Al-Nuri and the Distortion of the Qur’an

Al Nuri and the Distortion of the Qur’an

One of the books that contain the discussion of distortion of the Qur’an in detail by the Shia is none other than the book of al Mirza al Nuri al Tabarsi Fasl al Khitab fi Ithbat Tahrif Kitab Rabb al Arbab he compiled it in the year 1292 A.H. He mentions in his book the views of the scholars of the Shia concerning Tahrif and the incompleteness of the Qur’an.

When this book was printed it was surrounded by a big hue and cry, because they desired to reduce the topic of questioning the correctness of the Qur’an to an internal discussion, spread out over hundreds of reliable books among them only. They did not want all this information to be published in a single book, which will then be printed into thousands of copies, and expose them to their opponents which will definitely become an embarrassing proof against them. When the intelligent among them highlighted these points, the author opposed them by compiling another book and naming it Radd Ba’d al Shubhat ‘an Fasl al Khitab fi Ithbat Tahrif Kitab Rabb al Arbab (Refutation of some misconceptions regarding the book Fasl al Khitab fi Ithbat Tahrif Kitab Rabb al Arbab), he wrote this refutation at the end of his life about two years before his demise.^{^[1]}

We will present to the reader the examples of the views of his scholars who he mentions in his book. He says (pg. 31):

Al Sayed al Jaza’iri says: “The meaning of it is, all the scholars are unanimous of the correctness of the Mustafid ahadith, rather the Mutawatir narrations, indicating clearly to the existence of distortion in the Qur’an.”^{^[2]}

He also quotes from him (pg. 227):

The ahadith indicating this are more than two thousand. Many scholars claim that these ahadith are Mustafidah, the likes of al Mufid, al Muhaqqiq al Damad, al ‘Allamah al Majlisi and others, even al Sheikh (al Tusi) as well stated clearly in al Tibyan that there are many ahadith, many have stated that these ahadith are Mutawatirah.

He goes on saying: “know well that these ahadith are transmitted from the reliable books, these books are relied upon by our scholars in establishing the laws of the shari’ah and the prophetic traditions.”

He reports from al Sheikh al Tusi (pg. 34):

It is clear to anybody that ponders about his book al Tibyan that the method of the author in his book is such that he uses tricks and he goes along with the opponents. What proves that this book was written while practicing Taqiyyah is what al Sayed al Jalil ibn Tawus mentions in Sa’d al Sa’ud.

Many of Shia scholars have praised al Nuri and he is known by them as “the great researcher, the erudite, al Nuri the author of Mustadrak al Wasa’il.” Khomeini himself supplicated for mercy upon him in the marginalia of his book al Hukumat al Islamiyyah.

Many contemporary Shia scholars praise al Nuri and also supplicate for him. Here is the contemporary Sheikh of the Muhaqqiqun of the Shia Agha Buzurg al Tehrani, the author of the famous encyclopaedia of the Shia known as al Dhari’ah ila Tasanif al Shi’a, he says in his book, Tabaqat A’lam al Shia – the second part of the first volume, which is a famous book known as: Nuqaba’ al Bashar fi al Qarn al Rabi’ ‘Ashar (the publication of the al ‘Ilmiyyah print in al Najaf in the year 1375 A.H/1956 CE). He says (pg. 543 footnote: 1):

The pen shook in my hand when I wrote this name (al Nuri). Thoughts stopped me when I saw myself intending to write a biography of my teacher al Nuri, his well-known features became visible to me after 55 years of his demise, I became so humble in reverence of his status, I was so astonished and in awe of him. There is no surprise in this, since if the subject of this biography were to be somebody else then the whole matter would be much easier. However what do I do when he is one of those champions whose actions and life is not confined, as for this magnanimous personality it is very hard for a trustworthy historian to bear the burden of speaking about it.

He says about him on (pg. 544):

Imam of all the Imams of hadith and narrators in the later era, one of the great scholars of the Shia, a great Islamic personality in this century.

He says (pg. 545):

Al Sheikh al Nuri was one of the examples of the pious predecessors whose existence in this era is seldom, he excelled with his unique genius, he was one of the amazing miracles of Allah.

He describes his books by saying:

He collected all the scattered traditions, and fragments of hadith, he arranged the dispersed narrations and arranged also the scattered biographies. Divine will and assistance accompanied him to such an extent that the observer thinks about his books^{^[3]} that Allah has bestowed his special kindness and care upon him.

He mentions on (pg. 549) that there is a miracle that took place with regard to the body of al Nuri, some men who were responsible for burying his wife witnessed after seven years that his body did not change and his shroud was in its original form… Definitely this is through the blessings of his compilation of his book Fasl al Khitab.

Amazingly, al Tehrani out of foolishness and falsehood tried to say that al Nuri does not intend mentioning of the distortion and the imperfectness of the Qur’an. This is the deception and lies of the Shia. Whoever reads the book of al Nuri will notice and perceive the objective behind the compilation of this book; which is to confirm the distortion of the Qur’an. He quotes in his book the views of the reliable scholars of the Shia who have the same opinion. If al Nuri were to be the only person to say this we would then find some excuses for them and we would say: this is a rare view among the Shia, but what can we say about the rest of their scholars mentioned in this chapter.

Even more ridiculous than al Tehrani is Abu Muhammad al Khaqani who writes in his book Ma’ al Khutut al ‘Aridah (pg. 33) in rebuttal of Sayed Muhibb al Din al Khatib, wherein he describes al Nuri as “a mujtahid (scholar of juristic discernment) who made mistake. So if a mujtahid makes a mistake, he gets a reward on account of his ijtihad.”

Similarly al Tabataba’i in his marginal notes on al Anwar al No’maniyyah of al Jaza’iri (vol. 2 pg. 364) claims that al Nuri does not believe in Tahrif, and those who urged him to write the book are the opponents of Islam. He says:

His object was not to establish the doctrine of Tahrif. Be that as it may; he did not do an excellent job nor a fulfilling job in compiling this book. If only he did not write it, and if only after writing it he did not publish it,^{^[4]} simply because the harms of this is far worse than its benefits. Rather there is no benefit in publishing it. What he has actually done is prepare a weapon for the enemy. He prepared it and handed it over to the opponents of Islam.

The justification is even worse, the great Muhaqqiq says: “it has been said, ‘some of the enemies of Islam and the opponents of the sect urged him to write such a book, while he did not take cognisance of the incorrect objective.’”

If he is a person to whom such foolishness is being attributed, how is it that he is known by you as al ‘Allamah (very learned) al Muhaqqiq (investigator) and so many titles?

Al Nuri is one of the teachers of Muhammad Hussain Kashif al Ghita’, the author of Asl al Shia wa ‘Usuluha, who stated clearly that the one who believes in Tahrif is a kafir. Yet he had no courage to say that his own teacher as well as the other scholars of the Shia who admit to the occurrence of Tahrif, are kuffar (disbelievers).

After the scholars of the Shia, and their admissions of Tahrif, what does Muhsin al Amin and other scholars of the Shia in the present time have to say, beginning from Khomeini, al Khu’i and others from the reliable religious authorities, regarding those scholars who believed in Tahrif? Is a single one of them ready — and I challenge anybody — to pass the judgment of disbelief upon any of these scholars? We are still waiting for the responses from the ‘honourable’ authorities.

As for al Sayed Tayyib al Musawi who claims that some of the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah have clearly stated the existence of Tahrif; I challenge him as well as all the scholars of Shia to bring one reliable statement of only one scholar from the Ahlus Sunnah who acknowledged Tahrif.

A sign of ignorance from al Sayed Tayyib is that he uses al Sha’rani as a proof against Ahlus Sunnah; we see him saying (pg. 22) of his introduction to the Tafsir of al Qummi quoting from al Sha’rani:

If it was not because of the fear of weak hearts, or misplacing wisdom I would explain everything that was omitted from the Mushaf of ‘Uthman.

I say to him: Al Sha’rani is not from the reliable scholars of Ahlus Sunnah, on the contrary he is from the charlatans who have nothing but the claim of being ascribed to Ahlus Sunnah. How could he be considered from the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah whereas he seeks mercy for people with sexual perversion?

NEXT⇒ Chapter Three – Examples of Shia Interpolation of the Qur’an

^{^[1]} Al Khutut al ‘Aridah (pg. 25) al Sayed Muhibb al Din al Khatib.

^{^[2]} Quoting from al Sunnah wa al Shia (pg. 128)

^{^[3]} The book Fasl al Khitab is one of them.

^{^[4]} Since he has exposed the clear belief of the Shia about Tahrif of the Qur’an, since this is a secret of the school of the Shia which is not permissible to be exposed.

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents