Introduction to Quranic Variants

[فداء الرسول]

Introduction to Quranic Variants


مقدمة في تناقضات بالقرآن الكريم


By

Bassam Zawadi



This will be divided into the following sections



Introduction

Abrogation

The Seven Modes of recitation

Conclusion



Introduction

Some try to argue that there are variants in the Quran and that this is a devastating blow against Muslim claims of its preservation. However, unlike the variants found in the New Testament (see here) these variants are actually part of Islamic teachings approved by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and therefore as a Muslim I am OBLIGED TO ACCEPT THEM. Muslims have formed a consensus regarding them and it comes as no surprise to them unlike with how Christians over time discovered forgeries in their Bible, which affect key doctrinal issues (e.g. Mark 16:9-20, John 8:1-8, 1 John 5:7) and have gone undetected for hundreds of years amongst the Christian community. This only goes to show how careless Christians have been in taking care of their Bible, which provides us with reasonable doubt regarding its authenticity. Only God knows what future archaeological digs and manuscript findings will reveal about other interpolated verses in the Bible unlike the Quran, which has and will never have this problem.


Abrogation

Most of the arguments put forth by the Christian missionaries on the Quran are showing hadith that show that certain verses have been abrogated from the Quran. Now to know more about abrogation please read this.

There are three types of abrogation in the Quran...



Three Kinds of Naskh (abrogation) in the Quran

The scholars have divided abrogation into three kinds:

1)Abrogation of the recited (verse) together with the legal ruling.

2)Abrogation of the legal ruling without the recited (verse).

3)Abrogation of the recited (verse) without the legal ruling.

(Ibn Salama, al-nasikh wa al-mansukh, Cairo, 1966, p.5, cited here)

Ahmad von Denffer said:

Examples:

For abrogation of the recited (verse) together with its legal ruling:

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah's apostle (may peace be upon him) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims). [34 Muslim, II, No. 3421.]

For abrogation of a legal ruling without the recited (verse):

'O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou has paid their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom God has assigned to thee; and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts and daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who migrated (from Makka) with thee; and any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her; - this only for thee and not for the believers (at large);We know what we have appointed for them as to their wives and the captives whom their right hands possess; - in order that there should be no difficulty for thee and God is oft-forgiving, most merciful' (33: 50).

'It is not lawful for thee (to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess (as handmaidens); and God doth watch over all things' (33: 52).

This is one of the few very clear examples of naskh, though only concerning the Prophet specifically, since for Muslims in general the number of wives has been restricted to four. (Sura 4:3).

For abrogation of the recited (verse) without the legal ruling:

'Abdullah bin 'Abbas reported that 'Umar bin Khattab sat on the pulpit of Allah's messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Verily Allah sent Muhammad (may peace be upon him) with truth and he sent down the book upon him, and the verse of stoning was included in what was sent down to him. We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood it. Allah's messenger (may peace be upon him) awarded the punishment of stoning to death (to the married adulterer and adulteress) and after him, we also awarded the punishment of stoning. I am afraid that with the lapse of time, the people (may forget it) and may say: We do not find the punishment of stoning in the book of Allah, and thus go astray by abandoning this duty prescribed by Allah. Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah's book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or if there is pregnancy or a confession. [Muslim, III, No. 4194; Bukhari, VIII, No. 816.]

The punishment of stoning for adultery by married people has been retained in the sunna, while it is not included in the Qur'an . (Ahmad von Denffer, Ulum al Qur'an, Source)



Imam Al Baji said...




لأن القرآن لا يثبت إلا بالخبر المتواتر , وأما خبر الآحاد فلا يثبت به قرآن

Because the Quran is not confirmed unless with Mutawattir narrations, and the Quran cannot be confirmed by Ahad narrations (Abû al-Walîd Sulaymân ibn Khalaf al-Bâjî, Al Muntaqaa Sharh Muwata'a Maalik, Kitab: Al Ridaa', Bab: Jaami' Maa Jaa'a fi Al Ridaa'a, Commentary on Hadith no. 1118, Source)



So the Quran can only be confirmed with Mutawattir narrations.



A mutawatir hadith is one which is reported by such a large number of people that they cannot be expected to agree upon a lie, all of them together. (al-Jaza'iri, p.33, cited here)



Examples of mutawatir hadith include those that talk about the five pillars of Islam and recitation of the Qur'an. (Source)



So as we see, we cannot accept any verse as being part of the Quran unless it came down to us from Mutawattir narrations. All these hadith about Quranic variants all come from Ahad narrations.
A hadith ahad or khabar wahid is one which is narrated by people whose number does not reach that of the mutawatir case. (Source)