[B] What did Early Muslim Scholars Say?
Early Muslim Claims concerning the Qur’an
Six Authoritative Hadith
- Sahih Bukhari collectedImam Bukhari (d. 256 AH, 870 CE), includes 7,275 ahadith
- Sahih Muslim collectedMuslim al-Hajjaj (d. 261 AH, 875 CE), includes 9,200 ahadith
- Sunan Abu Dawood collectedAbu Dawood (d. 275 AH, 888 CE), includes 4,800 ahadith
- Jai al-Tirmidhi collectedal-Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH, 892 CE), includes 3,956 ahadith
- Sunan al-Sughra collectedal-Nasa’i (d. 303 AH, 915 CE), includes 5,270 ahadith
- Sunan ibn Majah collectedIbn Majah (d. 273 AH, 887 CE), over 4,000 ahadith
Or Muwatta Malik collected by Imam Malik (d. 179 AH, 795 CE), with 1,720 ahadith
(Ahadith = plural of hadith)
Some Verses were LOST
Many (of the passages) of the Qur’an that were sent down were known by those who died on the day of Yamama...but they were not known (by those who) survived them, nor were they written down, nor had Abu Bakr, Umar, or Uthman (by that time) collected the Qur’an, nor were they found with even one (person) after them.
(Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif p.23)
Some Verses DISAPPEARED
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.’
(As-Suyuti, [d. 1500sAD] Al-Itqan fii Ulum al-Qur’an, p.524)
Some Verses were FORGOTTEN
We used to recite a surah which resembled in length and severity to (Surah) Bara’at. I have, however, forgotten it with the exception of this which I remember out of it: “If there were two valleys full of riches, for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust”.
(Sahih Muslim, [d. 875 AD] Volume 2:2286, p.501)
Some Verses were CANCELLED
We used to read a verse of the Qur’an revealed in their connection, but later the verse was canceled. It was: “convey to our people on our behalf the information that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us, and has made us pleased”.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, [d. 870AD] Volume 5:416, pg.288)
Some Verses went MISSING
“Allah sent Muhammad (saw) with the Truth and revealed the Holy Book to him, and among what Allah revealed, was the Verse of the Rajam (the stoning of married persons, male and female, who commit adultery) and we did recite this Verse and understood and memorized it. Allah’s Apostle (saw) did carry out the punishment of stoning and so did we after him. I am afraid that after a long time has passed, somebody will say, ‘By Allah, we do not find the Verse of the Rajam in Allah’s Book’, and thus they will go astray by leaving an obligation which Allah has revealed.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, [d. 870AD] Volume 8:817, pg.539)
Some Verses were OVERLOOKED
Khuzaimah ibn Thabit said: “I see you have overlooked (two) verses and have not written them”. They said “And which are they?” He replied “I had it directly (tilqiyya – ‘automatically, spontaneously’) from the messenger of Allah (saw) (Surah 9, ayah 128) ... Uthman said “I bear witness that these verses are from Allah”.
(Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif p.11)
Some Verses were CHANGED
Abu Yunus, freedman of Aishah, Mother of Believers, reported: Aishah ordered me to transcribe the Holy Qur’an and asked me to let her know when I should arrive at the verse Haftdhuu alaas-salaati waas-salaatiil-wustaa wa quumuu lillaahi qaanitiin (2.238). When I arrived at the verse I informed her and she ordered: Write it in this way, Hafidhuu alaas-salaati waas-salaatiil-wustaa wa salaatil ‘asri wa quumuu lillaahi qaanitiin. She added that she had heard it so from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)
(Muwatta Imam Malik, [d.795 AD] p.64)
Some Verses were MODIFIED
Altogether al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf made eleven modifications in the reading of the Uthmanic text. ... In al-Baqarah (Surah 2.259) it originally read Lam yatasanna waandhur, but it was altered to Lam yatasannah ... In al-Ma’ida (Surah 5.48) it read Shari ya’atan wa minhaajaan, but it was altered to shir ‘atawwa minhaajaan.
(Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif p.117)
Some Verses were SUBSTITUTED
But Allah said "None of Our Revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We substitute something better or similar.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 527)
Some Verses were EATEN BY SHEEP
It was narrated that Aishah said: “The Verse of stoning and of breastfeeding an adult ten times was revealed, and the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger of Allah died, we were preoccupied with his death, and a tame sheep came in and ate it.”
(Sunan ibn Majah, d. 1277)
SUMMARY
- Lost
- Disappeared
- Forgotten
- Cancelled
- Missing
- Overlooked
- Changed
- Modified
- Substituted
- Eaten by Sheep
- Does this sound like a book which was COMPILED perfectly and completely?
- Does this not imply intentional human intervention right through its initial compilation?
- Let us now look and see if the text itself contains any Historical Anachronisms