBookofAllah, theytamperedwithit,andKa'ba, theydemolished,andtheAhlul-Bayt theymassacred.TheydiscardedeverytrustofGoddepositedwiththem,anddissociatedthemselvesfromit".

Traditionn.4

4.ReportedbyasSaduqin"al‑Khisaal"withhischainofnarratorsfromJabirwhoreportedfrom

theProphet(‘s):"On theDayof Judgement, threeshall rise tocomplain: theQur ’an, theMosqueand theAhlul-

Bayt.TheQur ’anwillsay:"OAllah,theytamperedwithme,andtheytoremeapart.TheMosquewillsay: "OAllah, they leftme idle, and they ruinedme.And theAhl ul-Baytwill say: "OAllah, theykilledus,theydiscardedusandtheydroveusaway.”

Traditionn.5

5.Reportedinal-Kafiandbyas‑SaduqwiththeirchainsofnarratorsfromAlib.Suwaid:"Iwrotea letter toAbulHasanMusa(‘a) (i.e. ImamMusab.Ja'faral‑Kadhim) ‑whenhewas in

prison".Thenheproceeds toquote fullyhis reply inwhichhe said: "Theywereentrustedwith theBookofAllah,buttheytamperedwithitandchangedit"

Traditionn.6

6.ReportedbyIbnShahrAshubwithhischainofreportersfromAbdullahwhoquotedthesermon

ofImamHusayn(‘a)onthedayofAshura.Init,itismentioned:"Surely,youare thedespotsof theUmmah,astrange lot, insubordinate to theBook, inspiredby

Satan,leagueofsinnersandcorruptersoftheBook".

Traditionn.7

7.ReportedinKamiluzZiyaratbyitschainofnarratorsfromHasanb.Atiyyahwhoreportsfrom

AbuAbdillah(ImamJa’faras‑Sadiq(‘a)):"When you enter al‑Haer (in the shrine of Imam Husayn (‘a)) say: "O Allah, curse those who

disbelievedinyourprophets,desecratedyourKa'bah,andtamperedwithyourBook."

Traditionn.8

8.ReportedfromalHajjalwhoreportsfromQatbahb.MaimunwhoreportsfromAbdulA'ala:"AbuAbdillah(‘a)said:ThescholarsofArabiclanguagedisplacethewordsofAllah,MostHigh,

fromtheirrightfulplaces".

13ChapterTrueMeaningoftheTraditions

ItisabundantlyclearfromthelastreportquotedabovethatthewordTahrif(displacingthewords

ofAllahfromtheirrightfulplaces)denotesthevariationsbroughtaboutbytheqariswhomostofthetime based theirmode of recitations on their own opinions.We havemade it plain from the veryoutset that such a tampering has definitely occurred,where a particularQari has read a particularworddifferentlythoughwithouteffectinganychangeintheoriginaltextoritsessence.Whetherwesubscribetothesocalled,sevenmodesofrecitationsornot,thereisnodoubtthatsuchatamperingtookplace.Infact,therearemanyrenderings,eachbasedonthereader'sguessandconjecture,whichhavechangedthepronunciationsandtherecitations.Inanycase,thisreportdoesnotsupporttheviewofTahrifasthealteration,addition,omissionorinterpolationintheQur'an.The remaining traditions clearly point out that the wordTahrif used in them mean the

misinterpretationof the verses.Oneof the resultswas that the excellenceofAhl ul-Bayt (‘a) wasdenied, and hostility towards them encouraged. This is further supported by the sermon of ImamHusayn (‘a)quoted abovewhen thosewhoweregathered tokill himaredescribed asperpetratorsofTahrif.Inthetraditionreportedfromal-Kafi,ImamMuhammadalBaqir(‘a)says:"AndoneoftheexamplesoftheirrepudiationoftheBookisthatwhiletheyupheldthewordsthey

distorteditsinjunctions".Well,wehaverepeatedlysaidthatTahrifinthisfashionhasindisputablyoccurredinrelationtothe

Qur'an.Had it not been so, the rightsofAhlul-Bayt (‘a)would have remained protected, and thereverenceforthembytheProphet(‘s)wouldhavebeenhonoured.Theeventswouldnothavetakenthe tragic turn the way they did, resulting in the usurpation of their rights and in the Prophet'sinconsolablegrief.Thesecondtypeoftraditionsarethosewhichstatethatthenamesofaimma(Imams)hadoriginally

appearedincertainversesoftheQur ’an.Thesearequiteafew.Amongthemisareportinal-KafibyitsownchainofnarratorsfromMuhammadb.FudhailthatAbulHasan(ImamAlib.MusaRidha(‘a))said:"ThewilayahofAlib.AbiTalibfoundmentionineverybookoftheProphets.NoProphetwassent

withoutacovenantofMuhammad's(‘s)prophethoodandhisrightfulsuccessor'swilayah,peacebeuponthemandtheirprogeny"Andthereisareportbyal‑Ayyashiwithhischainofreportersfromas‑Sadiq(‘a);

"IftheQur'anweretobereadthewayitwasrevealed,wewouldbefoundthereinbyournames".Furtherreportsof thisnatureare inal-Kafi,tafsirofAl‑Ayyashi, reportingfromAbuJa’far (‘a)

andagaininKanzulFawaidwithitsseveralchainsofreportersfromIbnAbbas,andalsointafsirofFuratb. IbrahimalKafiwith itsownchainofnarrators. It reports fromAsbaghb.NubatahhavingheardfromAmirulMu'mineen(Alib.AbiTalib(‘a))"TheQur'anwasrevealedinfourquarters:aquarteraboutus,aquarteraboutouradversaries,a

quarterabouttraditionsandparables,aquarterabouttheobligationsandthelaws.OurswasthemostvitalpartoftheQur'an".Andal-KafihasalsoreportedwithitsownchainofreportersfromAbuJa'far(ImamMuhammad

al‑Baqir(‘a))"Jibra’illcamewiththisayahtoMuhammadinthisway:Inreplytoallthese,wehaveclarifiedearlierthatsomepartsoftherevelationstotheProphetdid

notconstitutetheQur ’an;theywereelucidatory.ThereportswhichsaythatcertainversescontainedthenamesofAimma(‘a)couldbesuchelucidatoryadditions.Butifthisinterpretationdoesnotseemplausibleorprobable, thenthereportsmustbe totallyrejectedasfalseandfabricated,becausetheywould be deemed to be against theQur'an, the traditions, and the aforementioned evidencewhichdisproveTahrif.ThereareacknowledgedandcontinuousauthenticreportswhichdirectustodiscardandrejectallthosereportswhichcontradicttheQur'an.One of the most convincing proofs that the name of Amir al Mu'minin (‘a) was never openly

mentioned in the Qur'an is the tradition of al‑Ghadir. On that occasion, the Prophet (‘s), ascommanded by Allah appointed Ali after a revelation which placed great emphasis on it, andpromised theProphet (‘s) that hewouldbeguarded fromevilmen. IfAli's namehadbeenopenlythere in the Qur'an, there would have been no need to declare an appointment, nor would it benecessary tomakeanelaborate arrangement forMuslims to assemble,or forAllah to assuagehisfearthatthedeclarationcouldcausehimanyharm.TheauthenticityofGhadirisenoughtoprovethatthesereportsaboutthenamesofAimma(‘a)in

theQur'anareuntrue;especiallysobecausetheeventofGhadiroccurredinthefarewellHajjoftheProphet(‘s)duringhislastdays.Bythattime,mostoftheQur'anhadbeenrevealedandhadgainedcurrencyamongtheMuslimpopulace.Moreover, the last report fromal-Kafi seems to be highly improbable by its very contents.The

abruptmentionofAliwhereAllahwishestoprovethetruthaboutMuhammad(‘s)bypresentingthechallengeofQur'asaninimitableBook,seemsquiteirrelevant.All these reports are rendereduselessand invalidbyoneauthentic tradition fromAbuAbdillah,

ImamJa’faras‑Sadiq(‘a) reportedbyal-Kafi fromAbuBasir.Hesays:"IaskedAbuAbdillah(‘a)abouttheayah:

HesaidtheversewasrevealedforAlib.AbiTalib,HasanandHusayn(peacebeuponthem)".

Isaid:"PeopleaskwhythenamesofAliandhisfamilyarenotmentionedintheBookofAllah".

Heanswered:"Tell them that the Prophet (‘s) received the revelation for Salat, but Allah never specified the

number of raka’ats as three or four. It was the Prophet (‘s) who made its meaning manifest forthem…."Thisauthentictraditiondecidesthemeritofallthosereportsandclarifiestheirpossiblemeaning:

thenameofAmiralMuminin(‘a)inthoserevelationscouldbejustanelucidation,nottobeimpartedasapartof theOur'an.Besides, thosewhorefusedtoswearoathofallegianceforAbuBakrneversubstantiated their argumentby saying thatAlihadbeenmentioned in theQur'an.Nodoubt, had itbeen so, thiswouldhavebeen their strongest stand.And let usnot forget that the collectionof theOur'an, as believed by thosewho argue against us, saw its completion soon after the question ofkhilafah was decided. All these are pointers to the fact that the names were never included in theverses.Thethirdtypeofreportsarethosewhichmentionthattherehavebeensomeadditionsoromissions

intheQur'an,andthat,aftertheProphet'sdeath,peoplereplacedsomewordsintheQur'anwiththeothers.Ali b. Ibrahimal‑Qummihas reportedwith his chain of narrators fromHurayzwho says: "Abu

Abdillah(‘a)readthisayahas:Al‑AyyashireportsfromHishamb.Salim:"IaskedAbuAbdillah(‘a)aboutthisayah:

He said: "It is نارمع لآ . They have changed one name for the other. They have substituted لآدمحم for میهاربا لآ .Besidestheweaknessandunreliabilityofthereporters,thesereportsareallunacceptableandfalse

becausetheyareagainsttheQur'an,theSunnahandtheconsensusofMuslimswhoholdthattherehasnotbeenanadditionofevenoneletterintheQur'an.EventhosewhoadvocateTahrifdonotbelievethattherehasbeenanyaddition.AgroupofUlama’haveclaimedaconsensusonthefactthattherehasbeennoadditiontotheQur'anandthatwhichexistsbetweenthetwocoversisnothingbuttheQur'an.Among them are SheikhMufid, SheikhTusi, SheikhBahai and other greatUlama’,mayHe blessthem.Andwehavequotedearlierfromal‑Ihtijajwhichalsoreiteratesthattherehasbeennoaddition.Thefourth typeof reportsclaimthat therehasoccurredTahrif in theQur'anbywayofomission

only.Tothemwesaythat theyhaveto interpretsuchreports thesamewayas thoseconcerningtheelucidatoryadditionsinthecodexpreparedbyAmiralMominin(‘a).Andifthatsoundsimprobable,thenthereportsmustberejectedasfalsebecausetheyareagainsttheQur'anandtheSunnah.Mostofthe reports in this vein areweak, while falsehood of some of them is evident from their content.The Ulama’ have therefore guided us to either subject them to interpretations or reject themaltogether.

MuhaqqiqAl‑Kalbasihassaid:"AllthosereportswhichspeakofTahrifareagainsttheconsensusofUmmahandthereforeunreliable‑exceptforthosewhodonotrelyupontheconsensus".Andthenheproceedstosay:"ThebeliefinanyomissionhavingoccurredintheQur'anisbaseless.Haditbeentrue,itwouldhavebecomepopularandacknowledged,becausesuchanimportantoccurrencecouldnotpassunnoticed".Thecommentatorofal‑Wafiyah,Muhaqqiqal‑Baghdadi,hasfurtherclarifiedthisbyquotingfrom

Muhaqqiqal‑Karakiwhohadwrittenacompletetractonthesubject.Hesays:"Thereportswhichspeakofomissionsmusteitherbeinterpretedorrejected.Anytraditionwhichis

contradictorytotheQur'an,theacknowledgedsunnahandtheconsensus,mustbediscardedifithasnoroomforinterpretationorotherjustifications.Isay:Muhaqqiqal‑Karakihaspointedtowardswhatwehavesaidearlier,aboutthecleardirective

fromauthentictraditionsregardingtherejectionofallthosereportswhichareindisagreementwiththeQur'an.”AmongthosetraditionsistheonereportedbySheikhasSaduqMuhammadb.Alib.Husaynwith

hisreliablechainofnarratorsfromas‑Sadiq(‘a):"Toexerciserestraintwhenindoubtisbetterthanrushingintoajeopardy.Uponeverytruththereis

divine light. Accept that which conforms with the Book of Allah, and leave aside that which goesagainstit….[28]And Sheikh Saeed b. Hibatullah, al Qutb ar‑Rawandi, has reported with his authentic chain of

narratorsfromas‑Sadiq(‘a),"when you comeacross twoopposing reports, expose thembefore theBook ofAllah.Accept that

whichconformswiththeBookofAllahandrejectthatwhichgoesagainstit."[29]

TheFourthDoubt

ThisemanatesfromthewaythecollectionoftheQur'anisdescribed,makingitpossibleforoneto

assume thatTahrifwas inevitable.Wenowproceed toanotherchapteron this, so that thisdoubt isalsoallayed.Notes:[28]Al‑WasailVol3.[29]Al‑WasailVol3.

14ChapterAReflectionontheCollectionoftheHolyQur’an

ThequestionhowtheQur'anwascollectedintoabookformisamongthosetopicswhichhasled

some to believe in interpolation or tampering having occurred in the Qur'an. The process, asgenerallydescribed,makessuchchangesappearinevitable.It was therefore necessary to attend to this discussion with a view to establishing that no

interpolation,alterationsoromissionshaveoccurredintheQur'an.Actually,thepristinequalityoftheQur'anbecamedoubtfulbecauseitwasbelievedthatAbuBakr

ordered itscompilationafter70recitersof theQur'anwerekilled in thebattleofBirMaunah,andfourhundred in thebattleofYamamah.Fearing that theQur'anwouldbe lost and forgottenby thebelievers, Umar and Zaid b. Thabit undertook the task of collection from scripts found on palmbranches,piecesofclothandcovers,andalsofromthememoryof theMuslims,providedthat twowitnessesgave testimony that itwas from theQur'an.Thereare several reportswhich indicate thatsuchanexercisewasindeedcarriedout.Whenacompilerisnotinfallible,onecansafelyexpectanelementoferrortocreepin.Thosewhocompilethewidelyscatteredpoemsofonesinglepoetcouldgiveyouvariousversionsofthecouplets.Thesevariationsareusual,leadingfinallytothebeliefthatsometamperinghasoccurred.Itisquitepossiblethatsomeone,inspiteofhavingactuallyheardtheProphet(peacebeuponhimandhisprogeny)reciteversesfromtheQur'an,didnotventuretopresentthembecausehecouldnotprovidetwowitnesses.Thus,anomissionbecomesquiteprobable.TheanswertothisisthatthedoubtbecomesvalidonlyifthereportsaboutcompilationofQur'an

aredeemedcredible.So,itisimperativethatwementionthosereportsandanalysethemcritically.

Part1TheTraditionsabouttheCompilationofthe

Qur’an

Reportn.1

1.Zaidb.Thabitsays:"AbuBakrsentformeafterthebattleofYamamah,andIfoundUmaralsopresent.AbuBakrsaid:

`UmarhascometotellmethatthedayofYamamahhasbeenhardfortherecitersoftheQur'an,andhe fears that other such occasionsmay be harder still, resulting in the loss of greater part of theQur'an.HesaysImustgiveordersforcompilationoftheQur'an.ItoldUmarthathowcouldhedoathingwhich theMessenger ofAllah did not do?Umar said: "But this, byGod, is desirable".AndUmarhasbeenreferringthismattertomepersistently,tillatlastAllahopenedupmychestforthatundertaking,andIbegantoholdthesameviewasUmar's.Zaidsays:"AbuBakrsaid: `Youareayoung intelligentman,andwe findno fault inyou.Youwerealsoa

scribe,writingdowntherevelationsfortheMessengerofAllah.SoattendtotheQur'an,andcompileit'.ByGod,iftheyhadentrustedmewithremovingamountainfromamongthemountains,thetaskwouldnothavebeenheavierformethanthatofcollectingandcompilingtheQur'an.Iasked:`WhydoyouundertakesomethingtheProphethimselfneverdid?'Heanswered:`ByGod,thisisdesirable'.AndthenAbuBakrneverleftmewithoutreminders,tillAllahopenedupmychest,thewayHedidforAbuBakrandUmar,andIattendedtothework,compilingtheQur'anfrompalm‑branches,piecesofcloth, and from thememory of the people, till I found the last part of Surah al‑TawbahwithAbuKhuzaimahAlAnsari,whichnooneelsehad.tilltheendofBara’ah.ThesecompiledpageswerewithAbuBakrtillhedied,thenwithUmarinhis

lifetime,andthenwithHafsa,daughterofUmar".[30]

Reportn.2

2.IbnShihabreportsfromAnasb.Malik:“WhenHuzaifahb.al‑Yaman,withtheIraqis,wasfightingthepeopleofSyria,intheconquestof

Armenia andAzerbaijan, he once came toUthman and expressed his fears about variations in therecitations ofQur'an.Huzaifa toldUthman: `Omaster of the faithfuls!Come to the rescue of thisummah, before it is entangled into disagreements about theBook, the sameway asChristians andJewshavebeen.`Uthman sent amessage toHafsa askingher to submit thenotesofQur'an sheheld so that they

could be copied into books, promising that they would be returned to her care and trust. Hafsasubmitted thenotes toUthmanwhoorderedZaidb.Thabit,Abdullahb.az‑Zubair,Saeedb.al‑Aas,Abdur Rahmanb.al‑Harthb.Hisham,totranscribe.AndUthmantoldthegroupofthreeQureishites:`IfyoudifferwithZaidb.ThabitonanypartsoftheQur'an,writedownaccordingtothedialectofQureish,becauseithascomedownintheirdialect'.`Sotheydidthework,andwhentheyhadtranscribedthenotesintothebooks,Uthmanreturnedthe

notes toHafsa. Then he sent a copy to every place, ordering that all other versions of theQur'an,foundinpagesorbooksmustbesetonfire'.IbnShihabsays:"Kharijahb.Zaidb.ThabitinformedmethatheheardZaidb.Thabitreportthefollowing:`When

wewerecopyingthenotes,IfoundthatanayahfromtheSurahAl‑Ahzabwasmissing.ItwasanayahIhadbeenhearingtheMessengerofAllahhimselfrecite.Sowewentinsearchofit,andfounditwithKhuzaimahb.Thabital‑Ansari:

andweaddedittoitsSurahinthebook.[31]

Reportn.3

3.IbnAbiShaybah,onhisownchain,ofauthorities,reportsfromAli:"AbuBakrdeserves thebest reward for the copiesofQur'an, forhewas the first one to compile

whatexistsbetweenthetwocovers".

Reportn.4

4.IbnShihabreportsfromSalimb.AbdillahandKharijah:"AbuBakrhadcompiledtheQur'aninsomepapers,andthenaskedZaidb.Thabittogothrough

them.Zaidrefused, tillAbuBakraskedUmar to intervene.SoZaidagreed.ThesebookswerewithAbuBakrtillhedied,thenwithUmartillhedied,andthereafterwithHafsa,theProphet'swife.WhenUthmansentforthem,sherefusedtopartwiththem,tillhepledgedthattheywouldbereturnedtoher.Thenshegavethem.Uthmantranscribedthemintothebooks,andreturnedtheoriginaltoHafsawithwhomtheyremained.”

Reportn.5

5.Hishamb.Urwahreportsfromhisfather,whosaid:"WhentheparticipantsofYamamahwerekilled,AbuBakrorderedUmarb.al‑KhattabandZaidb.

Thabit:`SitatthedooroftheMosque,andwhenanyonebringssomethingfromtheQur'anwhichyoususpect,writeitdownifitiswitnessedbytwomen'.ThisisbecausethosecompanionsoftheProphet(‘s)whohadcompiledtheQur'anhadbeenkilledatYamamah".

Reportn.6

6.Muhammadb.Sheensays:"Umargotkilled,withouthavingcompiledtheQur'an".

Reportn.7

7.Al‑Hasansays:"OnceUmarb.al‑KhattabinquiredaboutaverseintheQur'an.Someonesaid:"Itwaswithsoand

so,buthewaskilledonthedayofYamamah".Umarreplied:"ToAllahwebelong!"ThenheorderedthecompilationoftheQur'an.Sohewasthe

firsttocompileitintoabookform".

Reportn.8

8.Yahyab.AbdirRehmanb.Hatibsays:"UmarwishedtocompiletheQur'an,sohestoodamongthepeopleandsaid:Anyonefromyouwho

hadheardpartoftheQur'anfromtheMessengerofAllah,shouldcometouswithit'.TheyhadwrittendownpartsoftheQur'anonpages,boardsandpalm‑branches.Umardidnotacceptanythingunlessitwassupportedbytwowitnesses.Hewaskilledwhilethecompilationcontinued.ThenUthmantookover.Hesaid:`AnyonewhohassomethingoftheQur'anwithhimshouldbringto

us'.Andheneveracceptedanythingwithouthavingtwowitnesses.ThenKhuzaimahb.Thabitcametohim and said: "I find that you have left out two verseswhich you have not recorded". They asked:"Whicharethey"?Hesaid:"IhavereceivedfromtheMessengerofAllah(peacebeuponhimandhisprogeny):tilltheendoftheSurah.SoUthmansaid:"AndIbearwitnessthatthesetwoversesarefromAllah.

Now,telluswheredoyouwantustoplacethem?"Khuzaimahsaid:"Placethemat theendofwhatwaslastrevealedoftheQur'an".SoBaraahwasendedwiththem".

Reportn.9

9.Ubaidb.Umairsaid:"Umarneverrecordedanyverseinthecompilationtillitwaswitnessedbytwomen.Thenaman

fromAnsarbroughttohimthesetwoverses:

till its end.Umar said: I shall never ask you to substantiate these. TheMessenger of Allahwasindeedlikethat'[32]

Reportn.10

10.Sulaimanb.ArqamreportsfromAl‑HasanandIbnSirinandIbnShihabAz‑Zuhri.Theysaid:"In the battle ofYamamah,massacre spread among reciters of theQur'an, killing four hundred

men.ThenZaidb.ThabitmetUmarb.al‑Khattabandtoldhim:`ThisQur'anbindsustoourfaith.IfQur'anvanishes,ourfaithvanishesalso.IhavedecidedtocompiletheQur'aninabookform'.UmaraskedhimtowithholdtillhehadconsultedAbuBakr.TheywenttoAbuBakrandinformedhimabouttheintention.Hesaid:`Donotmakehaste.Wait tillIhaveconsultedtheMuslims'.Thenhestoodtoaddress the people and informed them about the intention. They said: "You have made the rightdecision".SotheycompiledtheQur'an.ThenAbuBakrorderedaheraldtoannounceamongpeople:"WhoeverhasanypartoftheQur'anwithhimshouldcomeupwithit".

Reportn.11

11.Khuzaimahb.Thabitreports:"IbroughtthefollowingayahtoUmarb.al‑KhattabandZaidb.Thabit:

Zaidasked:"Whobearswitnesswithyou?"Isaid:"No.Idonotknowanyone".SoUmarsaid:"I

bearwitnesswithhimfortheayah".

Reportn.12

12.AbuIshaqreportsfromsomeofhisfriends.Theysaid:"WhenUmarhadcompletedthecollectionoftheQur'an,heinquired:"Whoismostwellversedin

Arabic?"They said: "Saeedb.al‑Aas".Thenheasked: "Who ismostproficientwriter?"They said:"Zaid b. Thabit". He said: "Then Saeed should dictate and Zaid should write down". So theytranscribedfourcopiesoftheQur'an.AcopyeachwassenttoKufah,Basrah,SyriaandHijaz".

Reportn.13

13.Abdullahb.Fadhalahsays:"WhenUmardecided towritedown themaster copyof theQur'an,he appointedagroupofhis

companionsforitandtheysaid:"Whenyouhaveanydisagreementoverthelanguage.writeitdowninthedialectofMudhar.BecauseQur'ancamedowntoamanfromthefamilyofMudhar".

Reportn.14

14.AndAbuQalabahsaid:"InthedaysofUthman'scaliphate,atutorwouldteachrecitationaccordingtoaparticularperson,

whileanotherwouldteachrecitationaccordingtoanotherperson;sowhentheboys(students)met,they disagreed about each other's recitations. This finally came to the attention of the tutors wholabelledeachother'srecitationsasprofane.WhenUthmanlearntaboutthis,hestooduptoaddressthepeopleandsaid:"Ifyouwhoarenearmehavesomuchofdisagreementsandconfusion,thenthosewhoarefarther

awaymusthaveworsedifferencesanderrors.So,OCompanionsofMuhammad,joinhandstowritedownamastercopyoftheQur'an".AbuQalabahsays:Malikb.Anastoldme:(AccordingtoAbuBakrb.abiDawudthisMalikb.Anasisthegrandfather

of theknownMalikb.Anas)"Iwasamongthose towhomthecopywasdictated.Sowhenever therewasanydisagreementaboutanayah,theywouldtrytoremembersomebodywhohadhearditfromtheMessengerofAllah(peacebeuponhimandhisprogeny).Andifhewasaway,orlivedinthedeserts,theywouldwritetheprecedingandthefollowingwords,leavingthedisputedparttillthepersontheywantedtorefertoappeared,orwassentfor.Whenthecopywasfinallyready,Uthmanwrotetoallthetownssaying:"Ihavedonethisway,andhavestruckoffwhatIhad,soyoustrikeoffwhatyouhave"

Reportn.15

15.Masa'bb.Sa'adreported:"Uthmanstoodtoaddressthepeopleandsaid:'Opeople,youareonlythirteenyearsawayfromthe

eraoftheProphet(‘s)andhavealreadybeguntodisputeabouttheQur'an.Someofyoutalkoftherecitation byUbayy,while others quote the recitation byAbdullah.Andone tells the other that hisrecitationhasnovalue.SoIcommandeveryonewhohasanypartoftheQur'anwithhimtocomeupwithit'.ThenpeoplestartedcomingwiththeQur'anwrittenonpiecesofpapersandpatchesofskin,till most of it was compiled. Then Uthman called them individually, imploring each of them toconfirm that he had heard the Prophet (‘s) recite for him, and each confirmed.When itwas over,Uthmansaid:"Whoisthebestscribe?"Theysaid:"ThescribeoftheProphet(‘s),Zaidb.Thabit".Hesaid: "Who ismostproficient inArabic?"They said; "Saeedb. al‑Aas".Uthman said: "ThenSaeedshoulddictateandZaidshouldwrite".SoZaidstartedwritingandmadeoutseveralcopieswhichweredistributedamongmen.ThenIheardacompanionofMuhammadsay:"Hehasdonewell".

Reportn.16

16.AbulMalihsays:"WhenUthmandecided to have theQur'an copied, he said: "People ofHuzailwoulddictate and

peopleofThaqifwouldwrite".

Reportn.17

17.AbdulA'lab.Abdillahb.Abdillahb.AmiralQarshisays:"Whenhehadcompletedtheworkofcompilation,Uthmancameupwithit,andlookinginitsaid:

`IseesomeminorerrorswhichArabswillmendontheirtongues"'.

Reportn.18

18.Ikramahsaid:"WhenthetranscribedQur'anwasbroughtbeforeUthman,hesawsomeminorerror.Sohesaid:

"HaditbeendictatedbysomeonefromHuzailandwrittenbyonefromThaqif,thiserrorwouldnothaveoccurred.

Reportn.19

19.Atasays:"WhenUthmancompiledtheQur'an,hesentforUbayyb.Ka'abwhodictatedittoZaidb.Thabit,

Saeedb.al‑Aasgavegrammatical inflections.So thiscopy isaccording to the recitationbyUbayyandZaid".

Reportn.20

20.Mujahidreported:UthmanorderedUbayyb.Ka'ab todictate,Zaidb.Thabit towritedownandSaeedb.al‑Aasand

Abdur‑Rahmanb.al‑Harthtogivegrammaticalinflections".

Reportn.21

21.Zaidb.Thabitsaid:"WhenwetranscribedtheQur'an,IfoundthatanayahwhichIhadbeenhearingfromtheProphet

(‘s)wasmissing,IfounditwithKhuzaimab.Thabitupto

Andtwowitnesses.KhuzaimawasknownasoneequaltoProphet(‘s)hadacceptedhistestimonyas

equaltotwo".

Reportn.22

22.Laithb.Sa'dsaid:"ThefirstpersonwhocollectedQur'anwasAbuBakr,andZaidwroteitdown.Andpeoplecameto

Zaidb.Thabit,buthewouldnotwritedownanyayahexceptwhensupportedby twowitnesses.TheendingpartofBara’ahwasnotfoundexceptwithAbuKhuzaimahb.Thabit.Hesaid:"Writeitdown,because theMessengerofAllah (‘s)hadacceptedhiswitnessasequal to twowitnesses".So itwaswritten.AndwhenUmarcameupwith theayahofRajm (i.e. stoning theadultereroradulteress todeath)itwasnotrecordedbecausehewasalone".[33]ThesearetheimportanttraditionsreportedonthesubjectofcompilationoftheQur'an.Apartfrom

beingisolatedreportswhichgivenobenefitofcertitude,theyhavevariousdeficiencies.Notes:[30]Sahih,Bukhari,babjamulQur ’an,v6,p.98[31]Sahih,Bukhari,babjamulQur ’an,v6,p.99,note,thesetworeports,andthefollowingonestill

No.11arementionedinMuntakhabofKanzalUmmal,onthemarginofAhmadHanbal'sMusnad,v2,p.43‑52.[32]ThistraditioninMuntakhabofKanzulUmmalhasbeenrepor tedbyYahyab.Ju'dah.[33]alItqan,v1,p.101

15ChapterTheContradictions

Thesereportsareself‑contradictoryonmanypoints,makingthemtotallyunreliable.Here,inthe

formofquestionsandanswers,weexaminethecontradictions.WhenwastheQur'ancompiledasabook?ThesecondreportsaysitwascompiledduringtheruleofUthman.Thefirst,third,fourthandsome

of the later reports explain that itwas in the era ofAbuBakr.And the seventh and twelfth reportindicatethatitwasduringUmar'scaliphate.WhoundertooktocompiletheQur'anduringtheeraofAbuBakr?Thefirst twotraditionsandthetwentysecondsaythatitwasZaidb.Thabit,butthefourthreport

says it was Abu Bakr himself; and that he only asked Zaid to go through what he himself hadcollected.AndthefifthreporttogetherwiththeothersindicatethatthetaskwasundertakenbyUmarandZaid.WasZaidgivensoleauthoritytocompiletheQur'an?The first traditionclearly states thatAbuBakrgavehimsoleauthority.He toldZaid: "Youarea

young, intelligent man, and we find no fault in you. You were also a scribe, writing down therevelationsfortheMessengerofAllah(‘s).SoattendtotheQur'anandcompileit".Thesewordsareexplicit.Butthefifthandothertraditionsrevealthatthewritingwassubstantiatedbytwowitnesses,somuchsothatwhenUmarcamewiththeverseofrajm,itwasrejected.WeretheresomeverseswhichremainedunrecordedtillthetimeofUthman?Mostofthetraditionssaythatnoversesremainedunrecor ded,butthesecondreportsaysthatsome

oftheversesremainedunwritten.DidUthmanomitanythingfromwhatwascompiledbeforehim?Mostofthetraditionsquotedabovesaythathedidnotexcludeoromitanything.Butthefourteenth

reporttellsusthathestruckoffsomepartsfromthepreviouscompilation,andorderedtheMuslimtodothesame.FromwhatsourcesdidUthmanprepareabookcopyoftheQur'an?

Thesecondandfourthreportsay:herelieduponthenotesandpagescollectedbyAbuBakr.Thentheeighth,fourteenthandfifteenthtraditionsrevealthathereliedupontwowitnesses,anduponthosewhoclaimedtohaveheardtheayahfromtheProphet(‘s).WhoaskedAbuBakrtocompiletheQur'an?ThefirstreportsaysthatUmardidit,andthatAbuBakrconcededafterhavingfirstrefused.Then

hesentforZaidwhoalsoconcededafterhavingdeclined.ButthetenthreporttellsusthatZaidandUmar jointly asked Abu Bakr to undertake the work, and he conceded after having consulted theMuslims.Whopreparedthemastercopyandsentitseditionstovariouscities?ThesecondreportsaysitwasUthman,whilethetwelfthtellsusitwasUmar.WhenwerethetwoversesaddedtotheSurahofBara’ah?Thefirst,eleventhandtwentysecondreportsrevealthatthishappenedduringthetimeofAbuBakr,

andtheeighthreporttogetherwithotherssaythatithappenedintheeraofUmar.Whocameupwiththosetwoverses?ThefirstandtwentysecondreportssaytheywerebroughtinbyAbuKhuzaimah,whiletheeighth

andeleventh reportssay itwasKhuzaimah.Theseare twogentlemenwhohadnorelationshipwitheachotheratall,asreportedbyIbnAbdalBarr.[34]HowweretheyacceptedasbeingpartsoftheQur'an?Byasolewitness,asmentionedinthefirst,ninthandtwentysecondreport.Bytheaccompanying

witnessbyUthman,asshownintheeighth;andbythesupportingwitnessbyUmarasshownintheeleventh.WhodidUthmanappointfordictatingandwritingoftheQur'an?(i)UthmanappointedZaid,IbnazZubair,SaeedandAbduRahmanaswriters(seeReportn.2)(ii)HeappointedZaidforwriting,andSaeedfordictating,(seeReportn.15)(iii)Heappointedaperson fromThaqif towritedown,andaperson fromHuzad to dictate; (see

Reportn.16)(iv)ThewriterwasnotfromThaqifandtheonewhodictatedwasnotfromHuzad. (see

Reportn.18)(v)ThedictationwasbyUbayb.Kaab,andSaeedgavegrammaticalinflectionstowhatZaidwrote

down(seeReportn.19)

(vi)ThetwentysecondreportaddsthenameofAbdarRahmantogetherwithSaeed.

Notes:[34]Tafsir,alQurtubi,v1,p.56

16ChapterTheirConflictwithOtherTraditionsRelatedtotheCompilationoftheQur’an

These traditionsare inconflictwithall those traditionwhichstress that theQur'anwas recorded

and compiled during the time of the Prophet (‘s) himself. It has been reported by a groupwhichinclude:IbnAbiShaybah,Ahmedb.Hanbal,Tirmidhi,Nas’ai,IbnHaban,al‑Hakim,al‑Bayhaqi,ZiyaalMaqdasi,whoreportfromIbnAbbasasfollowing:"I asked Uthman b. Affan: 'Why have you joined al‑Anfal with Baraah, excluding the line of

Bismillah frombetween them,while the former is shorter than100verses, and the later exceeds ahundred,andthenyouplacedthemamongthesevenlongSurahs?Whatmadeyoudothat?"Uthmansaid:"At times, the Prophet (‘s) used to come up with the revelation of Surahs containing numerous

verses,thenwhenrevelationcameinsmallparts,heusedtocallhisscribeandsay:"PlacethispartamongtheSurahwhichsayssoandso":andwhenverseswererevealed,heinstructed:"PlacetheseamongtheSurahwhichmentionssuchandsuchthing".Al‑AnfalwasfromamongtheearlyrevelationsatMadina,andBara’ahwasfromwhatwasrevealedlast.‑Theircontentsweresimilar,soIpresumedthattheybelongedtoeachother.TheProphet(‘s)neverclarifiedthisinhislifetime,soIjoinedthem,withoutBasmalahinbetweenandplacedthemamongthesevenlongSurahs".[35]Tabranireports,andsodoesIbnAsakirfromAsha'bi."TheQur'anwascompiledinthedaysoftheProphet(‘s)bysixmenfromtheAnsar.TheywereUbay

b.Ka'ab,Zaidb.Thabit,Muadhb.Jabal,Abual‑Darda',Sa'db.Ubaid,andAbuZaid.AndIbnJariyahhadtakenitexcepttwoorthreeSurah".[36]AndQataadahsays:"IaskedAnasb.Malik:`WhocollectedtheQur'anatthetimeoftheProphet(‘s)?'Hesaid:`Fourof

them,allfromAnsar.TheywereUbayb.Ka'b,Muadhb.Jabal,Zaidb.ThabitandAbuZaid'.[37]Masruq,whenrecallingAbdullahb.UmarandAbdullahb.Masudsaid:"Ihavealwayslovedhim.IheardtheProphet(‘s)say:TaketheQur'anfromfour:fromAbdullahb.

Masood,Salim,MuadhandUbayb.Ka'b".[38]NasaihasareportbasedonauthenticchainfromAbdullahb.Umarwhosaid:

"IgatheredtheQur'an,andreaditeverynight.TheProphetheardaboutit,sohesaid:"Readitina

month…"[39]WewillmentionthecompilationoftheQur'anbyUmmWaraqahlater.Onemightarguethatthecollectionorcompilationmentionedinthesereportsdenotecommitting

theQur'antomemory,andnottothepapers.Thispresumptioncannotbecorroborated.Besides,itisaknownfactthattherewerenumerousbelieversatthetimeoftheProphet(‘s)whoknewtheQur'anbyheart,sohowcanthememorisingoftheQur'anbeconfinedtofourorsixnames?Thosewhohavestudiedcarefully the livesof thecompanionsof theProphet (‘s)wouldknow it forcertain that theQur'anwasreadycompiledduringthedaysoftheProphet(‘s)andthatthenumberofitscompilersweretoomanytobeignored.Thereportbyal‑BukharithroughAnasstatingthatwhentheProphet(‘s)died,theQur'anhadnot

beencompiledbyanyoneexceptfour:AbualDarda,Muadhb.Jabal,Zaidb.ThabitandAbuZaid,isareportwhichoughttobediscardedandrejectedbecauseitcontradictsnotonlytheearlierreports,butalsowhatal‑Bukharihimselfreported.Moreover,thereportcannotbeacceptedbecauseitisdifficulttoconceivethatthereporterknewalltheMuslimsatthetimeofthedeathoftheProphet(‘s),andthatinspiteofthegreatnumberoftheMuslims,scatteredallaround,hewasabletofindonlyfourwhohadcollectedtheQur'an.Thisisamereconjecture.Tosummarizethewholesituation,onemayask:(a)Withalltheforegoingreports,howcanonebelievethatAbuBakrwasthefirsttocompilethe

Qur'an,afterhehadbecomeaCaliph?(b)Andifweacceptthereport,itisstrangethatAbuBakrshouldaskZaidandUmartocollectthe

Qur'an from leather parchments, pieces of papers and from the people'smemory,whileAbdullah,MuadhandUbayywerepresentaliveamongthepeople,especiallywhentheProphet(‘s)hadhimselfrecommendedthattheQur'anbetakenfromthem?(c)Ofcourse,theycouldnothaveanythingfromSalimbecausehewasoneofthosekilledatthe

battleofYamamah.ButZaid,oneofthecompilersoftheQur'an,wasthere,andAbuBakrhadcertifiedhischaracterasyoung,intelligentandwithoutblemish.Sowhatwastheneedofresortingtoothers?(d) Finally, the widely acknowledged and authentic tradition about thaqalayn leaves us with no

doubtthattheQur'anexistedinacompletebookform.Weshallpointthisoutlater.Notes:[35]MuntakhabKanzalUmmal,v2,p.48[36]MuntakhabKanzalUmmal,v2,p.48[37]Sahih,Bukhari,chapter:"Qura"fromtheProphet'scompanions,v6,p.202[38]Sahih,Bukhari,chapter:"Qura"fromtheProphet'scompanions,v6,p.202[39]alItqan,v1,p.124

17ChapterTheirConflictwiththeQur’anitself

These reports contradict the Qur'an itself. Numerous verses of the Qur'an prove that complete

Surahsexisted,eachdistinguishedfromtheother.Theywereinthehandsofthepeople,eventhosewho were idolaters or the people of the Books. The famous challenge by the Prophet (‘s) to thedisbelieverswas to produce the like of theQur'an, the like of tenSurahs or evenoneSurah.ThismeansthattheSurahwerethereinthepublichands.And in theQur'an itself, theword"book"hasbeenused inmanyverses.Andalso in the famous

saying of the Prophet (‘s):"I leave among you two valuable things, the book ofAllah andmyprogeny", there is a clear proof that theQur'anwas thenwritten and compiled, because theword`book' is not used for that which is retained in the memory, nor for scattered writings on theparchments,piecesofpapersandbones,exceptmetaphorically. It isnot right toconstrueanywordmetaphoricallyunlessthereisanevidenceinitscontext.Theword `book' denotes existence of a collection and not of scattered scribbles, nor of things

whichareinthememorybutnotwritten.

18ChapterTheirConflictwithReason

ThegreatnessoftheQur'anitself,andthepainstakingeffortbytheProphet(‘s)toarrangeforits

memorization and reading, and the inclination of theMuslims to do the samewith reverence andexpectation of being rewarded by Allah, all point to the fact that the Qur'an could not have beencompiled in the haphazardmanner shown in the reports. TheQur'an itself has an inherent qualitywhich would make it absolutely imperative for Muslims to preserve it and to make it knownpopularlybyall,eventheladiesandthechildren.Thesequalitiesare:

(a)TheEloquenceandRhetoricoftheQur'an

The Arabs had a tendency of preserving their glorious literature, like the famous poems and

speechesofpre‑Islamicera.TheQur'anshouldreceiveallthemoreattentionbecauseitchallengedallthe existing fine literature, surpassing them all in excellence. The result was that it captured theattention of all, believers and disbelievers alike.AMuslim committed it tomemory driven by hisfaith,whilethedisbelievertriedtorememberitsothatitcouldbeeventuallyopposedorrefuted.

(b)TheProphet'sinclinationtopreservetheQur'an

Asisknown,hehadanabsolutecontroloverhispeople,andwhensuchaleaderexpressesadesire

that a particular bookbe reador preserved, it becomes a popular handbook among the followers,especiallyifthebookismeanttobeforearningthepleasureofAllah,hereandhereafter.

(c)Memorization

Thosewhocommitted theQur'an tomemorywereheld inhighesteembythepeople,andthis is

very well evidenced in the history of Islam. This was a strong impetus whichmotivatedmany tomemorizetheQur'anfullyorevenpartially.

(d)Rewards

The reward and the blessings from Allah upon those who recite or memorize the Qur'an was

perhapsthegreatestincentiveforMuslimstopreserveit.Infact,theMuslimsreveredtheQur'an,andvalueditmuchmorethantheirownsouls,wealthandfamilies.Wehavereportswhichindicate thatevensomeoftheladieshadcompiledthewholeQur'an.IbnSa'dsaysinal‑Tabaqat:"Al‑Fadhl b. Dakin informed us through al‑Walid b. Abdillah b. Jami', who reported from his

grandmotherthatUmmuWaraqahbintAbdillahb.HarithwasfrequentlyvisitedbytheProphet(‘s),andhecalledheraShahidah.Shehadcompiled theQur'an.When theprophet (‘s)advanced to thebattle of Badr she asked him if she could go along with him for nursing the ill and tending thewoundedsothatAllahmayblessherwithmartyrdom.AndtheProphetanswered:`Allahhaspreparedforyouthemartyrdom'[40].Iftheladieshadundertakensuchatask,wecanexpectmentohavedonebetter.Alargegroupof

peoplewasknowntohaveknowntheQur'anbyheartintheeraoftheProphet(‘s).Al‑Qurutbisays:"Seventyof the reciterswerekilled in thebattle ofYamamah,and in the days of the Prophet (‘s)

nearlythesamenumberwerekilledatBirMaunah".And in the preceding tenth report, we find that four hundred reciters had been killed

atYamamah.ThefactthattheProphet(‘s)showedparticularconcernaboutcompilationoftheQur'an,with several scribes athisdisposal, and that theQur'anwas revealed tohimpiecebypieceduringtwenty threeyears,givesus justifiable certitude that theProphet asked for theQur'an tobewrittendowninfull.Zaidb.Thabitsays:"WeusedtoorganizetheQur'anfromtheparchments,inpresenceoftheProphet(‘s)".AlHakim says: "This report is authentic, based on the conditions laid downby the twoSheikhs

(BukhariandMuslim)thoughtheyhavenotrecordedit".AndinthisthereisaclearevidencethattheQur'anwascollectedduringtheeraoftheProphet(‘s).

[41]AndasforcommittingcertainSurahsorpartsthereoftomemory,weknowthatitwasacommon

practice.TherewashardlyaMuslimmaleorfemale,whodidnotdothat.Ubadahb.Samitsays:"TheProphet(‘s)usedtoremainoccupied.SowhenanyMuhajircalleduponhim,hewouldentrust

himtooneofusforteachinghimtheQur'an".[42]AndKulaibreports:

"IwaswithAli(‘a)whenheheardloudvoicesofpeopleinthemosque,recitingtheQur'an.Hesaid:

"Theyareblessed…"[43]AndanotherreportfromUbadahb.Samitsays:"Whenever someonemigrated toMedina, theProphet (‘s)would send him to us for learning the

Qur'an.Andloudvoicesofrecitationof theQur'ancouldbeusuallyheard fromthemosque, till theProphet(‘s)askedthemtolowerthevoicessoastoavoiderrorsinconfusion".[44]Yes,thememorizationoftheQur'anoritspartswascurrentamongtheMuslims,somuchsothata

Muslim lady would ask for being taught one Surah or more from the Qur'an in lieu ofherMahr(Bukhari,Muslim,AbuDawud,Tirmidhi,Nasai,al‑Taj).Withallthesepointers,howcouldweacceptthepropositionthatthecollectionoftheQur'anwasdelayedtillthedaysofAbuBakr,andthatAbuBakrhadtodependupontwowitnessesassertingthattheyhadhearditfromtheProphet(‘s)?

Notes:[40]alItqan,v1,p.215[41]Mustadrak,v1,p.611[42]Musnad,Hanbal,v15,p.324[43]KanzalUmmal,2ndEditionv2,p.185[44]ManahiulIrfan,p.324

19ChapterTheirConflictwithConsensus

ThesereportscontradicttheunanimousbeliefofalltheMuslimsthattheonlywayofestablishing

the authenticity of the Qur'an is tawattur, which means `a continuous and wide spreadacknowledgement'.Ifwebelievethesereports,thenitwouldfollowthattheQur'anisestablishedasauthenticbyrelianceontwowitnessesateverystageofcompilation,oronewitnesswhosetestimonywasacceptedasequaltotwo.Thismeansthattheauthenticityisprovedbyanisolatedreportalso,aconceptunthinkabletoaMuslim.Iwonderhowcanwereconcilebetweenthetwo;onetellingusthatthe Qur'an depends upon evidence, and the other telling us that it had an unbroken, widespreadcurrencyamongthepeople‑tawattur,needingnofurthercorroboration.Ifweaccepttheconsensusthat the Qur'an is evidenced bytawattur, then we have no alternative but to reject all the reportscontradictingit.Surprisingly enough, Ibn Hajar interprets two witnesses as "written evidence" and "evidence of

memorization".IbelievehehadtotakerecoursetothisinterpretationsoastoavoidaconflictwiththefactthattheQur'anisbasedontawattur.Buteventhisinterpretationhasmanyfaults:(a)Itiscontrarytotheevidentmeaningofallthereportsyouhavesofarseen.(b)ThiswouldmeanthatnopartsoftheQur'an,howeverexplicitlybasedon tawattur,wouldbe

acceptediftheywerenotwrittendownbysomeone.ItbecomesquiteprobablethatcertainpartsoftheQur'anwhich,thoughcurrentandwidespread,wereomittedbecausetherewasnowrittenevidence.(c)Whentawatturexists,thewrittenormemorizedevidenceissuperfluousandredundant.Infact,

suchevidenceswouldnotbeacceptableaspartsoftheQur'an,iftheydonotcomplywithtawattur.Infact,thereisnoalternativebuttorejectallthesereports,becausetheyprovetheauthenticityof

theQur'anonthingsotherthantawattur.AndtheconsensusoftheMuslimslendsnosupporteither.

20ChapterThoseTraditionsandInterpolations

IfthesereportsonthecollectionoftheQur'anwereacceptedastrue,thenanargumentsuggesting

some possible omissions becomes plausible, and together with it, one has to concede that someadditionsalso‑nayhaveoccurred.Thewaytheprocessofcompilationhasbeendescribed justifiessuchapresumption.Itmaybearguedthat theeloquenceandstyleof theQur'anpreventedanyadditionwithoutbeing

traced.PerhapsacompleteSurah,iffabricated,couldbedetected,butanadditionofawordortwo,oreven a short verse, would certainly be very difficult to distinguish. Had this been the case, thepreceding reportswould not havementioned the provision of testimony by twowitnesses. In fact,wheneverapersoncamewithanayah,theveryactpresentedapossibilitythatiteitherwasfromtheQur'an, or it was not. Thus we are faced with an ever attending curse of interpolation, while theconsensusofMuslimsisthattheQur'anisintactfromalltamperingandprofanities.Tosummarize,wesaythattoattributethecollectionoftheQur'antotheCaliphsisbasedonmere

conjecture, and it contradicts the holyBook itself, theSunnah, the consensus and the reason. Andtherefore,thosewhobelievethattheQur'anhasbeentamperedwithorinterpolateddonothaveanysolidgroundsiftheyrelyonthereports.AndifatallweacceptthatAbuBakrcompileditduringhiscaliphate,thereisnodoubtthattheprocessofcollectionasdescribedinthesereportsisuntrue.Thefact is that the collection of theQur'anwas entirely based on tawattur among theMuslims.At themost,whatAbuBakrmighthavedonewastocollateacodexoravolume(mushaf)contentsofwhichhadalreadybeenpreservedbythewayoftawattur.Yes,thereisnodoubtthatUthmanproducedacopyoftheQur'aninhisdays,butthiswasnottosay

thathecollected theversesand thechapters intoabookform.Actually,heeffectedaconsensusonrecitation according to a singlemaster copy,orderingMuslims toburnout all other copieswhichvariedfromhiscopy.Heactuallywrotetoalltownsandcities,forbiddingMuslimsfromentertainingdifferentrecitations.ThishasbeensubstantiatedbymanySunnischolars.Al‑HarithalMuhtasibisays:"ItiscommonlyheldbytheMuslimsthatUthmanwascompilerofthe

Qur'an.Thisisnotso.Actually,UthmanenjoineduponMuslimstouniteononerecitation,actingontheadviceofcertainMuhajirinandAnsarwhofeareddisunityresultingfromsomeconfusionamongthepeopleofIraqandSyriainrespectofrecitations.Beforethat, therewerevariouscopieshavingrecitationsbasedonthe"sevenreadings"uponwhichtheQur'anwasrevealed…."[45]IsaythatUthmanunitedtheMuslimsupononemodeofrecitation,therecitationwhichwasalready

current and known among theMuslims, the one which they had heard from the Prophet (‘s). HeforbadeallothersystemswhichhaddevelopedbasedonthesocalledreportabouttheQur'anhaving

been revealed according to "seven readings", and I have already proved that this report is untrue.Uthman was never censured for this, because the different recitations were bound to bring aboutdisunityanddiscordamongtheMuslims.Infact,eachgrouphadbeguntolabeltheothersasinfidels.And the Prophet (‘s) himself had forbidden any differences in respect of the Qur'an. However,UthmanwascensuredforhavingburntuptherestofthecopiesoftheQur'an,andforhavingorderedtheMuslimstodoso.AgroupofMuslimsbecamehisseverecritics,labellinghimas"theburnerofQur'an".Notes:[45]alItqan,v1,p.103

21ChapterConclusion

It is clear from what we have mentioned above that the question of interpolation or profanity

occurring in the Qur'an is baseless, advocated by those who have poor judgement, or those whorefuse to ponder, or thosewho are infatuatedwith the task of disproving theQur'an ‑ and indeed,infatuationmakesapersonblindanddeaf.Apersonwith intellectandsenseof justicecanhavenodoubtaboutgroundlessnessofthispresumption.

www.islamicmobility.com"WisdomisthelostpropertyoftheBeliever,lethimclaimitwhereverhefindsit"-ImamAli(as)