Appendices

Appendix 1

Transmission of the consensus found in the reports of the Imamiyyah and the statements of their scholars affirming the command to compile the Qur’an in the Prophetic last will and testament.

1. The senior Mufassir of the Imamiyyah, ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim al Qummi, reports:

عن أبي بكر الحضرمي عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لعلي يا علي القرآن خلف فراشي في الصحف والحرير والقراطيس فخذوه واجمعوه ولا تضيعوه كما ضيعت اليهود التوراة فانطلق علي عليه السلام فجمعه في ثوب أصفر ثم ختم عليه في بيته وقال لا أرتدي حتى أجمعه فإنه كان الرجل ليأتيه فيخرج إليه بغير رداء حتى جمعه

On the authority of Abu Bakr al Hadrami from Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam who said, “The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam, ‘O ‘Ali, the Qur’an is behind my bed in pages, silk, and papyri, so take it and collect it and do not lose it like the Jews lost the Torah.’ ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam went and collected it in a yellow shirt, then sealed it in his house and said, ‘I will not wear an upper garment until I have collected it.’ So, if someone would come to see him, he would go out to them without a shirt until he had finished collecting it.”^[1]

2. The famous Mufassir of the Imamiyyah, Muhammad ibn Mas’ud al ‘Ayyashi, narrates from ‘Ali that he said:

إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قال لي وأوصاني أن إذا واريته في حفرته لا أخرج من بيتي حتى أؤلف كتاب الله فإنه في جرايد النخل وفي أكتاف الإبل

The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told me and advised me that when I bury him in his grave, I should not leave my house until I compile the Book of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, for it is written on palm fronds and on the shoulder-blades of camels.^[2]

3. The Mufassir of the Imamiyyah, Furat ibn Ibrahim al Kufi, reports:

وقال يا علي لا تخرج ثلاثة أيام حتى تؤلف كتاب الله كي لا يزيد فيه الشيطان شيئا ولا ينقص منه شيئا فإنك في ضد سنة وصي سليمان عليه الصلاة والسلام فلم يضع علي رداءه على ظهره حتى جمع القرآن فلم يزد فيه الشيطان شيئا ولم ينقص منه شيئا

He said, “O ‘Ali, do not go out for three days until you have compiled the Book of Allah so that Shaitan does not add anything to it or subtract anything from it, because then you would be going against the practice of the successor of Sulaiman ‘alayh al Salam.”

‘Ali did not put his cloak on his back until he had compiled the Qur’an and Shaitan did not add anything to it or subtract anything from it.^[3]

4. Sulaim ibn Qais narrates:

فلما رأى غدرهم وقلة وفائهم له لزم بيته وأقبل على القرآن يؤلفه ويجمعه فلم يخرج من بيته حتى جمعه وكان في الصحف والشظاظ والأسيار والرقاع

When he saw their treachery and lack of loyalty to him, he stayed at home and devoted himself to the Qur’an, composing and collecting it. He did not leave his home until he had collected it. It was in pages, fragments, leather strips, and scraps of paper.^[4]

5. Muhammad ibn Yaqub al Kulayni reports in his sermon, al Wasilah:

قال أي أبو جعفر الباقر اسمع وع وبلغ حيث انتهت بك راحلتك إن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام خطب الناس بالمدينة بعد سبعة أيام من وفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وذلك حين فرغ من جمع القرآن وتأليفه

He, i.e. Abu Jafar al Baqir, said, “Listen, understand, and convey to wherever your mount takes you. The Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam addressed the people in Madinah seven days after the death of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; and that was when he had completed collecting and composing the Qur’an.”^[5]

6. The historian of the Imamiyyah, Muhammad ibn Jarir al Tabari,^[6] reports:

وفي قوله وما من غائبة في السماء والأرض إلا في كتاب مبين وأوحى الله تعالى إلى نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم ألا يبقي في غيبه وسره ومكنون علمه شيئا إلا يناجي به عليا فأمره أن يؤلف القرآن من بعده ويتولى غسله وتكفينه وتحنيطه من دون قومه

And in His subhanahu wa ta ‘ala saying, “There is nothing hidden in the heavens or the earth but it is in a clear book.” And Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed to His Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he should not leave anything in his private, secret, and innermost knowledge, except that he should confide in ‘Ali about it. So, he ordered him [‘Ali] to compile the Qur’an after him and to take charge of washing, shrouding, and embalming him to the exclusion of his people.^[7]

7. Muhammad Baqir al Majlisi reports:

164 إرشاد القلوب فلا يخرج إليهم متشاغلا بما أوصاه به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وبأزواجه وبتأليف القرآن

In Irshad al Qulub, 164, “He did not go out to them, since he was preoccupied with what the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam commanded him to do, such as his wives and the compilation of the Qur’an.”^[8]

وسيأتي في كتاب القرآن أن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام جمع القرآن بعد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

And it will come in the chapter of the Qur’an that the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam compiled the Qur’an after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[9]

8. Al Mufid said:

أولا ترى أنه لما ألح عليه العباس في هذا الباب قال يا عم إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أوصى إلي وأوصاني أن لا أجرد سيفا بعده حتى يأتيني الناس طوعا وأمرني بجمع القرآن

Do you not see that when al ‘Abbas insisted on this matter, he said, “O uncle, the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam commanded me not to draw a sword after his passing until the people come to me willingly and he ordered me to collect the Qur’an.”^[10]

9. ‘Allamah Ibn Tawus al Hilli said:

وأوحى الله إلى نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يبقى في غيبه وسره ومكنون علمه شيئا إلا يناجى عليا فأمره أن يؤلف القرآن من بعده

a. And Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed to His Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he should not leave anything in his private, secret, and innermost knowledge, except that he should confide in ‘Ali about it.^[11]

ذكر تأليف علي بن أبي طالب القرآن وأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عهد إليه عند وفاته ألا يرتدي برده إلا لجمعة حتى يجمع القرآن فجمعه

b. The compilation of the Qur’an by ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ordered him upon his death not to wear his cloak except for Jumu’ah until he had compiled the Qur’an, so he compiled it.^[12]

10. Ibn Shahrashub al Mazandarani said:

وكان عليه السلام يكتب الوحي والعهد وكاتب الملك أخص إليه لأنه قلبه ولسانه ويده فلذلك أمره النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بجمع القرآن بعده

a. And he ‘alayh al Salam used to write down the revelation and the covenant. To a king, none is more special than his scribe, since the scribe is his heart, tongue, and hand. Thus, the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ordered him to collect the Qur’an after him.^[13]

وفي أخبار أهل البيت عليهم السلام إنه آلى ألا يضع رداءه على عاتقه إلا للصلاة حتى يؤلف القرآن ويجمعه فانقطع عنهم مدة إلى أن جمعه

b. What is found in the reports concerning the Ahlul Bayt ‘alayh al Salam is that he swore that he would not place his cloak over his shoulder except for prayer until he compiled the Qur’an and collected it, so he was distant from them for a period until he collected it.^[14]

11. Ni’mat Allah al Jaza’iri said:

وروي أن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام لما جمع القرآن بعد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم شده بردائه وأتى به إلى المسجد إلى أبي بكر وأصحابه وأخبرهم أن هذا القرآن كما أنزل وأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أمره بجمعه فقال الأعرابي لا حاجة بنا إليه عندنا مثله

It was narrated that when the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam collected the Qur’an after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he tied it with his cloak and brought it to the Masjid to Abu Bakr and his companions and informed them that this Qur’an is as it was revealed and that the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had ordered him to collect it. The Bedouin said, “We have no need for it; we have something like it.”^[15]

12. ‘Ali Khan al Madani said:

وروت الخاصة إنه قال يا عم إن لي برسول الله شغلا عن ذلك فلما ألح عليه قال يا عم إن رسول الله أوصى إلي وأوصاني أن لا أجرد سيفا بعده حتى يأتيني الناس طوعا وأمرني بجمع القرآن والصمت حتى يجعل الله لي مخرجا

The Khassah^[16] narrated, “He said, ‘O uncle, I am pre-occupied with the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and I do not have time for that.’ When he insisted, he said, ‘O uncle, the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam advised and commanded me not to draw a sword after him until people come to me willingly. He ordered me to collect the Qur’an and to be silent until Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala makes a way out for me.’”^[17]

13. Mirza Muhammad Hassan al Ashtiyani said:

فنقول إنه لا خلاف بين علماء الشيعة في أنه كان لأمير المؤمنين عليه وعلى أخيه الرسول الأمين وأولادهما المنتجبين ألف سلام وصلاة وتحية قرآن مخصوص جمعه بعد وفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

We say: There is no disagreement among Shia scholars that the Commander of the Faithful—thousand salutations and blessings be upon him, his brother the truthful Messenger, and their offspring—had a special Qur’an that he collected after the death of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[18]

14. Al Mirza Hussain al Nuri al Tabarsi said:

السادس عشر ظهور مصحف أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام الذي جمعه بعد وفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

Sixteenth: The appearance of the Mushaf of the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam which he compiled after the death of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[19]

15. Muhammad ‘Abdul Karim al Tabrizi said:

أما المقام الأول فهو أن جامع القرآن المجيد بعد وفاة الرسول جماعه الأول هو أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب روحي له الفداء ويدل على هذا المطلب الأخبار المتواترة بالمعنى

As for the first position, it is that the first compiler of the Glorious Qur’an after the death of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib—may my soul be sacrificed for him. The mutawatir reports also indicate this requirement in meaning.^[20]

16. ‘Ali ibn Musa al Tabrizi said:

كما ورد في الأخبار أنه عليه السلام جمع القرآن بعد وفاة النبي مع أن ذلك القرآن مما جمعه عليه السلام بعد وفاة النبي

It was also mentioned in the reports that he ‘alayh al Salam collected the Qur’an after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam… Even though that Qur’an was among what he ‘alayh al Salam collected after the death of the Prophet.^[21]

17. ‘Abbas al Qummi said:

ظهور مصحف أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام الذي دونه بعد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من دون تغيير وتبديل وفيه كل ما نزل على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على سبيل الإعجاز إذ بعدما أكمله الإمام عليه السلام عرضه على الصحابة فأبوا أن يقبلوه فأخفاه فالمصحف باق على حاله حتى يظهره القائم صلى الله عليه وسلم ويأمر الناس بقراءته وحفظه وهذا الأمر من التكاليف الشاقة عليهم لاختلاف ترتيبه مع المصحف الموجود الذي أنسوا به

The appearance of the Mushaf of the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam which he wrote down after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, without any change or alteration. In it is everything that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as a miracle. After the Imam ‘alayh al Salam completed it, he presented it to the Sahabah, but they refused to accept it, so he hid it. The Mushaf will remain as it is until the Qa’im ‘alayh al Salam reveals it and orders the people to read and memorise it. This matter will be challenging for them, because of the difference in its arrangement with the existing Mushaf that they have become accustomed to.^[22]

18. Agha Buzurk al Tahrani, mentioned several statements proving this in his treatise, al Naqd al Latif fi Nafyi al Tahrif ‘an al Qur’an al Sharif, such as:

وبعد ارتحاله وفراغ أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام من تجهيزه ودفنه اشتغل حسب وصيته بجمع القرآن وتدوينه وكان ذلك عقيب وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم باتفاق الروايات من الخاصة والعامة فهذا أول جمع لآيات القرآن الشريف والجامع هو أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام جمعها بالمباشرة عقيب موت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

a. After his salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passing and after the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam had finished preparing him for burial and buried him, he proceeded, according to the Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam will, to collect and record the Qur’an. This was after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, according to the consensus of the narrations of the Shia and the Ahlus Sunnah. This was the first collection of the verses of the Noble Qur’an and the collector was the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam who collected it directly after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[23]

فإن الأخبار المستفيضة من العامة والخاصة مصرحة بأن جمع أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وتدوينه للقرآن إنما كان بعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وعقيب وفاته وبعد الفراغ من تجهيزه

b. The widespread reports from the Ahlus Sunnah and Shia clearly state that the collection and writing of the Qur’an by the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam took place only after the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, immediately after his death, and after he had been prepared for burial.^[24]

قلت نعم لم يكن عثمان جامعا للقرآن جمع تدوين وكتابة في المصحف بالمباشرة كما جمعه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام عقيب موت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

c. I said, Yes, ‘Uthman did not collect the Qur’an by recording and writing it in the Mushaf directly, as the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam collected it immediately after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[25]

ومن أن أول من جمعه على تنزيله وألفه بالمباشرة عقيب وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام

d. The first person to collect it according to its revelation and compile it directly after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam.^[26]

فأنفذ أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام وصيته وما تردى هو عليه السلام عقيب وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

e. The Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam carried out his will and he ‘alayh al Salam did not wear an upper garment after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[27]

فبادر إلى إنفاذ وصيته وما ارتدى عقيب وفاته حتى جمعه وألفه بحروفه وكلماته وحدود سوره وآياته تاما كاملا

f. He hastened to carry out his will and did not wear an upper garment after his death until he had collected it and composed it with its letters, words, and the boundaries of its chapters and verses, until its completion.^[28]

وبعد اتفاق فرق المسلمين على أن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام كان يكتب الوحي وقد جمع القرآن عقيب وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كما يأتي

g. After all the Muslim groups agreed that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ‘alayh al Salam used to write down the revelation and he collected the Qur’an after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as will appear.^[29]

19. Hassan Zadah al Amili said:

وقال هؤلاء العظام من العلماء إن القراءة المتداولة الآن قراءته عليه السلام وأنه أول من جمع القرآن بعد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

These great scholars said that the reading that is currently in circulation is his ‘alayh al Salam reading and he was the first to collect the Qur’an after the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[30]

20. Muhammad Hussain al Tabataba’i said:

بعدما ارتحل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى الرفيق الأعلى جلس علي عليه السلام الذي كان بنص من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أعلم الناس بالقرآن في بيته حتى جمع القرآن في مصحف على ترتيب النزول ولم يمض ستة أشهر من وفاة الرسول إلا كان علي قد فرغ من عمل الجمع وحمله للناس على بعير

After the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam departed to the company of the Highest Companion subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam who was, by the admission of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the most knowledgeable of people about the Qur’an, sat in his house until he collected the Qur’an in a Mushaf according to the order of revelation. Not even six months had passed since the death of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and ‘Ali had completed the work of collecting it and carrying it to the people on the back of a camel.^[31]

21. Hussain al Burujirdi said:

وإنما المقصود في المقام أنه لما عمت البلية على أمة خير البرية وكان ما كان مما لست أذكره جلس مولانا أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام في بيته مشتغلا بجمع القرآن وتأليفه بوصية النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فلما جمعه كما أنزل ولم يكن يعلم ذلك غيره أتى به إلى الناس فقال لهم هذا كتاب الله كما أنزل فقال بعضهم لا حاجة لنا إليك ولا إلى قرآنك

As for what is meant here, it is that when the calamity spread over the Ummah of the best of creation salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and that event transpired which I will not mention, our Master, the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam, sat in his house busy with collecting the Qur’an and compiling it according to the will of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. After he had collected it as it was revealed and no one else knew about it, he brought it to the people and said to them, “This is the Book of Allah as it was revealed.” Some of them said, “We have no need for you or your Qur’an.”^[32]

22. Khomeini said:

ولعل القرآن الذي جمعه وأراد تبليغه على الناس بعد رسول الله هو القرآن الكريم مع جميع الخصوصيات الدخيلة في فهمه المضبوطة عنده بتعليم رسول الله

Perhaps the Qur’an that he collected and wanted to convey to the people after the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the Noble Qur’an with all the inherent uniqueness of his understanding, which was moulded under the tutelage of the Messenger of Allah.^[33]

23. Nasir Makarim al Shirazi said:

وفي الجواب نقول ما روي بشأن جمع القرآن على يد الإمام علي عليه السلام بعد عصر الرسول لم يكن القرآن وحده بل مجموعة تتضمن القرآن وتفسيره وأسباب نزول الآيات وما شابه ذلك مما يحتاجه الفرد لفهم كلام الله العزيز

In response, we say: What was narrated regarding the collection of the Qur’an by al Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam after the era of the Messenger was not the Qur’an alone, but rather a collection that included the Qur’an, his tafsir of it, the reasons for the revelation of the verses, and similar things that an individual would need in order to understand the words of Allah Almighty.^[34]

24. Muhammad al Fadil al Lankarani said:

نعم جمعت عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم نسخة متفرقة في الصحف والحرير والقراطيس ورثها علي عليه السلام ولما جمعها بعده بأمره ووصيته وألفه كما أنزل الله تعالى

Yes, it was collected and kept with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in scattered copies on pages, silk, and papyri. ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam inherited it. When he compiled it after him salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, according to his command and final will, he compiled it as Allah Almighty had revealed it.^[35]

25. Mustafa al Khumayni said:

وقد علمت أن مصحف علي عليه السلام كان ذا أجزاء سبعة حسب ما ضبطوه ورووه وقالوا في حقه إنه جلس في بيته ثلاثة أيام حتى جمع القرآن

You learned that the Mushaf of ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam consisted of seven parts, according to what they had ascertained and narrated. They said about him that he sat in his house for three days until he had compiled the Qur’an.^[36]

26. ‘Ali al Bahbahani said:

فإن شواهد مخالفة أهل البيت عليهم السلام مع المتصدين لأمر الخلافة واضحة لائحة ومنها هجر القرآن الذي ألفه وجمعه مولانا أمير المؤمنين معه بحيث لا يطلع عليه أحد من المسلمين إلا أهل البيت عليهم السلام مع أنه عليه السلام أول من جمعه بأمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ووصيته وأعلم الأمة باتفاقهم وأحد الثقلين الذي لا يفارق القرآن ولا يفارقه فردهم القرآن الذي ألفه بأمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كما أنزل عليه أمين الوحي جبرائيل لا يكون إلا عن مخالفتهم معه عليه السلام

The evidence that the Ahlul Bayt ‘alayhim al Salam are opposed to those who are in charge of the Caliphate (i.e. the Sahabah) is clear and evident and includes the abandoning of the Qur’an that our master, the Commander of the Faithful, collected and compiled, such that no one from the Muslims would see it except the Ahlul Bayt ‘alayhim al Salam, while he ‘alayh al Salam was the first to collect it in accordance with the final will and command of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. And he was the most knowledgeable in the Ummah, with their agreement, and one of the two weighty things that does not separate from the Qur’an nor does the Qur’an separate from it. So, their rejection of the Qur’an that he compiled by the command of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam just as the trustworthy bearer of revelation, Jibril, had revealed it to him, could only be due to their opposition to him ‘alayh al Salam.^[37]

27. ‘Ali al Fani al Isfahani transmits the following from al Majlisi the First, Muhammad Taqi, with his statement:

وقال العلامة التقي المجلسي الأول في شرحه الفارسي على من لا يحضره الفقيه في باب ما يسجد عليه وما لا يسجد عليه وتواترت الأحاديث على أن عليا عليه السلام جمع القرآن بعد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

The scholar al Taqi al Majlisi, the First, said in his Persian commentary on Man La Yahduruhu al Faqih in the chapter on what one should prostrate on and what one shouldn’t prostrate on, “The ahadith dealing with this are mutawatir and prove that ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam collected the Qur’an after the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”^[38]

28. Hassan al Sadr said:

وأول مصحف جمع فيه القرآن على ترتيب النزول بعد موت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم هو مصحف أمير المؤمنين علي عليه السلام والروايات في ذلك من طريق أهل البيت متواترة

The first mushaf in which the Qur’an was collected according to the order of revelation after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the Mushaf of the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam, and the narrations recounting that from the Ahlul Bayt are mutawatir.^[39]

29. Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili said:

وقد أمر صلى الله عليه وسلم عليا أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بأن يأخذه ويجمعه حسبما سيأتي إن شاء الله تعالى

And the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ordered ‘Ali, the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam, to take it and collect it, as we shall see later, Allah willing.^[40]

30. Mir Muhammadi Razandi said:

ففي كتاب سليم بن قيس عن سلمان رضي الله عنه أن عليا عليه السلام بعد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لزم بيته وأقبل على القرآن يؤلفه ويجمعه فلم يخرج من بيته حتى جمعه وكان في الصحف والشظاظ والأسيار والرقاع إلى أن قال فجمعه في ثوب واحد وختمه

In Kitab Sulaim ibn Qais, on the authority of Salman radiya Llahu ‘anhu, “‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam, after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, stayed in his house and devoted himself to the Qur’an, collecting and composing it. He did not leave his house until he had collected it and it was on pages, fragments, leather strips, and scraps of paper,” up until the point where he said, “So he collected it in one garment and sealed it.”^[41]

31. Hashim Ma’ruf al Hassani said:

والثابت من طريق أهل البيت وشيعتهم وبعض المحدثين من أهل السنة أن عليا عليه السلام قد جمع القرآن في كتاب واحد بخط يده قبل هذا التاريخ بما يزيد عن خمسة عشر عاما وذلك بعد فراغه من دفن الرسول وانصرافه عن شؤون الخلافة

a. It is established from the tradition of the Ahlul Bayt, their Shia, and some of the Muhaddithin from the Ahlus Sunnah that ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam collected the Qur’an in a single book in his own handwriting, more than fifteen years before this event and that was after he had finished burying the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and had left the matter of Caliphate.^[42]

فأول ما قام به أن جمع القرآن الكريم وفسر غوامضه وبين مجملاته وأوضح المتشابه منه وكان في أيام الرسول يكتب في الألواح والرقاع بواسطة كتاب الوحي

b. The first thing he did was to collect the Noble Qur’an, interpret its mysteries, clarify its generalities, and clarify its ambiguities. During the days of the Messenger, he used to write on tablets and scraps of paper, employing the scribes of revelation.^[43]

32. ‘Ali al Milani said:

ثم إنه عليه السلام رتب القرآن الكريم ودونه بعيد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من الأمور المسلمة تاريخيا عند جميع المسلمين ومن جلائل فضائل سيدنا أمير المؤمنين

That he ‘alayh al Salam arranged the noble Qur’an and wrote it down shortly after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam are from the matters historically accepted by all Muslims and from the great virtues of our master, the Commander of the Faithful.^[44]

33. ‘Ali al Kurani said:

أما بعد وفاته صلى الله عليه وسلم وأحداث السقيفة وبيعة أبي بكر فقد جاءهم علي عليه السلام بنسخة القرآن بخط يده حسب أمر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فرفضوا اعتمادها

a. After his salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam death, the events of al Saqifah, and the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr, ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam came to them with a copy of the Qur’an in his own handwriting according to the command of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but they refused to accept it.^[45]

والنسخة التي كتبها بأمر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وعرضها عليهم فلم يقبلوها فجمعها وقال لهم أما والله ما ترونه بعد يومكم هذا أبدا إنما كان علي أن أخبركم حين جمعته لتقرؤوه

b. And they rejected the copy that he wrote according to the command of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and presented to them. So, he gathered it and said to them, “I swear by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, you will never see it after this day. I only had to inform you after I had collected it so that you may read it.”^[46]

34. Lastly, ‘Abdul Zahra’ al Khatib said:

السابع وردت روايات كثيرة في اشتغال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بجمع القرآن بعد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ودفنه

Seventh: Many narrations have been transmitted about the Commander of the Faithful ‘alayh al Salam being occupied with collecting the Qur’an after the death of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his burial.^[47]

NEXT⇒ Appendix 2

^[1] Al Qummi: Tafsir al Qummi, 2/451.

^[2] Al ‘Ayyashi: Tafsir al ‘Ayyashi, 2/66.

^[3] Furat al Kufi: Tafsir Furat al Kufi, pg. 398-399.

^[4] Ibn Qais al Hilali: Kitab Sulaim ibn Qais, pg. 146.

^[5] Al Kulayni: Al Kafi, 8/18.

^[6] Muhammad ibn Rustam al Jarir al Tabari. Not to be confused with the great Mufassir and Faqih of the Ahlus Sunnah with the same name.

^[7] Al Tabari: Dala’il al Imamah, pg. 236.

^[8] Al Majlisi: Bihar al Anwar, 30/347.

^[9] Ibid., 31/205.

^[10] Al Mufid: Al Fusul al Mukhtarah, pg. 250.

^[11] Al Hilli: Al Aman min al Akhtar, pg. 69.

^[12] Al Hilli: Sa’d al Su’ud, pg. 227-228.

^[13] Al Mazandarani: Manaqib Al Abi Talib, 2/66.

^[14] Ibid., 1/320.

^[15] Al Jaza’iri: Nur al Burhan, 1/528.

^[16] Literally ‘the elect’ or ‘the special ones’. A term used by the Shia to refer to themselves, as opposed to al ‘Ammah, ‘the profane’ or ‘the laypeople’, which is used to refer to the Ahlus Sunnah.

^[17] Al Madani: Al Darajat al Rafi’ah, pg. 84.

^[18] Al Ashtiyani: Bahr al Fawa’id fi Sharh al Fara’id, 2/22.

^[19] Al Tabarsi: Al Najm al Thaqib, 1/292.

^[20] Al Tabrizi: Misbah al Masa’il fi Matalib al Rasa’il, pg. 81.

^[21] Al Tabrizi: Mir’at al Kutub, pg. 32.

^[22] Al Qummi: Muntaha al Amal fi Tawarikh al Prophet wa al Al, 2/714.

^[23] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 921.

^[24] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 919.

^[25] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 928.

^[26] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 935.

^[27] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 936.

^[28] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 946.

^[29] Al Naqd al Latif, pg. 916.

^[30] Al Amili: Minhaj al Bara’ah fi Sharh Nahj al Balaghah, 16/267.

^[31] Al Tabataba’i: Al Qur’an fi al Islam, pg. 134-135.

^[32] Al Burujirdi: Tafsir al Sirat al Mustaqim, 2/532.

^[33] Khomeini: Al Rasa’il, 2/26.

^[34] Al Shirazi: Al Amthal fi Tafsir Kitab Allah al Munazzal, 1/23-24.

^[35] Al Lankarani: Madkhal al Tafsir, pg. 264.

^[36] Al Khumayni: Tafsir al Qur’an al Karim, 2/259.

^[37] Al Bahbahani: Misbah al Hidayah fi Ithbat al Wilayah, pg. 102-103.

^[38] Al Isfahani: Ara’ Hawl al Qur’an, pg. 95-96.

^[39] Al Sadr: Al Shia wa Funun al Islam, pg. 61-62.

^[40] Al ‘Amili: Haqa’iq Hammah Hawl al Qur’an al Karim, pg. 81.

^[41] Razandi: Buhuth fi Tarikh al Qur’an wa ‘Ulumihi, pg. 124.

^[42] Al Hassani: Tarikh al Fiqh al Jafari, pg. 122.

^[43] Ibid., pg. 116.

^[44] Al Milani: Al Tahqiq fi Nafyi al Tahrif ‘an al Qur’an al Sharif, pg. 278.

^[45] Al Kurani: Tadwin al Qur’an, pg. 181.

^[46] Al Kurani: Maktab al Talib, pg. 95.

^[47] Al Khatib: Al Hujum ‘ala Bayt Fatimah, pg. 516.

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