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iris89 (no login)
Posted Mar 20, 2009 11:29 PM
More compiled evidence from highly reliable sources clearly showing that Caliph Uthman trashed the Qur'an and that today no-one has the original nor does anyone know what was in the original. Now let's look at some of these sources:
<<" Is the Qur'an Pure?
<br>
Why did Muhammad's close companions write unique versions of the Qur'an?
Why were these unique versions
of the Qur'an later destroyed by fire?
When Muhammad died in 632 CE, the Qur'an had not been recorded and collected into a book. Instead, Muslims memorized large portions of the Qur'an. This was especially true of people who knew Muhammad in person. The Qur'an means to recite. It is possible that some of the verses had been recorded on bones, rocks, or hides before Muhammad died. Regardless, it didn't take long for the early Muslims to decide that they needed to have the Qur'an collected into a book.
The original Qur'an was completed by 634 CE. It is important to understand that a political process is what produced the Qur'an. In 633 CE, a military battle caused 700 Muslims to be killed. A close friend of Muhammad (named Salim) that could recite a large portion of the Qur'an was killed. What would happen if all the close followers of Muhammad were killed? Early Muslims wanted to maintain the purity of the Qur'an as Muhammad had spoken it.
So the original Qur'an of 634 CE was created during the political reign of Abu Bakr. This original Qur'an came to be known as the Hafsah codex (about 10 years later when Hafsah began to maintain it). However, this most important original manuscript of the Qur'an was destroyed by Muslim leaders in 667 CE. (Hafsah was one of Muhammad's wives. She maintained the original Qur'an until her death in 667 CE. Muslim leaders wanted to destroy the original Qur'an before Hafsah died. But she refused to hand over the codex for burning. She was successful until her death [Refer to Al-Masahif 24] It is most important to ask, "Why did Hafsah not wish to have this most important original manuscript of the Qur'an to be burnt?").
Based on Muslim sources alone, it appears that the Hafsah codex was one of the last Qur'ans to be willingly destroyed by Muslims. Since the original Qur'an was not accepted, what happened to cause such a drastic change that required the original Qur'an to be destroyed? Why wasn't the Hafsah codex maintained since it was created (in 634 CE) within two years after Muhammad died (in 632 CE)?
To begin, an excellent procedure was in place during the collection of the original Qur'an. Abu Bakr ordered that the Qur'an could only include words that were vouched for by the testimony of two men. The earliest version of the Qur'an would have been most fresh in the minds of Muhammad's followers in 634 CE. Is it any wonder why Hafsah refused to release the original manuscript?
The history of how the Qur'an came to be recorded comes from reliable Muslim source materials. These are called the Hadith. Problems for the Qur'an began to occur during the reign of the 3rd political leader of Islam, whose name is Uthman (644 TO 656 CE). It appears that as the Islamic faith spread with military conquest across a large area, the soldiers were reading different versions of the Qur'an. These men wondered, "Is the Qur'an truly as pure as those close to Muhammad believed and taught?"
The 2nd most trusted Hadith is called Sahih Bukhari. In Volume 6, Book 61, Number 510, the story about Muslim soldiers arguing about different versions of the Qur'an reads as follows: [Search on the referenced site to find the number "510" if you want to verify the written literature].
"Hudhaifa was afraid of the different recitations of the Qur'an, so he asked 'Uthman, "O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Qur'an as Jews and the Christians did before."
In response to the request, the Caliph Uthman sent a message to Hafsah since she had the most important original manuscript sheets collected about 634 CE. We find written:
"Send us the manuscripts of the Qur'an so that we may compile the Qur'anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you." Hafsah sent copies to Uthman.
Caliph Uthman had men who knew the Qur'an to assemble it again. We find written:
Uthman then ordered four men to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. After this had been done, the Hafsah codex was returned to her. "Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsah."
Having obtained this new version, Uthman ordered all other Qur'ans to be destroyed by fire. We find written:
Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur'anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.
This means that drastic changes occurred. After all, "Why were the other copies and fragments ordered to be burnt?" The answer is found in the original statement: "Hudhaifa was afraid of the different recitations of the Qur'an"
Hudhaifa did not want different versions of the Qur'an. To Hudhaifa, unity of the Qur'an meant unity of all Muslims. If Muslims troops were not united, Islam would crumble.
Since all other copies of the Qur'an were ordered to be burned, what was wrong with them? Is the Qur'an pure as believed by modern day Muslims? Since the decision to burn all other Qur'ans was politically motivated, the Qur'an of today reflects the political whims of early Muslim political leaders, not the prophet Muhammad. Questions like this will never be answered. But it is certain that the Qur'an of today is not the original Qur'an recorded only 2 years after Muhammad died. It is certain that the Hafsah codex would have been the most accurate and original Qur'an of all time. But Muslim political leaders made sure that it was destroyed. So what actually happened in the early years of Islam?
Evidence of Multiple Qur'anic Versions
Muslim source materials report that at least four different versions of the Qur'an existed before the political order was given to have them burned. (Refer to "Al-Tamhid 2, 247).
The four versions were written by people who knew Muhammad in person. Each person created their unique version of the Qur'an. Based on Muslims sources, the differences were serious enough to cause Muslims to be divided. The Islamic source "K. al Masahif" reports differences so serious as to cause one Muslim group to call another group heretics:
During the reign of `Uthman, teachers were teaching this or that reading to their students. When the students met and disagreed about the reading, they reported the differences to their teachings. They would defend their readings, condemning the others as heretical.'[Abu Bakr `Abdullah b. abi Da'ud, "K. al Masahif]
So a political decision was made to have only one Qur'an. This did not go over well with the original people who created their unique version of the Qur'an. Who were these chosen people?
Muslim source materials reveal some of these select people who are known to have created their unique version of the Qur'an. (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 150). [Search on the referenced site to find the number "150" if you want to verify the written literature].
I heard the Prophet saying, "Learn the recitation of Qur'an from four persons: (1)Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, (2)Salim (who was killed in the 633 CE battle), the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, (3)Ubayy B. Ka'ab and (4)Muadh bin Jabal."
So a few select people close to Muhammad thought they knew the Qur'an and collected their personal version. These versions of the Qur'an became widely distributed and used. This is why Muslim soldiers were arguing and calling one another heretics.
After the "official" Qur'an was released and the order was given to burn all other versions, some very bad feelings came out. The following information from Muslim sources is probably the most important information you can learn about people who actually knew Muhammad in person. Let's begin with Mas'ud, who was asked to burn his personal version of the Qur'an.
"How can you order me to recite the reading of Zaid, when I recited from the very mouth of the Prophet some seventy Surahs?" "Am I," asks Abdullah, "to abandon what I acquired from the very lips of the Prophet?" (Masahif" by Ibn abi Dawood, 824-897 AD, pp. 12, 14).
Would Mas'ud accept the Qur'an of today as being pure since he refused to destroy his unique version? Since Mas'ud did not want to have his unique version of the Qur'an destroyed, it is doubtful that Mas'ud would honestly answer that the Qur'an is pure. It is important to ask, "Why did Mas'ud refuse to give in and destroy his version of the Qur'an?"
Mas'ud was a close companion and personal servant of Muhammad. The prophet Muhammad taught the Qur'an to Mas'ud in person. Due to his close relationship with Muhammad, Mas'ud would have had confidence that he was qualified to create his unique version of the Qur'an.
Mas'ud, moved to Kufa, Iraq where he completed his unique version of the Qur'an (commonly called the Kufan Codex). The unique Qur'an created by Mas'ud was completed years after the most important original manuscript (634 CE) that Hafsah kept until she died in 667 CE. In addition, the Qur'an version created by Mas'ud did not have chapters 1, 113, and 114 that are in the "official" Qur'an of today. Is the Qur'an truly pure as believed by Muslims today?
Another unique Qur'an was created by Ubayy B. Ka'ab. He was a close companion of Muhammad and served as a secretary to Muhammad. Ubayy could recite much of the Qur'an, which he had learned from the prophet Muhammad. Scholars have found that Ubayy's version differed from the "official" Qur'an with two additional chapters (entitled: Surat Al-Khal and Surat Al-Afd). Since Ubayy was taught the Qur'an by the prophet Muhammad, why doesn't the "official" Qur'an contain the two additional chapters?
Ubayy died during the reign of Umar, which was before the "official" Qur'an was created by Uthman. Therefore, Ubayy did not have to witness that his version of the Qur'an was burned by Uthman's order. Since Ubayy created a unique version of the Qur'an and had learned from the mouth of the prophet Muhammad, would he have agreed with Mas'ud by refusing to give in and destroy his version of the Qur'an?"
Due to Uthman's decision to create an "official" version of the Qur'an, Ubayy's version of the Qur'an was destroyed. It is important to ask, "Is the Qur'an pure?"
Now consider the original Qur'an called the Hafsah Codex. It was destroyed by Muslims leaders immediately after Hafsah died. It is most important to ask, "Why did Hafsah not wish to have this most important original manuscript of the Qur'an to be burnt?"
The "official" Qur'an version of today comes from Zaid ibn Thabit, who was the youngest writing member. Zaid, being very young, outlived the older people who had spent more time with Muhammad. However, in the end it was Zaid's version of the Qur'an that was selected by Uthman for the "official" Qur'an version.
Muslims who had been close to Muhammad became righteously angry when Uthman insisted that only one version of the Qur'an be used. Islamic sources show that the purity of the Qur'an from the days of Muhammad appears to have been compromised. If no variants existed, then no burning party would have been held.
Muslims believe that seven versions of the Qur'an exist but that only Uthman's Qur'an is correct. So Muslims disregard the "official" book burning party cited in Muslim source materials. However, it takes "blind faith" to believe and accept this viewpoint.
If Muhammad could consistently foretell the future, then the Qur'an could be regarded as coming from God. However, this has not been demonstrated. The politically motivated book burning party of early Muslim leaders confirms the Qur'an is from a false Gabriel.
The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that the book of Daniel has not been changed. Let's move forward to address other Muslim misgivings about the Christian faith. Muslims believe that the Bible foretold of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.
[SOURCE - Is the Qur'an Pure?
Why did Muhammad's close companions write unique versions of the Qur'an?, http://www.harvardhouse.com/quran_purity.htm ]>>>.
And,
<<" Uzza's Quran Notes
<br>
Muslim Mobs Burn Quran
Fate of Prophet's (pbuh) original text remains unknown
Breaking News
Posted: 653 AD
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Sources in Arabia report Muslim mobs have destroyed copies of the Holy Quran in book-burnings held at cities throughout Arabia and the Muslim world.
Instigated by a fatwa of the Caliph Uthman that proscribes any unauthorized copy of Islam's Holy Book following a newly completed rescension, all existing older copies of the Quran have been rounded up and consigned to the flames.
According to noted Islamic scholar Muhammad ibn Bahadur Zarkashi "Ibn Abi Dawud records Musab ibn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas to have testified:
"I saw the people assemble in large number at Uthman's burning of the proscribed copies; not a one spoke out against him." Ali commented, "If I were in command in place of Uthman, I would have done the same."
Ali was a companion of the Prophet (pbuh) himself, during his lifetime and clearly approved the actions taken by Caliph Uthman. During Uthman's rule Islam had spread to many areas where the Muslims were not Arabs and couldn't read Arabic properly, so many variant readings sprung out. To correct this Uthman appointed a committee of scribes to produce a standardized version of the Qur'an, which was sent to each city under Muslim rule. All older copies were to be collected and burned.
Even though Arabia is one of several countries where desecrating the the Quran may be punishable by death, officials have shown little interest in this case. No arrests were made, and no official investigation has been undertaken to date.
As told by Wikipedia, most schools of Islamic law dictate that a Muslim may not touch the Qur'an, which is regarded as the literal word of God, unless he or she is in a state of ritual purity (wudu). Muslims must always treat the book with reverence, and are forbidden, for instance, to pulp, recycle, or simply discard worn-out copies of the text. Intentionally insulting the Qur'an is regarded as a form of blasphemy, and has led to rioting.
As of this writing the fate of the original copy of the Holy Quran, compiled by the Messenger Himself (pbuh) remains uncertain. The hadith make it clear that the Qur'an was available in written form from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), reports Sahih Al-Bukhari, our most reliable source. He tells us,
"Narrated Qatadah: I asked Anas Ibn Malik: 'Who collected the Qur'an at the time of Prophet?' He replied: 'Four, all of whom were from the Ansar: Ubay Ibn Ka'ab, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal, Zayd Ibn Thabit and Abu Zayd.'"
This first Quran was allegedly in the possession of Hafsa bint Umar, a daughter of Umar and one of Muhammad's widows, and was thrown into the fires and burnt with the other old copies. The loss of this original manuscript, reputed to be the literal word of God, would arguably be a great loss to historians.
Skeptics, who asked to remain anonymous, dismissed Uthman's latest move as political grandstanding designed to gain support for his illegitimate Caliphate and distract attention from the War in Baluchistan. [source - Uzza's Quran Notes , http://uzzas.blogspot.com/2008/10/muslim-mobs-burn-quran_06.html ]>>>.
And,
<<"Changes in the Qur'an
<br>
December 2004 version
Both Muslims and non-Muslims who really want to follow the true God can agree: it is vitally important to know whether the Qur'an (or Koran) is a book from God or not. If you have ever prayed, studied, or just wondered whether it is or not, then this tract is for you.
Questions for Seekers of Truth
How can a real seeker of truth know which religion to follow? Rather than blindly following any tradition, one should "test all things, and hold fast to what is good." Until you strike a piece of metal, you cannot tell how hard it is. This discussion is not intended to offend, but something must be questioned before you can believe it intellectually.
How the Qur'an was Written Down
When Mohammed had a vision, the Bukhari Hadiths record that strange things would happen. He experienced a ringing in his ears vol.1:1;4:438, his heart beat rapidly vol.1:3, his face would turn red vol. 2 ch.16 (after no.610); vol.5:618; he breathed heavily vol.6:508 p.476, he fell on the ground with both eyes open toward the sky vol.5:170;6:448, he sweat profusely vol.1:2;2:544;3:829, and see and hear things no one else did vol.1:2,3 vol.4:458,461; vol.6:447. These would seem weird back then, but doctors recognize these as signs of an epileptic fit.
Since the fits were unpredictable, after Mohammed's death fragments of the Qur'an were written on palm leaves, rocks, and bones according to the Bukhari vol.6:509 p.478. Thus there was no organized manuscript of the Qur'an prior to his death. Some verses did not survive according to the Bukhari vol.4:57,62,69,299. Many who had memorized the Qur'an were killed, and Abu Bakr was worried that some parts of the Qur'an would be lost. Bukhari vol.6:509 p.477-478. After the Qur'an was gathered, it still needed "compiling" years later.
Abrogated Verses in Mohammed's Lifetime
"Then Allah revealed to us a verse that was among the cancelled ones later on." Bukhari vol.5 book 59 no.416 p.288.
"Narrated Anas bin Malik: ... There was revealed about those who were killed at Bi'r-Ma'una a Qur'anic Verse we used to recite, but it was cancelled later on. The verse was: 'Inform our people that we have met our Lord. He is pleased with us and He has made us pleased.'" Bukhari vol.4:69 p.53. See also the History of al-Tabari vol.7 p.156.
Other references to cancelled verses are: Bukhari vol.4:57 p.45, Bukhari vol.4:299 p.191, and Bukhari vol.5 book 59 no.421 p.293 all repeat the same thing about the same verse.
The Satanic Verses of the Qur'an
This term has been used for some time to describe two verses of Mohammed that were "abrogated" or taken out.
In pre-Islamic Arabia, Allah was a god with three daughters, al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat.
Sura 53:19-20 "Have ye thought upon al-Lat and al-Uzza and Manat, the third, the other?"
-originally followed by
"These are the exalted cranes (intermediaries) Whose intercession is to be hoped for."
vs.
"Are yours the males and His the females? That indeed were an unfair division."
At one time Mohammed compromised and said concerning the daughters of Allah in Sura 53:19 that "their intercession was to be hoped for." In other words, Mohammed said we should hope for the help of these three idols. Mohammed's followers were amazed that he said this. Mohammed later changed and said Satan had deceived him. These verses were abrogated or taken out.
It is interesting to read how Allah could have what are called "abrogated verses" in Suras 13:39; 16:101; 2:106.
Evidence of the Satanic Verses
Four different Muslim early Muslim biographers of Mohammed wrote about the Satanic verses:
1. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (died 923 A.D.) was one of Islam's foremost scholars. He wrote a Commentary on the Qur'an as well as a 38-volume work on the history of Islam.
2. Al-Wahidi/Wakidi (died 823 A.D.) wrote Asbab al-Nozul. He wrote 15-volumes.
3. Ibn Sa'd/Sa'ad (died 845 A.D.), who was aware of al-Wahidi's work.
4. Ibn Isaq/Ishaq (767 or 773 A.D.), wrote Sirat Rasulallah (The Life of Allah's Prophet).
We also have the following inferences from the Qur'an and Bukhari Hadiths:
The temptations of Satan's interjections - Sura 53:19-26; 17:73-75
Bukhari (died 870 A.D.) vol.6:385 - pagans as well as Muslims bowed.
For more info on this issue see the paper on The Daughters of Allah, www.answering-islam.org/Qur'an/miracle/satanicverses.htm and www.answering-islam.org/Responses/ Saifullah/sverses.htm.
Sura 22:52: "Never did We send An apostle or a prophet Before thee, but, when he Framed a desire, Satan Threw some (vanity) Into his desire: but God Will cancel anything (vain) That Satan throws in, And God will confirm (And establish) His Signs;..."
On the Other Hand...
The meaning of the new verses is that the people being "unfair", for saying that Allah only had less-desirable daughters (and no sons), when they had sons. Remember, this is supposed to be a timeless book, written on a tablet [in Heaven]. Sura 85:20-22.
Changes After Mohammed
Bukhari Hadiths saying parts of the Qur'an were missing and/or abrogated are vol.4:57,62, 69,229; vol.6:510,511 p.479-480.
[b]Since there were various versions of the Qur'an, some with two more Suras than other versions, the Caliph 'Uthman ordered everyone to turn in their Qur'an, and he would issue a "standardized" version.[/b] This is the subject of the next paper though.
Transmitted Reliability of the Bible
So to compare the record of the Qur'an and the Bible we see some similarities and contrasts. Christians say that though people have made corrupt translations of the Bible, the true Bible meaning has have always been available, and it has been preserved reliably with no significant errors. If someone did hypothetically corrupt all Bibles in Middle Ages, we could simply change it back. We know the original words because of the following reasons.
1. We have manuscripts of the New Testament dated c.127 A.D, c.150 A.D., and c.200 A.D., as well as recently released copies with the Dead Sea Scrolls dated before 100 A.D.
2. We have 10,000 other manuscripts of the New Testament to compare. Scribal errors did occur, but with 10,000 manuscripts, we can track these errors. The evidence would be weaker, not stronger, if there had been a "Christian 'Uthman" to burn them.
3. The early church writers (from 97/98 A.D. to 325 A.D.) referred to every single verse in the New Testament except around 17.
4. We have copies of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, Dead Sea Scrolls of almost all of the Old Testament dated at the time of Christ, and Christ's use of Old Testament quotes.
5. We have God's promise that He will watch over and preserve His word, and that He will not let His followers be led astray. -Isa 55:10-11; 59:21; 1 Peter 1:24-25, Mt 24:35
6. Christian scholars are very keen to examine all the evidence and be as precise as possible in what the original wording was.
Christians and all seekers of truth should welcome questioning the reliability of today's Bible. But rather than asking, "what is its reliability", one should also ask "what its reliability is being compared to."
'Umar "stabilized" the Qur'an in 644 A.D. al-Tabari vol.39 p.22-23
Qur'an's Transmitted Reliability
Most Muslims believe the Qur'an is an exact copy of a tablet of the Qur'an [in Heaven] in Sura 85:20-22. But consider the following points.
1. It is strange that even in the temporary verses in the Qur'an that Muslims agree Mohammed said were abrogated, are stored for all time in Heaven. They are still in the Qur'an today.
2. Many Muslims are not aware that the Sahih Muslim Hadiths record an extra Sura that is not in the Qur'an today. Muslim apologists claim this too was abrogated, but it is not in today's Qur'an.
3. 'Ubai's early copies of the Qur'an did not contain two Suras that are in the Qur'an today.
4. 'Abdallah ibn Mas'ud was one of the four people Mohammed said to learn the Qur'an from. Yet Al-Nuri lists verses in Ibn Mas'ud's version that are not in the Qur'an today.
5. Satan always throws something in with a prophet's words according to Sura 22:52, but God has to cancel it out. This might be an explanation for why four different Muslim historical sources report that Sura 53:19-20 originally said the intercession (help) of four idol goddesses was to be hoped for.
6. 'Uthman also made changes to standardize the Qur'an, but that is the topic of the next part.
'Uthman, Editor of God?
When the Watergate Scandal hit America, the guilty people were not only the ones who stole the Watergate documents, but also the ones who covered it up. While the previous tract discussed many changes in the Qur'an, this tract discusses not just changes but also the cover-up by the Caliph 'Uthman. He threatened anyone with death if they did not turn in their Qur'an to him, so that he could burn them and re-issue new Qur'ans. Fortunately some early copies were not turned in, and we can see some of the changes that were made.
In Bukhari vol.6:525,526 Qatada and Anas relate that in the time of the prophet [i.e. before 'Uthman's rule], four people "collected" the Qur'an: Ubai, Mu'adh, Zaid bin Thabit, and Abu Zaid.
In Bukhari vol.1 chapter 8 p.56: "Anas says that Uthman got the Qur'an compiled and sent a few of its copies to far off places". Bukhari vol.4:709 p.466 says, "'Uthman called Zaid bin Thabit, 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, Sa'id bin Al-'As, and 'Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham and then they wrote the manuscripts of the Holy Qur'an in the form of a book in several copies".
The Qur'an used to have many different readings, but 'Uthman got rid of all but one. al-Tabari vol.15 p.156
Muslims claim that God's Word, the Qur'an, will never be corrupted. Be that as it may, apparently some years after Mohammed's death, the Qur'an needed standardizing, since Caliph 'Uthman standardized the Qur'an way after Mohammed's death. Apparently in order that nobody could second-guess his editing, he burned almost all copies besides his standard ones. (Bukhari vol.6:510 p.479) For example, Ubai had several Suras in his Qur'an that 'Uthman omitted from the standardized text, and thus Muslims do not read today. The Meccan Abdollah Sarh, who once made suggestions to Mohammed, and later renounced Islam, was killed. Presumably he knew too much about how Mohammed changed the Qur'an. However, a few very interesting variant copies did survive and are now in the Azhyar Library in Cairo.
The 8th sura (al-Anfal) may have originally included the 9th sura (al-Tawbah). al-Tabari vol.11 p.94 footnote 525
A Need for Standardizing ???
Now if the Bukhari Hadiths vol.1:62, vol.4:709, and vol.6:510 are reliable at all, one has to ask why this occurred; Muslims typically do not go around destroying copies of the Qur'an.
? Why did 'Uthman have to burn other copies, unless the other copies were different?
? Why did 'Uthman need to standardize the Qur'an, unless it needed standardizing?
? Why did 'Uthman threaten death to make Muslims use the "Uthmanized" Qur'an?
? Why did some Muslims reject 'Uthman's text in favor of their own text of the Qur'an?
There is a simple answer to these questions. 'Uthman had to edit The Qur'an because there was not just one text.
1. In contrast to this, 'Uthman destroyed all but a few of the early Qur'an manuscripts, so "his tracks are covered."
2. His tracks are not completely covered because of the manuscripts of Ubai and others. (See Bukhari vol.6:527 p.489 for Ubai being the best at reciting the Qur'an, yet they leave some of what he recites.)
3. His tracks are not completely covered because of the words of 'Aisha and some Shi'ite Muslims.
4. Many Sunni Muslims have never thought to ask, "is the Qur'an they have the same as the original Qur'an?"
Some Shi'ite Muslims give an additional reason though. They say 'Uthman left out 25% of the original verses for political reasons. See McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature 5:152. This is interesting, because most Sunnis still accept Shi'ites as Muslims.
According to Mohammed's wife 'Aisha, one Sura had 200 verses. By 'Uthman's time, it only had 73. One can read this in the book Islam p.191ff by the skeptic Guillaume.
Finally, the Qur'an Sunni Muslims use today is based on the Ibn Masud Codex, which is NOT identical with 'Uthman's work. According to Geisler and Saleeb: Answering Islam p.192 there are 150 differences in Sura 2 alone, including complete sentences!
Even today, there are differences in Arabic versions of the Qur'an. For example, in Answering Islam p.193 point out some Arabic discrepancies: Sura 28:48 [sahirani/sihrani], Sura 32:6 [ummahatuhum/ummahatuhum wa hyua abun lahum] Sura 34:18 [rabbana ba'id/rabuna ba'ada], Sura 38:22 [tis'un/tis'atun]. Sura 19:35 [tantaruna/yamtaruna]. See W. St. Clair-Tisdell A Manual of the Leading Muhammedan Objections to Christianity (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1904 p.60.). There are also significant differences between the 'Uthman's Qur'an and the Qur'an used today. Why the changes, and when will they change it back?
It is fine for a Muslim to question the transmitted reliability of the Bible. But if we are going to compare the reliability of the Bible to the Qur'an, we have to look at the issues of the reliability of the Qur'an, too.
Evidence from Abu Dawud
"Yazid al-Farisi said: I heard Ibn 'Abbas say: I asked 'Uthman b. 'Affan: What moved you to put the (Surah) al-Bara'ah which belongs to the mi'in (surahs) (containing one hundred verses) and the (Surah) al-Anfal which belongs to the mathani (Surahs) in the category of al-Sab'u al-tiwal (the first long surahs or chapters of the Qur'an), and you did not write "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" between them? 'Uthman replied : When the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet (may peace be upon him), he called someone to write them for him and said to him : Put this verse in the surah in which such-and-such has been mentioned; and when one or two verses were revealed, he used to say similarly. ... Hence I put them in the category of al-sab'u al-tiwal (the seven lengthy suras), and I did not write 'In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful' between them." Abu Dawud vol.1:785 p.202
The Changes in the Qur'an
Have you ever though to ask, "Is the Qur'an today the same as the original Qur'an?"
Any Corruption of God's Word Prior to the Qur'an?
Abrogated Verses in Mohammed's Lifetime
Changes After Mohammed
'Uthman, Editor of God
The Qur'an Today
The Reliability of the Old Testament
The Reliability of the New Testament
God's Word Prior to the Qur'an?
Allah claimed to be the same God as Christians and Jews (do not dispute except in the best way) - Sura 29:46
Jews and Christians were to make God's word known to all mankind -Sura 3:187
Do not selectively believe in only some of God's messengers -Sura 4:150-151
Mohammed alleged the Qur'an confirmed what they already had. -Sura 4:47
God promised His word would not depart from the mouths of the Jews in Isaiah 59:21
Sura 29:46 "Dispute ye not with the people of the book, except in the best way, unless it be with those of them who do wrong but say, 'We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; our God is your God is One; and it is to Him we submit (in Islam)."
"And remember Allah took a Covenant from the people of the book, to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it; but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And vile was the bargain they made!" in Sura 3:187. While this Sura criticizes some who were called people of the book, it does not in any way criticize the book God gave to mankind.
Sura 4:150-151 "Those who deny Allah and his messengers, and wish to separate between Allah and his messengers, Saying: 'We believe in some but reject others': and wish to take a course midway, (151) They are in truth unbelievers;..."
"O ye People of the Book! Believe in what We have (now) revealed, confirming what was already with you, before We change the face and fame of some (of you) beyond all recognition,..." Sura 4:47.
Isaiah 59:21
"'As for me, this is my covenant with them' says the LORD. 'My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,' says the LORD." (NIV)
Sura 5:46 - A Remarkable Verse in the Qur'an
"And in their [the prophets'] footsteps we sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him: we sent him the gospel; therein was guidance and light. And confirmation of the Torah that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah"
Now this verse of the Qur'an is quite remarkable. If God sent Jesus to confirm the Torah (first five books of the Bible's Old Testament), then at least in Jesus' time, the Torah that people could read and Jesus could confirm was the same Torah God sent.
Sura 5:47 goes on to say "Let the People of the Gospel Judge by what Allah hath revealed Therein...." If the People of the Gospel are to judge by what God has revealed in the Gospel, then how can the Gospel they are to judge by not be the Gospel God told them to judge by?
Sura 5:48 says, "To thee (People of the Book) We sent the scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the truth that hath come to thee...."
Since God had the power to give His word, God had the power to guard His word in safety. Do you agree?" [source - Changes in the Qur'an, http://www.muslimhope.com/ChangesInTheQuran.htm ]>>>.
And,
<<" Quran is not the Word of God. Why?
<br>
K.G. Paul MD
When I was in medical school once I had a conversation with our professor of human physiology, who is a Muslim. At one point of our talk he looked at me and said, 'you know, your Bible changed a lot since it was written. But Quran, since it was penned has not undergone even a single change even to the last dot and last letter.' Over the years many Muslims I came across made the same assertion that their book is superior to the Bible because it has been perfectly preserved by God from the time of Muhammad to the present. Muslims believe that early Islamic community wrote the Quran as soon as Angel Gabriel delivered the message to Muhammad. They believe the quran we have today is an exact copy of the quran penned in the lifetime of Muhammad. But my own research showed that is not true.
What happened during Muhammad's life time?
Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca in 570 AD and died in the city of Medina in the year 632 AD. Muslims believe that he received revelations from 610 AD to 632 AD, lasting about 23 years. Since he could neither read nor write, he recited his message to his companions.
After Muhammad's death, several of his companions wrote down their collections of the revelations. Of these four companions made their own versions of Quran: Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, Ubayy Ibn Kab, Abu Musa and Zayd Ibn Thabit. In this article we refer to three of them.
Ibn Masud:
Abdullah Ibn Masud followed Muhammad for all the twelve years of his mission in Mecca and then for ten years in Medina until the death of Muhammad. He participated in both the Battles of Badr and Uhud with Muhammad. As a passing thought of contrast between Islam and Christianity, Jesus's disciples are known to follow their Master as he went around Galilee to teach the Word of God to people while Muhammad's companions are known to follow their master in wars and battles as he went around fighting infidels in Mecca and Medina!
Ibn Masud claimed to have learned 70 surahs directly from Muhammad. Bukhari 6:61:521 informs that Muhammad told other people to learn Quran from him and three others. Ibn Ishaq, the biographer of Muhammad tells us in his book Sirat Rasulullah, p. 141 that Ibn Masud was "the first man to speak the Quran loudly in Mecca after the apostle". After the death of Muhammad, Masud wrote down his codex of Quran. The Muslims at Kufa, Iraq immediately accepted his codex as the standard text of Quran. They had no idea that the Quran in their hands would not last even for a few more years.
Ubayy ibn Ka'b
Ubayy ibn Kab was another companion known for his marvelous recitation of Quran In fact he was called the 'Master Reciter'. He served as a secretary for Muhammad. Sahih-al-Bukhari, Vol.5, p.96 tells us that he was one of the four people who were highly esteemed by Muhammad as the best teachers of Quran.
Narrated Masruq: Abdullah bin Mas'ud was mentioned before Abdullah bin Amr who said, "That is a man I still love, as I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, 'Learn the recitation of the Qur'an from four: from Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, Mu'adh bin Jabal and Ubai bin Ka'b". (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, p.96)
Like Masud, Ubbay Bin Kab also collected his memorization of the Muhammad's revelations into a separate copy of Quran and distributed to Muslims in Syria, who accepted it as the standard text of Quran.
Thus, Qurans written separately by Ibn Masud and Ubbay Bin Kab were accepted as the standard texts of Quran by people at Kufa and Syria within a few years after Muhammad's death.
Zayd ibn Thabit
Zayd Ibn Thabit developed a liking for war on infidels when he was as young as 13 years old to participate in the Battle of Badr. Muhammad granted him permission to fight when he was 19 years old.
After the death of Muhammad in the year 632 AD, he was succeeded by Abu Bakr. Following the footsteps of Muhammad in the year 633 AD Abu Bakr led Muslims in the Battle of Yamama. Muslims lost this war and it was feared that part of the revelations might be lost. Therefore, Abu Bakr asked Zayd Ibn Thabit to collect the material of the revelations and compile the Quran.
Bukhari 6:60:201 informs us how Zayd Ibn Thabit reacted to this request:
"...By Allah, if he (Abu Bakr) had ordered me to shift one of the mountains it would not have been harder for me than what he had ordered me concerning the collection of the Quran. I said to both of them, 'How dare you do what the prophet has not done?' Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, it's a good thing'... So I started locating the Quranic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leafstalks of date palms and from the memories of men. I found with Khuzaima two verses of Surah Tauba which I had not found with anybody else (and they were):--
"Verily there has come to you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty He (Muhammad) is ardently anxious over you (to be rightly guided)"
(9:128) Bukhari 6:60:201
Above passage makes it clear that, unlike Masud and Ubbay Bin Kab who made their Qurans from their memory, Zayd depended upon parchments, scapula, leafstalks of date palms and from the memories of other men. These disparate materials were susceptible to loss. Ali Dashti, a devout Muslim and an Iranian statesman, said animals sometimes ate mats or the palm leaves on which Suras were written. Thus, Zayd created his own version of Quran based on the material available to him.
Uthman:
After Muhammad's death in 632 AD, Islam was led by three caliphs successively by Abu Bakr (632-634), Umar (634-644) and Uthman (644-656). In 653 AD Uthman, the third caliph ordered to compile one standardized text of Quran for the entire Muslim world. Uthman ordered Zayd Ibn Thabit's version of Quran to be standardized. At the same time he ordered to destroy the other versions being used by people in Kufa, Basrah, Damascus and Mecca.
When Uthman sent out the order that all codices of the Quran other than the codex of Zayd should be destroyed Ibn Mas'ud refused to handover his copy.
Why did Mas'ud refuse to handover his version of Quran to be consigned to the flames?
Let us hear his own words:
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "I recited from the messenger of Allah (saw) seventy surahs which I had perfected before Zaid ibn Thabit had embraced Islam". (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif, p.17). "I acquired directly from the messenger of Allah (saw) seventy surahs when Zaid was still a childish youth - must I now forsake what I acquired directly from the messenger of Allah?" (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif, p.15).
Ibn Masud spent many years intimately with Muhammad and became a Muslim before Uthman, the third Caliph and started memorization of Quran even before Zayd was born. As mentioned before, he has been acclaimed as "the first man to speak the Quran loudly in Mecca after the apostle" according to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad's biographer. His version of Quran was well-established at Kufa while Zayd's Quran was in obscurity. He sincerely believed that his text of Quran was more authentic than that of Zayd. Ibn Masud expressed his anguish over the rejection of his Quran in a speech at Kufa:
"The people have been guilty of deceit in the reading of the Qur'an. I like it better to read according to the recitation of him (Prophet) whom I love more than that of Zayd Ibn Thabit. By Him besides Whom there is no god! I learnt more than seventy surahs from the lips of the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, while Zayd Ibn Thabit was a youth, having two locks and playing with the youth". (Ibn Sa'd, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, Vol. 2, p.444).
According to Ali Dashti, the author of famous book Twenty Three years, Zayd's Quran "was badly edited and its contents are very obtusely arranged. All students of the Quran wonder why the editors did not use the natural and logical method of ordering by date of revelation, as in Ali b. Taleb's lost copy of the text" (Dashti, Twenty Three Years, p.28)
Dashti goes on to say, "The text which was finally prepared under the supervision of a committee appointed by Uthman is regrettably not ordered in chronological sequence of the revelations. The texts in the possession of Ali b.Abi Taleb and Abdollah b. Masud were not consulted. The suras are placed illogically in order of decreasing length, when at least the Meccan suras might have been placed first and the Madinan suras last. There are also misplacements of Meccan verses inside Madinan suras and suras of Madinan verses inside Meccan suras." (Da****, Twenty Three Years, p. 173).
Dashti paid with this life for making these observations
Dashti was threatened to withdrew these remarks on Quran, but on his continued resistence, at the age of 83 he was beaten to death by Muslims in his own country, Iran.
As Dashti argued, the Quranic text of Ibn Masud was not even consulted while compiling the Zayd's version of Quran. There were numerous differences of reading between the texts of Zayd and that of Ibn Masud. In Ibn Dawud's Kitab al-Masahif they fill up no less than nineteen pages and there are at least 101 variants in the suratul-Baqarah alone.
After Zayd's Quran was standardized Caliph Uthman made copies of it and sent them to different regions of the Islamic world. The other Qurans which were already in existence were destroyed by fire.
Why other Qurans were ordered to be destroyed?
Uthman's decree to burn the Qurans destroyed all written Qurans in existence, except the Qurans of Zayd's version. But he could not erase the Ibn Masud's Quran from the memories of the people at Kufa who had recorded it. They reproduced Masud's Quran from their memories. When contrasted, between the codices of Masud and Zayd there is a wealth of differences. The extent of the variant readings between them fill up no less than three hundred and fifty pages of Arthur Jeffrey's Materials for the History of the Text of the Quran. Considering these huge amounts of differences between the versions of Quran, it is understandable why Uthman ordered to destroy all but the text he chose for Muslims.
Present Day Quran Compared to the Qurans which were destroyed by Caliph Uthman
In Ibn Masud's Quran, used by Muslims in Kufa: Surah 1,113, and 114 were missing in his collection and 1700 variations from current Quran
In Ubay Bin Kab's Quran, used by Muslims in Syria : It contains two additional surahs and an otherwise unknown verse.
In Abu Musa's Quran, used by Muslims in Basra: identical to Ubai bin Kab's Quran, not to present day Quran."
... [chart left out as will not copy]
What does it tell us about present day Quran?
Quran we have in our midst today did not originate in the lifetime of Muhammad, as Muslims want us believe. It existed in different forms in different regions of the Islamic empire before Caliph Uthman established the standardized form of Quran while consigning other versions to the flames. Quran we have now came from Thabit who relied on sources like date palms to collect his material for quran he compiled. The quran which was produced from the memories of longtime companions of Muhammad were burnt down. The Quran we got is just one of the many different versions of it that existed twenty years after the death of Muhammad. If we analyze the present day Quran we find it is an amalgamation of stories derived from Judaic, Christian, apocryphal, Zoroastrian and other sources.
Existence of different versions in different places within twenty after Muhammad's death implies that there had been no singular revelation to start with. It also demystifies the Muslims' assertion that Quran was standardized by Muhammad himself. The need for burning every copy except one shows that the copies burnt were giving a different or even contradictory message from the quran we got.
We do not have the exact copy of Gabriel's message to Muhammad. Joseph Smith, who claimed that he got his Book of Mormon through Angel Moroni did a better job in this respect in preserving the text he claimed he got.
Why No 'Uthman' in Christianity?
The New Testament has more than 20000 manuscripts. They have textual variations that crept into them due to copying. The variations crept into the manuscripts so naturally and gradually that no Christian dictator like Constantine ordered to burn all the copies of the Bible except one in Rome. Most of the variations are due to spelling mistakes. None of the variations conflict with any major doctrine of the Bible like deity of Christ, his virgin birth, his crucifixion, his resurrection, his atonement for our sins or our salvation due to justification through faith.
Conclusion: Quran is not the Word of God, but the word of man." ... [source - Quran is not the Word of God. Why?, by K.G. Paul MD, http://kgpaul.com/files/Quran_is_not_the_Word_of_God.htm ]>>>.
And,
<<Fragile: Handle with Care
<br>
Sher Khan
2005/12/14
When breakable goods are shipped, they are stamped with a distinctive sign--Fragile: Handle with Care. Even though the Quran, the holiest book on Earth, does not carry the warning, Quran-maniacal Muslims do handle it with the same attitude, as if the holy book will shatter into pieces. Apparent respect shown towards this book is not because of its contents. Instead, it has become a religious mandate, propagated by extensive propaganda and it is an exhibition of a natural human instinct to worship something, whether it be an idol or a book. Muslims believe that thawab (a spiritual reward) is earned every time a portion of the book is recited. Its a kind of credit card that offers mileage on flyingthe more you charge the card, the more points you earn.
Is the book that Muslims are holding in their hands today nothing but a replica of the master copy, which Allah has preserved in his sacred library? All Muslims of the world would unanimously vote for Yes. Their assessment is not based on facts but on a Quranic verse that says, This is a Glorious Quran, (inscribed) in a tablet preserved! (Q85:21). So, did Allah use his gigantic copier machine, creating thunder and storm, to make copies of his Quran?
Not really!
In todays world, people would reject any attempt of initiating a new religion. If someone did try, he would immediately be put in a straightjacket and sent to a psychiatric hospital. The same rule applies to Muhammad; his claim of receiving commands from Allah is an outright lie. However, for the sake of this article, lets pretend that Allah revealed the Quran.
Whenever a verse was revealed to Muhammad, it was memorized by his associates and sometimes written on pieces of wood, deerskin, palm leaves, bones, etc.
Why were those verses written on wood, deerskin, bones and palm leaves?
Historical records show that Tsai Lun, a Chinese official, reported the invention of paper to the Chinese Emperor in 105 AD, 500 years before the era of Muhammad. Recent archeological investigations, however, claim the actual invention may have been around 140-86 BC in Gansu province of China . Although the word paper came from papyrus, there is a significant difference between these two. Papyrus was a type of plant found in Egypt along the Nile River . Approximately 5000 years ago, Egyptians made flat and uniform sheets from these trees for writing purposes.
Maybe China was a little too far from Arabia and Allah was not able to help Muhammad with paper. How about using papyrus, which was available in Egypt ? In another archeological discovery, a roll of papyrus more than 2000 years old was found in Egypt . This papyrus contains 112 short poems of a Greek poet and they are in good condition. Allah could have easily commanded, O prophet! Get a bundle of papyrus and write down whats sent to thee! But it did not happen.
People used to make false a Quran when Muhammad was alive. We read in verse 2:79,
And woe unto those who write the scripture with their own hands and then say, This is from God, that they may in this way obtain a small gain. Woe unto them for what their hands have written and woe unto them for what they gain thereby!
Despite the possibility of creating a false Quran, Allah or Muhammad never thought about the importance of compiling the Quran and putting the verses in the form of a book. Apparently, the foremost method of preserving the Quran was memorization. Some verses were written on stones, bones and leaves, without realizing the fact that goats love to eat leaves. Yes, a darned animal with four legs known as a goat ate a piece of the all-powerful Allahs Quran. Narrated by Hazrat Âishah that ayat-e-Rajm and ayat Razaat were revealed, they were written on something. I kept them under the cart, meanwhile the holy prophet died and we became busy and one GOAT came and ATE those ayyat (Ibn-e-Maja).
See Part Two of of Burning of the Quran by Caliph Uthman (RA)
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