INCOMPLETE - READER BEWARE
The Quran is the literal speech of Allah, revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. It is free from any error, contradiction, or human alteration. The text that exists today is exactly the same as what was revealed. This is a foundational doctrine in both Sunni and Shia Islam. It is not Muhammad’s composition; it is Allah's words and he promised to protect it.
[Quran 15:9] Indeed, it is We [Allah] who sent down the Quran and indeed, We [Allah] will be its guardian.
Islam claims: that it contains no mistakes in theology, history, science, or language (I've already shown this to be false in previous blogs). It is the last and complete revelation, confirming and superseding earlier scriptures.
Below are quotes of a variety of Muslim sources confirming that the present text of the Quran is an incomplete and imperfect record of what Muhammad initially recited since it is missing a great bulk of what he transmitted to his followers. The evidence will show that there were verses, phrases, clauses, surahs etc. known only to some Muslims, which were then subsequently lost when those individuals died.
Below are the stages of collection, standardization, and later revisions, along with the reasons given in the sources (primarily later Islamic reports) and how non-Muslim scholars evaluate them.
Uthman’s standardization (c. 650)
Because of the reports of serious differences in recitation between Muslims in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere, Uthman ordered a committee (led by Zayd) to produce an official codex based on Hafsa’s copy and the Quraysh dialect.
These are different pronunciations and minor wording variants of the Uthmanic consonantal skeleton, not entirely different books.
They did this to make the text easier to read correctly for non-Arabs and later generations. Also, to preserve the different early recitation traditions that had survived within the official text.
Scholarly note: The major variants had already been reduced. The qira’at system froze a small set of remaining differences.
Minor orthographic differences still exist between some printed editions, but the content is the same.
During Muhammad’s lifetime (c. 610–632)
Revelations were oral - Muhammad couldn't read or write. Some companions wrote portions on bones, leather, palm leaves, etc. (although actually writing in Arabic was still being developed). No single official book existed. The material was still scattered and portions of it existed in the memory of those to whom it was spoken. Obviously, verbatim memory is often difficult and as we'll see - some of the memorized verses were disputed among Muslims.
Revelations were oral - Muhammad couldn't read or write. Some companions wrote portions on bones, leather, palm leaves, etc. (although actually writing in Arabic was still being developed). No single official book existed. The material was still scattered and portions of it existed in the memory of those to whom it was spoken. Obviously, verbatim memory is often difficult and as we'll see - some of the memorized verses were disputed among Muslims.
First collection under Abu Bakr (c. 632–634)
After the Battle of Yamama, many who had memorized the Quran were killed. Abu Bakr ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to collect everything into one volume, using both written fragments and the memories of those (who were still alive) who had heard Muhammad. The result was kept by Hafsa.
“Umar bin al-Khattab [second caliph] asked about a verse of Allah’s book, they answered: ‘It was with a man who got killed on day of Yamama (battle)’. He (Umar) said: ‘We all shall return to Allah’. Then he ordered to collect the Quran, therefore he was the first one who collected it in one book.” (Kanz ul Ummal, Volume 2, p. 574)
Umar was once looking for the text of a specific verse of the Qur’an he vaguely remembered. To his deep sorrow, he discovered that the only person who had any record of that verse had been killed in the battle of Yamama and that the verse was consequently lost. (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif, p. 10 – see also as-Suyuti’s al-Itqan fi ‘ulum al-Quran, volume 1, p. 204)
“Abd al-Razaq narrated from Al-Thawri that he said: ‘I have come to know that people from the Sahaba of the Prophet who used to recite the Quran were killed on the day of Musaylama and with their deaths letters from the Quran were lost (Zahab).’” (Tafsir Dur al-Manthur, Muqaddamah of Surah Ahzab, Volume 6, p. 558)
Here are two reports which speak of the missing verse of stoning in connection with the loss of much of the Quran:
“Abd al-Razzak in Al-Musannaf from Ibn Abbas said: Umar bin Al-Khattab ordered a person to gather people for Salat of Jama’at. He then ascended on a pulpit, praised Allah and said: ‘O people! Do not get afraid about the verse of Al-Rajm because it is a verse that was revealed in the book of Allah and we recited it but it was lost [Zahab], WITH MUCH OF THE QURAN GONE WITH MUHAMMAD; and the proof of that is that the prophet would stone, and Abu Bakr would stone, and I have stoned and there will come people from this nation who would deny the stoning.’” (Tafsir Dur al-Manthur, Muqadmah of Surah Ahzab)
And:
Zirr ibn Hubaish reported: "Ubayy ibn Ka'b said to me, 'What is the extent of Suratul-Ahzab?' I said, 'Seventy, or seventy-three verses'. He said, 'Yet it used to be equal to Suratul-Baqarah and in it we recited the verse of stoning'. I said, 'And what is the verse of stoning'? He replied, 'The fornicators among the married men (ash-shaikh) and married women (ash-shaikhah), stone them as an exemplary punishment from Allah, and Allah is Mighty and Wise."' (Al-Itqan fi ‘ulum al-Quran, p. 524)
In case a Muslim apologist attempts to reject these reports on the grounds that they happen to be false, we will merely quote what Jalaluddin as-Suyuti himself stated in the preface of his book Dur al-Manthur concerning the veracity of the reports found all throughout:
“Praise be to Allah… who has given me the ability to conduct a commentary of his great book based on what I have received of the transmitted reports with high valued chains.”
There are other sources which confirm that much of the Quran has been lost, never to be discovered again:
“Ismail bin Ibrahim narrated from Ayub from Naf’i from Ibn Umar who said: ‘Verily among you people one would say that he has found the Quran while he is unaware of what the total quantity of the Quran was, because most of the Quran has been lost. Rather one should say that verily he has found the Quran that has appeared.’” (Fadhail al-Quran, by Qasim bin Salam (d. 222 A.H.), Volume 2, p. 135)
The following authorities all cite this particular narration:
Al-Itgan fi 'ulum al-Quran by Suyuti, rendered into Urdu by Maulana Muhammad Haleem Ansari, Volume 2, p. 64 (Idara Islamiat, Lahore). Here is an English translation of this specific report taken from another version of the Itqan:
"It is reported from Ismail ibn Ibrahim from Ayyub from Naafi from Ibn Umar who said: "Let none of you say 'I have acquired the whole of the Qur'an'. How does he know what all of it is when much of the Qur'an has disappeared? Rather let him say 'I have acquired what has survived.'" (Al-Itqan, p. 524)
After the Battle of Yamama, many who had memorized the Quran were killed. Abu Bakr ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to collect everything into one volume, using both written fragments and the memories of those (who were still alive) who had heard Muhammad. The result was kept by Hafsa.
“Umar bin al-Khattab [second caliph] asked about a verse of Allah’s book, they answered: ‘It was with a man who got killed on day of Yamama (battle)’. He (Umar) said: ‘We all shall return to Allah’. Then he ordered to collect the Quran, therefore he was the first one who collected it in one book.” (Kanz ul Ummal, Volume 2, p. 574)
Umar was once looking for the text of a specific verse of the Qur’an he vaguely remembered. To his deep sorrow, he discovered that the only person who had any record of that verse had been killed in the battle of Yamama and that the verse was consequently lost. (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif, p. 10 – see also as-Suyuti’s al-Itqan fi ‘ulum al-Quran, volume 1, p. 204)
“Abd al-Razaq narrated from Al-Thawri that he said: ‘I have come to know that people from the Sahaba of the Prophet who used to recite the Quran were killed on the day of Musaylama and with their deaths letters from the Quran were lost (Zahab).’” (Tafsir Dur al-Manthur, Muqaddamah of Surah Ahzab, Volume 6, p. 558)
Here are two reports which speak of the missing verse of stoning in connection with the loss of much of the Quran:
“Abd al-Razzak in Al-Musannaf from Ibn Abbas said: Umar bin Al-Khattab ordered a person to gather people for Salat of Jama’at. He then ascended on a pulpit, praised Allah and said: ‘O people! Do not get afraid about the verse of Al-Rajm because it is a verse that was revealed in the book of Allah and we recited it but it was lost [Zahab], WITH MUCH OF THE QURAN GONE WITH MUHAMMAD; and the proof of that is that the prophet would stone, and Abu Bakr would stone, and I have stoned and there will come people from this nation who would deny the stoning.’” (Tafsir Dur al-Manthur, Muqadmah of Surah Ahzab)
And:
Zirr ibn Hubaish reported: "Ubayy ibn Ka'b said to me, 'What is the extent of Suratul-Ahzab?' I said, 'Seventy, or seventy-three verses'. He said, 'Yet it used to be equal to Suratul-Baqarah and in it we recited the verse of stoning'. I said, 'And what is the verse of stoning'? He replied, 'The fornicators among the married men (ash-shaikh) and married women (ash-shaikhah), stone them as an exemplary punishment from Allah, and Allah is Mighty and Wise."' (Al-Itqan fi ‘ulum al-Quran, p. 524)
In case a Muslim apologist attempts to reject these reports on the grounds that they happen to be false, we will merely quote what Jalaluddin as-Suyuti himself stated in the preface of his book Dur al-Manthur concerning the veracity of the reports found all throughout:
“Praise be to Allah… who has given me the ability to conduct a commentary of his great book based on what I have received of the transmitted reports with high valued chains.”
There are other sources which confirm that much of the Quran has been lost, never to be discovered again:
“Ismail bin Ibrahim narrated from Ayub from Naf’i from Ibn Umar who said: ‘Verily among you people one would say that he has found the Quran while he is unaware of what the total quantity of the Quran was, because most of the Quran has been lost. Rather one should say that verily he has found the Quran that has appeared.’” (Fadhail al-Quran, by Qasim bin Salam (d. 222 A.H.), Volume 2, p. 135)
The following authorities all cite this particular narration:
Al-Itgan fi 'ulum al-Quran by Suyuti, rendered into Urdu by Maulana Muhammad Haleem Ansari, Volume 2, p. 64 (Idara Islamiat, Lahore). Here is an English translation of this specific report taken from another version of the Itqan:
"It is reported from Ismail ibn Ibrahim from Ayyub from Naafi from Ibn Umar who said: "Let none of you say 'I have acquired the whole of the Qur'an'. How does he know what all of it is when much of the Qur'an has disappeared? Rather let him say 'I have acquired what has survived.'" (Al-Itqan, p. 524)
They knew, while compiling the Quran, that parts of it had been lost forever and that some of it was not verbatim, and many verses disputed among themselves. Yet, they will claim today that the Quran as inerrant.
Uthman’s standardization (c. 650)
Because of the reports of serious differences in recitation between Muslims in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere, Uthman ordered a committee (led by Zayd) to produce an official codex based on Hafsa’s copy and the Quraysh dialect.
Official copies were sent to the main cities. Other companion codices (Ibn Mas‘ud, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, etc.) were ordered burned or destroyed.
They did this to stop disputes over the correct wording and recitation and to establish one official text for the expanding empire. There were strong differences of opinion on doctrinal issues.
Scholars note that this is the critical standardization. The Sana’a palimpsest (lower text) shows that non-standard written versions really did exist and were later replaced. Most historians accept that an official text was imposed around this time. Revisions continued under further enforcement by Abd al-Malik and al-Hajjaj (late 7th–early 8th century)
This was a continued efforts to suppress remaining variant readings.
They did this to stop disputes over the correct wording and recitation and to establish one official text for the expanding empire. There were strong differences of opinion on doctrinal issues.
Scholars note that this is the critical standardization. The Sana’a palimpsest (lower text) shows that non-standard written versions really did exist and were later replaced. Most historians accept that an official text was imposed around this time. Revisions continued under further enforcement by Abd al-Malik and al-Hajjaj (late 7th–early 8th century)
This was a continued efforts to suppress remaining variant readings.
Improvements were also made in the writing system: dots were added to distinguish similar letters (e.g., ب ت ث).
Some reports say al-Hajjaj ordered changes to certain words or spellings.
There were still ongoing differences in how the undotted text was read. This was recognized as a need for greater uniformity as the empire grew.
Scholarly note: The consonantal text (rasm) was already largely fixed. These steps mainly affected orthography and the suppression of remaining variants.
Some reports say al-Hajjaj ordered changes to certain words or spellings.
There were still ongoing differences in how the undotted text was read. This was recognized as a need for greater uniformity as the empire grew.
Scholarly note: The consonantal text (rasm) was already largely fixed. These steps mainly affected orthography and the suppression of remaining variants.
Addition of vowels and the canonical readings (8th–10th centuries)
Full diacritical marks (vowels and other signs) were gradually added. Scholars recognized a limited number of accepted ways to vocalize the same basic text (the seven, later ten, canonical qira’at).
Full diacritical marks (vowels and other signs) were gradually added. Scholars recognized a limited number of accepted ways to vocalize the same basic text (the seven, later ten, canonical qira’at).
These are different pronunciations and minor wording variants of the Uthmanic consonantal skeleton, not entirely different books.
They did this to make the text easier to read correctly for non-Arabs and later generations. Also, to preserve the different early recitation traditions that had survived within the official text.
Scholarly note: The major variants had already been reduced. The qira’at system froze a small set of remaining differences.
Modern printed editions
1924 Cairo edition (and its successors): Based on the Hafs transmission of the Uthmanic text. This is the version used by the large majority of Muslims today.
Minor orthographic differences still exist between some printed editions, but the content is the same.
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