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Foreword

 

After it has become clear to us that the escape for the scholars of the Imamiyyah—those who reject the distortion—in adopting the Prophetic compilation^[1], was not based on any study or scrutiny of what has been established in the Shia Imami narrations nor acting in submission to them. Rather, it is an attempt to flee from the dangerous inevitabilities, which I will be presenting in this preface, that will flow as a consequence of their acknowledgment of the Khalifas’ radiya Llahu ‘anhum compilation of the Qur’an.

Before getting into the study, it is necessary to make note of certain matters that are of such vital importance that the study rests upon them:

 

First annotation

As I have mentioned, the importance of this subject does not stop at it being a review of this doctrinal historical matter in rejection or affirmation. Rather, it is more serious and important due to it being a doorway which a group from amongst the Imamiyyah use to establish their belief regarding the distortion of the Qur’an and also cause doubt regarding the authenticity and legitimacy of the Qur’an; since establishing the Khalifas’ radiya Llahu ‘anhum compilation of the Qur’an places before them two bitter choices:

 

The first choice

Acknowledging that the motive behind the three Khalifas’ radiya Llahu ‘anhum compilation of the Qur’an is the desire to protect and safeguard it from distortion and loss.

This choice forces the Imamiyyah to accept certain matters, which are out of their control:

1. Testifying to the Companions’ radiya Llahu ‘anhum integrity and faith, since a disbeliever or hypocrite who spares no effort in trying to destroy Islam, undermine its structure, and obliterate its eternal constitution would not set out to do such a thing.
2. Recognising their eligibility in discharging the obligation of defending this religion, after establishing their eligibility in discharging the obligation towards its eternal constitution by compiling and protecting it.
3. Abandoning their own condition, that the preservation of this religion is contingent upon the existence of an infallible Imam: that is the Qur’an—the foundation of our religion and the primary source for establishing doctrine and rulings—its compilation and preservation was completed by a group of people who were not infallible.

This is what the Imamiyyah find unbearable to hear! Leave alone wanting them to recognise it or testify to their eligibility.

 

The second choice

Acknowledging that the motive behind them compiling the Qur’an is in service of their own interests and plots, expunging the right of Imamah by tampering with the verses relating to it; and that was achieved by omitting it outright or by introducing it in a context whereby it is filled with obscurity and haziness regarding its meaning.

In this, is an implicit acknowledgement of their belief in the distortion of the Qur’an as well as the absence of the materialisation of the promise of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala to protect and preserve His book, because the plotting hands were successful—according to their claim—in expunging the right of Imamah by tampering with its verses.

Be that as it may, the motive behind the compilation of the Qur’an doesn’t go beyond it either being a matter of preservation or treachery.

Based upon this, every one of the Imami scholars who hold the view that the three Khalifas radiya Llahu ‘anhum compiled the Qur’an will soon follow it up with their belief in the distortion of the Qur’an, them tampering with the verses to expunge the right of Imamah, and them eliminating their so-called short comings, as is evident in Shia Imami narrations.

Thus, it is not possible for the Imamiyyah to harmonise between their belief in the Khalifas’ disbelief and hypocrisy and acknowledging their protection and preservation of the Qur’an. How is it possible for these disbelieving enemies of the religion to transform into righteous believers who are ever so concerned with preserving the Book of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and protecting it from distortion and loss?

The erudite scholars of the Imamiyyah have noted this point; from amongst them:

1. Yusuf al Bahrani said:

 

و لعمري إن القول بعدم التغييروالتبديل لا يخرج عن حسن الظن بأئمة الجور وأنهم لم يخونوا في الأمانة الكبرى مع ظهور خيانتهم في الأمانة الأخرى التي هي أشد ضررا علي الدين وأحرى

By my life, the view regarding the nonexistence of change and alteration is nothing but holding a good opinion of the leaders of oppression and that they did not betray the great trust, notwithstanding their treachery of another trust which is of greater detriment to the religion.^[2]

 

2. Al Mirza Hussain al Nuri al Tabarsi said:

 

والحاصل إن من أنصف نفسه وأمعن نظره في حال القرآن وكيفية نزوله منجما على حسب حدوث الحوادث والوقائع في طول بضع وعشرين سنة في أماكن كثيرة متباعدة في حال السفر والحضر وفي الغزوات وغيرها سرا وعلانية ثم سر ح طرفه وأجال فكره في حال القوم المباشرين لجمع القرآن الذين آمنوا بألسنتهم ليحقنوا به دماءهم وهم بين جاهل غبي ومعاند غوي ولاه عن الدين وتاه في شيع الأولين وصارف همته في ترويج كفره وجبار يخاف من مخالفة نهيه وأمره ليس فيهم من يرجى خيره ويؤمن شره لا يكاد يشك أنهم أخس قدرا وأعجز تدبيرا وأضل سبيلا وأخسر عملا وأجهل مقاما وأشر مكانا وأسفه رأيا وأشقى فطرة من أن يقدروا ويوفقوا على تأليف تمام ما أنزل في تلك المدة على النحو الذي أراده الله من غير أن ينقص منه شيء أو يزيد فيه حرف أو يؤخر مقدم أو يقدم مؤخر

The gist of it is: certainly, the one who is just with himself and applies himself astutely regarding the matter of the Qur’an and how it was revealed in piecemeal according to the dictates of occurrences and scenarios during a span of twenty years in many distant lands, during travel and residency, during battles as well as other than it, in secrecy as well as publicly, then he releases his glance and focuses his thoughts on the situation of the people who carried out the compilation of the Qur’an—who believed with their tongues to protect their blood; and they are either ignorant fools, obstinate deviants, heedless of the religion, destroyed among the groups of the former nations, devoted to promoting their disbelief, or tyrants fearing opposition to their prohibitions and commands—and there is none from amongst them from whom goodness is expected and one is safe from his evil. Hardly anyone would doubt that they are the lowest in status, the most incapable in planning, the most astray in paths, the most hopeless in action, the most ignorant in position, the most evil in standing, the most foolish in opinion, and the most wretched in nature, that they be able and successful in compiling completely what was revealed during that time in the manner that was intended by Allah, without a single letter being omitted or added or delaying what is to be brought forward and bringing forward what is to be delayed.^[3]

 

3. Muhammad Karim Khan al Kirmani says:

 

ألم يحضروا الغدير وسمعوا نصه على علي بأجمعهم ونسوه أو تناسوه أو عصوا بعد أيام معدودة فهم بتحريف القرآن ونسيانه والتهاون به أولى لعنهم الله لعنا وبيلا وعذبهم عذابا أليما

Were they not all present at Ghadir (the creek where the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam addressed the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum on their return from the Farewell Hajj) and heard his statement regarding ‘Ali, yet forgot it or pretended to forget it and disobeyed after a few days? Thus, it is apt that they distorted the Qur’an and acted unmindfully and complacently with regards to it. May Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala curse them a terrible curse and punish them painfully.^[4]

 

4. Sheikh al Mufid implicitly acknowledged that the Qur’an that currently exists is from the compilation of the three Khalifas. Despite that, he could not bring himself to submit and acknowledge their virtue in preserving and protecting the Qur’an; rather, he goes on to accuse them of distorting the Qur’an and acting negligently with its verses. His statements follow:

a. He accuses the Khalifas of contradicting the true sequence of the verses and chapters of the Qur’an, saying:

 

واتفقوا على أن أئمة الضلال خالفوا في كثير من تأليف القرآن وعدلوا فيه عن موجب التنزيل وسنة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

They are unanimous that the leaders of misguidance have contradicted, in many instances, the sequence of the Qur’an and have refrained from compiling it in accordance with the revelation and the Sunnah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[5]

 

b. He accuses the Khalifas of deletion and omission in the Qur’an^[6], saying:

 

إن الأخبار قد جاءت مستفيضة عن أئمة الهدى من آل محمد باختلاف القرآن وما أحدثه بعض الظاملين فيه من الحذف والنقصان

The reports narrated by the Imams of guidance from the family of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam have come detailing the contradiction present in the Qur’an as well as the omissions which some of the oppressors introduced.^[7]

 

c. He accuses the compiler of the Qur’an of omitting some of what Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed as Qur’an. He says:

 

لا شك أن الذي بين الدفتين من القرآن جميعه كلام الله تعالى وتنزيله وليس فيه شيء من كلام البشر وهو جمهور المنزل والباقي مما أنزله الله تعالى عند المستحفظ للشريعة المستودع للأحكام لم يضع منه شيء وإن كان الذي جمع ما بين الدفتين الآن لم يجعله في جملة ما جمع لأسباب دعته إلى ذلك منها قصوره عن معرفة بعضه ومنها شكه فيه وعدم تيقنه ومنها ما تعمد إخراجه منه

There is no doubt that the entirety of what is between the two covers of the Qur’an is the speech of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and what He revealed and there is no human speech therein whatsoever; and that is the majority of what has been revealed. The remainder of what Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed is with the guardian of the Shari’ah, the depositor of rulings and he did not omit anything. The one who compiled what is between the covers now did not include it in the totality of what was compiled due to certain reasons. From among them are:

– His lack of understanding of some of it.

– His doubt and lack of certainty regarding some of it.

– What he intentionally removed from it.^[8]

 

5. After Muhammad Baqir al Majlisi acknowledges that the three Khalifas radiya Llahu ‘anhum compiled the Qur’an, he goes on to accuse them of distorting the Qur’an and acting negligently with the sequence of the verses. From amongst his views—which are expressed in his work Bihar al Anwar—is what follows:

 

فعلمنا أن هذا التأليف على خلاف ما أنزل الله جل وعز وإنما كان يجب أن يكون المتقدم في القراءة أولا الآية المنسوخة التي ذكر فيها أن العدة متاعا إلى الحول غير إخراج ثم يقرأ بعد هذه الآية الناسخة التي ذكر فيها أنه قد جعل العدة أربعة أشهر وعشرا فقدموا في التأليف الناسخ على المنسوخ

a. We know well that the compilation of this Qur’an is contradictory to what Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala had revealed. It is necessary that what should be recited first is the abrogated verse which mentions that the waiting period (before remarrying) for a woman (after the death of her husband) should be maintenance for a year without turning them away, then reciting the abrogating verse which made the waiting period four months and ten [days]. They had brought forward in their compilation the abrogating verse before the abrogated verse.^[9]

 

 فهذه الآية مع قصة إبراهيم صلى الله عليه متصلة بها فقد أخرت وهذا دليل على أن التأليف على غير ما أنزل الله عز وجل في كل وقت للأمور التي كانت تحدث فينزل الله فيها القرآن وقد قدموا وأخروا لقلة معرفتهم بالتأليف وقلة علمهم بالتنزيل على ما أنزله الله وإنما ألفوا بآرائهم وربما كتبوا الحرف والآية في غير موضعها الذي يجب قلة معرفة به ولو أخذوه من معدنه الذي أنزل فيه ومن أهله الذي نزل عليهم لما اختلف التأليف ولوقف الناس على عامة ما احتاجوا إليه من الناسخ والمنسوخ والمحكم والمتشابه والخاص والعام

b. This verse is connected to the story of Ibrahim ‘alayh al Salam but had been brought later. This is proof that the compilation is not in accordance to what Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed, in every moment wherein incidents have occurred thus Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala had revealed Qur’an regarding it. They had brought forward and delayed verses due to their lack of understanding regarding the compilation of the Qur’an as well as their lack of knowledge regarding the revelation in accordance with how Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed it. Thus, they compiled according to their own opinions and perhaps they wrote a letter or verse out of place thus necessitating a lack of understanding. If they were to take it from the source in which it was revealed and from the people upon whom it was revealed, there would be no contradiction in the compilation and people would have stuck to the generality of what they need from the abrogating and abrogated verses, the clear and ambiguous verses, and the specific and general.^[10]

 

وأما السياق فمردود بما ستقف عليه في كتاب القرآن مما سننقل من روايات الفريقين أن ترتيب القرآن الذي بيننا ليس من فعل المعصوم حتى لا يتطرق إليه الغلط

c. As for the sequence, it is rejected due to what you will come across in the book of the Qur’an; from what we will transmit of the narrations of both groups; that the sequence of the Qur’an which is with us is not a product of one who is infallible such that it is not open to error.^[11]

 

The summary of what preceded is: If the Rightly Guided Khalifas’ compilation of the Qur’an is established from the sources of the Imamiyyah, that would necessitate for them one of two options:

1. Either having a good opinion regarding them and acknowledging their belief due to them preserving the Book of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, and that they are worthy of carrying this religion and spreading it, thereafter, renouncing the existence of an infallible Imam being a condition for the protection and transmission of this religion.
2. Or believing that they were disbelievers and hypocrites and that they strove to destroy this religion. Because of that, they are admitting that they had distorted the Qur’an to expunge the right of Imamah after committing their greatest crime, which is usurping the divine rank (Imamah) from its legitimate recipient!

 

Second annotation

The study of this book is centered around the compilation of the Qur’an according to the sources of the Imamiyyah, as is narrated and accounted by their own scholars. Based upon this, it does not behoove those who intend to debate the topic of this book to cite the narrations of the Ahlus Sunnah as proof. It is an independent study to dispute their narrations, how they address it and reconcile between the two.^[12] As for this book, the citing of proof and the discussion will only be confined to what is narrated from the sources of the Imamiyyah, so that no troublemaker tries to distract the reader and divert him from the views of the Imamiyyah regarding this topic.

Likewise, it is necessary to clarify that what is meant by the Qur’an during our study is the Qur’an which is presently among us, and not the codex which ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu had [allegedly] compiled and hidden with the Mahdi (the final Imam that will appear) which he will present when he appears—as the narrations of the Imamiyyah account.

 

Third annotation

The dispute in identifying the personality who compiled the Qur’an is confined to two views:

1. The Prophetic compilation of the Qur’an.
2. The Khalifas’ compilation of the Qur’an.

There is no doubt that invalidating the claim of the Prophetic compilation of the Qur’an would then automatically establish the Khalifas’ compilation of the Qur’an, even if we do not present proof for it; thus, we find no third view in this discussion.

For the sake of increase in clarifying the truth for those seeking it, I have set out to do the following:

1. Quoting clear and evident proofs negating the Prophetic compilation of the Qur’an in the first chapter.
2. Explaining the consequent disasters that flow from the claim of the Prophetic compilation in the second chapter
3. Quoting clear and evident proofs establishing the Khalifas’ compilation of the Qur’an in the third chapter.
4. Refuting some of the issues raised by the Imami scholars in the fourth chapter.

Lastly, I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala for ability, assistance, and accuracy in establishing this matter of great doctrinal and historical importance which poses a great danger.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala send peace, salutations, and blessings on our Messenger Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, his noble family and the entirety of his Companions.

 

 

NEXT⇒ Chapter 1 – Dismissing the Claim of the Prophetic Compilation of the Qur’an – 1. Imami scholars refuting the Prophetic compilation of the Qur’an.

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^[1]  From amongst the most prominent intellectual figures who have supported this view are: Abu Qasim al Khu’i and Jafar al Subhani, and among their statements are the following:

1. The leader of the Imami school of thought Abu Qasim al Khu’i said in his book, al Bayan fi Tafsir al Qur’an, 92:

 

ثالثا إنها معارضة بأخبار كثيرة دلت على أن القران قد جمع في عهد النبي وسنثبت إن شاء الله فيما يأتي أن القرآن كان مجموعا في عهد النبي

Thirdly, it is contradicted by numerous reports that indicate that the Qur’an was compiled during the time of the Messenger. We will establish—Allah willing—in the coming pages that the Qur’an was certainly compiled in the time of the Messenger.

 

2. The authority of the Imamiyyah Jafar al Subhani said in his book, Rasa’il wa Maqalat, 8/323-324:

 

إن المصحف الموجود هو المصحف الذي جمع في عهد الرسول وتوارثه الصحابة والتابعون لهم باحسان ثم انتقل منهم إلى سائر الأجيال وأنه ليس هناك أي فضيلة لأحد من غير فرق بين من أمر بالجمع أو ائتمر به فقد كانت الأمة في غنى عن هذا الآمر ومن امتثل

The existing Mushaf is the codex which was compiled during the time of the Messenger. The Companions and those who followed them in excellence inherited it from one another. Thereafter, it was transported from them to the remaining generations. The matter is such that there is no virtue for anyone without differentiating between who was commanded to compile and who carried out the command as the Ummah was not in need of this command nor the one who carried out the order.

^[2] Al Durar al Najafiyyah min al Multaqat al Yusufiyyah, 4/83.

^[3] Hussain al Nuri al Tabarsi: Fasl al Khitab fi Tahrif Kitab Rabb al Arbab, pg. 331.

^[4]  Muhammad Karim Khan al Kirmani: Taqwim al Lisan fi Qira’at al Qur’an, pg. 9.

^[5]  Sheikh al Mufid: Awa’il al Maqalat, pg. 46.

^[6]  Whether what was attributed to them is omission of Qur’anic verses or explanatory revelation which is present in the Mushaf of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu—according to the claim of some Imamiyyah—them being accused of treachery and negligence with the verses of the Qur’an is established and certain in the author’s clear speech.

^[7]  Sheikh al Mufid: Awa’il al Maqalat, pg. 80-81.

^[8]  Sheikh al Mufid: Al Masa’il al Sarawiyyah, pg. 78-79.

^[9]  Bihar al Anwar, 89/67.

^[10]  Bihar al Anwar, 89/71.

^[11]  Bihar al Anwar, 35/235.

^[12]  From the most prominent works I would advise be revised, which the author (may Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala be pleased with him) did an outstanding job in dealing with these issues from the sources of the Ahlus Sunnah, is the book Al Furqan bayn Mawqif Ahlus Sunnah wa al Rafidah min al Qur’an, the second section regarding the topic of the compilation of the Qur’an. Authored by Sheikh Muhammad ‘Awdah Mahud (may Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala have mercy on him) who was assassinated in Baghdad in the year 2004.