Quran Preservation & Compilation -4 (under ‘Uthman)

 

نشرت بواسطة: Waqar Akbar Cheema 11:12 PM في burn , burnt , manuscripts , qur , Qur'an , Qur'an Preservation and Compilation , Quran , Quran compilation , Quran scribes , Recitals , usman , uthman , warsh , writing 8 تعليقات

We have actually seen in earlier posts of this series that Qur’an was put into written record during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet –may Allah bless him- but it was scattered. During the time of Abu Bakr –may Allah be pleased with him- the circumstances demanded for making an official copy of the Qur’anic text which was done by a committee headed by Zaid bin Thabit –may Allah be pleased with him. Today we discuss the the steps taken by ‘Uthman in this regard.

The background:

The manuscripts prepared under Abu Bakr –may Allah be pleased with him- remained in his custody as long as he lived. After his death they were kept with ‘Umar –may Allah be pleased with him- and when he was martyred they went to Hafsa –may Allah be pleased with her- who was not only the daughter of ‘Umar but also the widow of the Holy Prophet –may Allah bless him.

During the rule of ‘Uthman Muslim conquests reached regions like Armenia and Azerbijan. So with Islam reaching many non-Arab nations the differences in recitation of the Qur’an got manifest. Following report says about it;

Anas ibn Malik reported that Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman came to 'Uthman while the people of Syria were conquering Armenia and Azerbaijan with the people of Iraq. Hudhayfa was alarmed by the difference in their recitation. Hudhayfa said to 'Uthman, "Amir al-Mu'minin! Deliver this Community before they disagree about the Book as the Jews and Christians differed!" So 'Uthman sent a message to Hafsa, saying, "Send us the pages in your possession and we will copy them and then return them to you." So Hafsa sent them to 'Uthman. He ordered Zayd ibn Thabit, 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, Sa'id ibn al-'As, and 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham to transcribe copies. 'Uthman said to the group of the three Qurashis, "When you and Zayd ibn Thabit disagree about any of the Qur'an, write it in the dialect of Quraysh. It was revealed in their language." They did that. When they had copied it out, 'Uthman returned the pages to Hafsa and he sent a copy of what they had copied out to every region and commanded that every sheet or copy which had any other form of the Qur'an should be burned. (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 4604)

The problems that caused consternation:

This was certainly perturbing. There were basically two issues that caused consternation.

1) People started reciting Qur’an in their own dialects. Even though this did not change the meanings and was tolerated earlier but with more and more diversity of nations among Muslims the problem was showing its teeth and it was now feared that in some time people will start to have startling differences in Qur’anic rendering which could potentially cause great trouble in later times.

Example of such differences can be the fact that Banu Qays read the letter ك as ش. This was referred to us “Kashkasha Qays.” Or Banu Tamim would render the word أن as عن. This was called, “’An’ana Tamim.” This was the state of affairs among Arabs; one can imagine how things could go out of control with non-Arabs coming in. The above and more on it can be found in Shaykh Tahir bin Salih al-Jaza’iri’s al-Tibyan fi Mabahith al-Quran p.52

The issue was that if someone were to produce his own manuscript considering such “anomalous” writing conventions, with the passage of time it was sure to cause a lot of fuss.

2) In certain cases slight variation was sanctioned by the Prophet –may Allah bless him- himself and there was to be no issue with it but some people make grave charges against each other because of it. e.g. in Surah 1 verse 4 one may read the word as “Maalik” with a long vowel (Kitabul Masahif, 239 Narrated by Anas) or simply “Malik” with a short vowel (Durr Manthur 1/6 cf. Ibn al-Anbari Narrated by Anas). They are more examples of this kind.

Now naturally people who had mastered any of the allowed renderings or pronounced words differently from the convention of the Quraysh, which is followed to this day, made their private manuscripts like that and taught their students likewise. This meant that without taking due steps things were to get out of control and could give way to serious issues in the times to follow.

Agreement to make one standard Mushaf:

‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- raised the issue with fellow companions and asked for their intake. Once asked about his own opinion he, as reported by ‘Ali –may Allah be pleased with him- said:

“I see that we bring people to a single Mushaf so that there is neither division nor discord”. And we said, “An excellent proposal.” (Ibn Abi Dawud’s Kitab al-Masahif, Hadith 62. Classified as Sahih by Ibn Hajr in Fath al-Bari)

An independent manuscript was arranged:

As reported by Kathir bin Aflah, a twelve member committee was formed to oversee the task. (Kitab al-Masahif, Hadith 72. Classified as Sahih by Ibn Kathir)

This committee did not simply considered the Official Qur’anic Manuscripts prepared under Abu Bakr –Allah be pleased with him- infact they prepared an independent Manuscript repeating the same practice as carried out during the time of Abu Bakr –may Allah be pleased with him.

Mus’ab bin Sa’d reported: ‘Uthman delievered a sermon to the people and said: Your prophet did (just) fifteen years ago and you differ regarding Qur’an. Bring to me anything you have from the Qur’an that he heard from the Messenger of Allah –may Allah bless him. Then it started that a man would come to him with writing on pieces of board and shoulder-blades and parchments. So whoever came to him with something, he asked: “Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah –may Allah bless him?” Then he asked, “Who is best in language among the people?” They said, “Sa’id bin al-‘As.” Then he asked, “Who is the best in writing among the people?” They said, “Zaid bin Thabit.” He said. “Then let Zaid write and Sa’id dictate.” And then he got the Musahif written and sent to various cities. And I did not see anyone objecting to it. (Kitabul Masahif, Hadith 67. Classified as Sahih by Dr. Muhibuddin Wa’iz)

Comparison with what was accomplished during the time of Abu Bakr:

So exactly same method was employed and the whole text collected again from the scattered pieces prepared in the presence of the Qur’an. This was very much like what was done during the time of Abu Bakr –may Allah be pleased with him.

The reason why ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- took all this trouble again is same as explained with reference to Orientalist Bergstrasser in the discussion about Abu Bakr’s contribution.

Similarity:

Zaid bin Thabit -may Allah be pleased with him- who was in charge of both the endeavors testified that after making independent Mushaf during the time of ‘Uthman he compared it with what was prepared during Abu Bakr’s time and found them exactly similar. He said:

“I compared the Mushaf with those manuscripts; they did not differ in anything.” (Mushkil al-Athar, Hadith 2645)

So this also serves as a testimony for the extreme care taken and robustness of the methodology that a practice was repeated twice and there was no discrepancy at all. And all praise be to Allah!

Unique Achievements:

As to the unique accomplishments of ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- consider the following points.

1. During the time of Abu Bakr Surahs were not arranged. Surah arrangement was done during ‘Uthman’s time- may Allah be pleased with them both. See Mustadrak al-Hakim Hadith 2901.

This is also supported by the fact that in Sahih Bukhari the narration from Zaid bin Thabit about the project under Abu Bakr uses the plural word “Suhuf” (Manuscripts) while in his own report about the work done under ‘Uthman, he uses the singular “Mushaf” (Manuscript) showing that during Abu Bakr’s time a manuscript was prepared for each Surah and they were not arranged as such.

2. Special attention was paid to the fact that Qur’an is written in such a way that all the authentic ways of recitation are taken care of. Dialectical marks were not put, nor were the dots this allowed multiple warranted ways recitation.

3. During the time of Abu Bakr, only one official copy was prepared. ‘Uthman made multiple copies and sent them to all provincial headquarters –may Allah be pleased with them both. According to Abu Hatim al-Sajistani in total seven manuscripts were prepared and sent one each to Makkah, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Basra and Kufa and one was kept at Medina. See Kitabul Masahif, Narration 94.

How the problems were solved:

We mentioned two problems that highlighted the expediency for what was achieved during ‘Uthman’s time –may Allah be pleased with him.

Solution to Problem 1:

Problem 1 was solved by ensuring that spelling convention of only the Quraysh is followed. As clear from the Hadith from Sahih Bukhari quoted above which clearly says;

'Uthman said to the group of the three Qurashis, "When you and Zayd ibn Thabit disagree about any of the Qur'an, write it in the dialect of Quraysh. It was revealed in their language."

Also note that the person appointed to dictate i.e. Sa’id bin al’As was from the Quraysh.

This point needs a clarification. The possible difference was certainly about the spelling convention and not the wording itself. Following narration proves it;

“One day they differed if it was التابوت or التابوه. Men from Quraysh said it was التابوت while Zaid said it was التابوه. This difference was brought to ‘Uthman. He said write التابوت for Qur’an was revealed in the language of the Quraysh.” (Kanzul Ummal, Hadith 4775 cf. Ibn Sa’d, Tirmidhi etc.)

This shows it was only about spelling convention and not the wording itself.

Solution to Problem 2:

Problem 2 was solved because of the writing convention as it incorporated all the valid readings. Besides with each manuscript was sent a person with sound and profound knowledge of the Sunnah ways of recitation. See History of the Qur’anic Text p.95 cf. Abdul Fattah al-Qadi’s al-Qiraat fi Nazar al-Mustashriqin

Uthman did not destroy anything:

Many people have a misconception that ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- destroyed something that was in vogue during his time and before him.

This is false for multiple reasons.

1. As we saw, Zaid bin Thabit made comparison between the manuscript made under ‘Uthman and the the ones made under Abu Bakr –may Allah be pleased with them all- and said:

“I compared the Mushaf with those manuscripts; they did not differ in anything.” (Mushkil al-Athar, Hadith 2645)

And no one has ever said that Abu Bakr destroyed anything from or about the Qur’an. And with above narration under consideration, the only reasonable conclusion is that neither did ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with them both.

2. Following two narrations need special attention.

‘Ali said, “Do not speak of ‘Uthman anything but good because by Allah, whatever he did concerning the Masahif he did in our presence. He asked us, ‘What do you say regarding these recitations for it has reached me that some say to the others, ‘our recitation is better than yours’ even though this takes one towards disbelief?’ We said to him, ‘what is your opinion?’ He said, ‘I see that we should make all people recognize one Mushaf then there will be no difference or discord.’ We said, ‘An excellent proposal.’” (Kitabul Masahif, Hadith 62. Classified as Sahih by Dr. Wa’iz)

Narrated Anas: People differed about the Qur’an during the time of ‘Uthman to the extent that even teachers and children had differences. This reached ‘Uthman. He said, “You deny (valid recitations) in my presence and make mistakes in that. Those away from me must be more violent in denying and making mistakes. O companions of Muhammad! Come together and write for the people a manuscript to be followed.” (al-Ittiqan 1/69)

So evidently ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- was only looking to preserve all the valid recitations and do away with mistakes being made in them (recall problems 1 & 2). If he was to destroy anything it was only something that could potentially give way to differences and deny the warranted slight variations.

(in-sha-Allah! A detailed paper explaining the idea of slight variations to follow soon)

Burning of the Manuscripts:

With above details in mind we can now easily fathom the reason as to why ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- burnt some manuscripts.

They were certainly personal manuscripts that did not incorporate within their spelling convention all of warranted multiple readings. This could lead later generations studying Qur’an from those manuscripts to maintain that only what their manuscripts read was true and they might have resorted to same denial which ‘Uthman feared.

In personal manuscripts there might have been instances where a person followed his tribal spelling convention. It was feared that if studied by someone not cognizant of the details and basis of the writing that way, it could again lead to serious problems.

So considering the above ‘Uthman –may Allah be pleased with him- decided to destroy all sources of the potential threat in the form of personal manuscripts. And in this endeavor he had the support of the companions of the Prophet.

Mus’ab bin Sa’d reported: “I saw a large number of people present when ‘Uthman burnt the manuscripts. They liked it.” He (further) said, “And not one of them opposed it.” (Kitabul Masahif, Hadith 33. Classified as Sahih by Ibn Kathir and Dr. Wa’iz)

The companions were on board:

The whole idea was not Uthman’s brainchild, nor was it imposed in a dictatorial fashion. It was a collective affair and the task was as such collectively achieved and people were taken on board.

About the Mushaf prepared we learn that, “then it was read to the Companions in the presence of ‘Uthman.” (Ibn Kathir’s Fadhail al-Qur’an 1/89)

With regards to Uthman’s endeavors to make all people follow one manuscript ‘Ali –may Allah be pleased with him- said: “By Allah, if I were in charge of the affairs, I would have done what has been done.” (Kitabul Masahif, Hadith 62. Classified as Sahih by Dr. Wa’iz)

The only person to have reservations about the endeavors of ‘Uthman was Abdullah bin Mas’ud –may Allah be pleased with them him. In-sha-Allah in the next post we discuss the issue of his reaction; reasons for it, implications and misconceptions.

Indeed Allah knows the best!

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Quran Preservation & Compilation -3 (under Abu Bakr)

 

نشرت بواسطة: Waqar Akbar Cheema 3:50 PM في Abu Bakr , bukhari , compilation , fath al-bari , islam , ittiqan , Koran , Kuran , Muhammad , Qur'an , Qur'an Preservation and Compilation , Quran preservation , Umar , yamama , Zaid 1 تعليق واحد

In the last post of this series we discussed the circumstances during the time of Abu Bakr (RA) which lead him to seek the compilation of Qur’an in one binding. Today let’s analyze as to what he did and how actually;

Back drop in brief:

Although we discussed the back drop of this endeavor earlier as well but here is a quick recap;

Narrated Zaid bin Thabit Al-Ansari: Abu Bakr sent for me after the (heavy) casualties among the warriors (of the battle) of Yamama (where a great number of Qurra' were killed). 'Umar was present with Abu Bakr who said, 'Umar has come to me and said, The people have suffered heavy casualties on the day of (the battle of) Yamama, and I am afraid that there will be more casualties among the Qurra' (those who know the Qur'an by heart) at other battle-fields, whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost, unless you collect it. And I am of the opinion that you should collect the Qur'an." Abu Bakr added, "I said to 'Umar, 'How can I do something which Allah's Messenger has not done?' 'Umar said (to me), 'By Allah, it is (really) a good thing.' So 'Umar kept on pressing, trying to persuade me to accept his proposal, till Allah opened my bosom for it and I had the same opinion as 'Umar." (Zaid bin Thabit added:) Umar was sitting with him (Abu Bakr) and was not speaking. me). "You are a wise young man and we do not suspect you (of telling lies or of forgetfulness): and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger. Therefore, look for the Qur'an and collect it (in one manuscript). “By Allah, if he (Abu Bakr) had ordered me to shift one of the mountains (from its place) it would not have been harder for me than what he had ordered me concerning the collection of the Qur'an. I said to both of them, "How dare you do a thing which the Prophet has not done?" Abu Bakr said, "By Allah, it is (really) a good thing. So I kept on arguing with him about it till Allah opened my bosom for that which He had opened the bosoms of Abu Bakr and Umar. So I started locating Qur’anic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leaf-stalks of date palms and from the memories of men (who knew it by heart). (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul Tafir, Hadith 4603)

Why Zaid (RA)?

Here are some of the reasons for charging Zaid (RA) with this endeavor.

1. His intelligence and youth which indicates vibrancy and energy. The report says; ‘You are a wise young man.’

2. His being an upright person. The report says; ‘we do not suspect you (of telling lies or of forgetfulness.’

3. The fact that he had been a scribe of the Prophet (PBUH). The report says; ‘you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger.’ [In the first post of this series we saw narrations from him explaining the recording of revelation in the presence of the Prophet]

4. He had attended Angel Gabriel’s recitation to the Prophet during the last Ramadan. See al-Tibyan p.126. This signifies that he was well aware of the different ‘ahruf’ and about the abrogated etc.

The Challenge for Zaid; what he did and why?

As clear from Zaid’s own words this was an arduous task because it involved the Word of Allah, so he had to be very clear and careful about what he was to do.

The methodology employed was derived from the Islamic law of Witnesses i.e. Qur’an 2:282 and reason. At least two written witnesses were required for every single verse that was to be included in the first complete official Mushaf.

We read in Ibn Abi Dawud’s Al-Masahif;

Abu Bakr told Umar and Zaid, “Sit at the entrance of the mosque. When one brings you something from the Book of Allah with two witnesses, then record it.” (Kitabul Masahif, Hadith 18)

Its narrators are authentic with a disconnection but it has many supporting evidences recorded in Suyuti’s Durr Manthur and Ahmad’s Musnad.

The aim was to bring together the best possible fool proof evidences.

1. He definitely employed his own memory.

2. Umar (RA) was with him, so surely he must have referred to what was preserved in his memory too.

3. Bilal roomed the streets of Medina and asked the Companions of the Prophet to bring the verses recorded with Prophet’s dictation. (Kitab as-Saba’ fil Qir’at li Ibn Mujahid , with research by Dr. Shauqi Da’if pub. Darul Ma’rif, Cairo , p.6)

Evidently this was done to ensure that all people do participate and nothing is left out of the Qur’an.

4. At least two written witnesses were required. Commenting on narration from Ibn Abi Dawud Hafiz Ibn Hajr says,

“The intention was to accept only what had been written in the Prophet’s presence, not relying on one’s memory alone.” (Fath al-Bari 14/193)

5. The reason why Zaid (RA) and co. sought only for the texts written in the presence of the Prophet is merely logical. As German orientalist Bergstrasser said about manuscript gradation;

a) If the original is extant, any copy scribed from this loses all significance.

b) Older copies were generally more reliable than newer ones. (Usul Naqd an-Nusus wa Nashr al-Kutub, Darul Kutab, Cairo, 1995 p. 14, 20)

Obviously any personally prepared manuscripts with the Companions could not equal the one prepared in the presence of the Prophet.

Answering a query:

Using the word of the narration from Sahih Bukhari some people bring a doubt. It’s about the statement;

‘So I started locating Qur’anic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leaf-stalks of date palms and from the memories of men.’

Al-Zarkashi responds to this;

“This statement has lead few to suppose that no one had memorized the Qur’an in its entirety during Prophet’s lifetime, and that claims of Zaid and Ubayy bin K’ab having done so are unfounded. But his is erroneous. What Zaid means in fact is that he sought out verses from scattered sources, to collate them against the recollections of the huffaz. In this way everyone participated in the collection process. No one possessing any portion of it was left out, and so one had any reason to express concern about the verses collected, nor could anyone complain that the text had been gathered from only a select few.” (Al-Burhan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’an 1/238 pub. Darul Ahya al-Kutb al-Arabiyya, Cairo 1957)

Further Hafiz Ibn Hajr comments;

“Abu Bakr had not authorized him to record except what was already available [in written]. For this reason Zaid refrained from including the last verse of Surah Bara’a until he came upon it in written form, even though he and his fellow Companions could recall it perfectly well from memory.” (Fath al-Bari 14/193)

For a detailed response on the issue of the last two verses of Surah Bara’a [Al-Tawba], please see THIS.

Peculiarities of the collection under Abu Bakr (RA):

1. Although the verses were arranged according to instruction of the Prophet (PBUH) the Surahs were not compiled in the single copy. Infact each Surah was on a separate copy. See Mustadrak Al-Hakim, Hadith 2854. Its significance will be discussed when we discuss the compilation under Uthman (RA).

2. The seven Ahruf were preserved in it. See Manahil al-‘Irfan 1/246-247

3. It did not have any abrogated verse.

4. The purpose to produce this master Mushaf, called Al-Umm too (according to Al-Ittiqan), was to have a reference that is free from errors that could creep into personal endeavors of the same nature.

All these details not only tell us about the history of Qur’an compilation but also of the extreme care taken by the people involved with the text. If we compare the Bible’s history with this we come to know that in Bible's case it’s all mere conjecture and wishful guesses. All praise belongs to Allah who preserved His Final Word from such a fate!

Insha’Allah in the next post we shall discuss the compilation under Uthman (RA).

Works I referred to:

Other than the books referenced in the article I extracted material from the following works.

--Azmi, Muhammad Mustafa: History of the Qur’anic Text from Revelation to Compilation, (Suhail Academy Lahore, 2005)

--Usmani, Muhammad Taqi: ‘Uloom al-Qur’an, (Makteba Darul ‘Uloom Karachi, 2008)

--Gilani, Syed Manazir Ahsan: Tadwin Qur’an, (Makteba al-Bukhari Karachi, 2005)

INDEED ALLAH KNOWS THE BEST!

Quran Preservation & Compilation -2 (Circumstances during Abu Bakr's time)

 

نشرت بواسطة: Waqar Akbar Cheema 10:18 AM في Abu Bakr , compilation , huzaifa , ibn abi dawud , martyres , masahif , preservation , Qur'an Preservation and Compilation , Quran , quran lost , Umar , yamama , yamamah , zuhri 8 تعليقات

During the time of Abu Bakr (RA) circumstances asked for the collection of various writings to be gathered in one compilation. Following narration gives an account of it;

Narrated Zaid bin Thabit Al-Ansari: Abu Bakr sent for me after the (heavy) casualties among the warriors (of the battle) of Yamama (where a great number of Qurra' were killed). 'Umar was present with Abu Bakr who said, 'Umar has come to me and said, The people have suffered heavy casualties on the day of (the battle of) Yamama, and I am afraid that there will be more casualties among the Qurra' (those who know the Qur'an by heart) at other battle-fields, whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost, unless you collect it.

And I am of the opinion that you should collect the Qur'an." Abu Bakr added, "I said to 'Umar, 'How can I do something which Allah's Messenger has not done?' 'Umar said (to me), 'By Allah, it is (really) a good thing.' So 'Umar kept on pressing, trying to persuade me to accept his proposal, till Allah opened my bosom for it and I had the same opinion as 'Umar." (Zaid bin Thabit added:) Umar was sitting with him (Abu Bakr) and was not speaking. me). "You are a wise young man and we do not suspect you (of telling lies or of forgetfulness): and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger. Therefore, look for the Qur'an and collect it (in one manuscript). “By Allah, if he (Abu Bakr) had ordered me to shift one of the mountains (from its place) it would not have been harder for me than what he had ordered me concerning the collection of the Qur'an. I said to both of them, "How dare you do a thing which the Prophet has not done?" Abu Bakr said, "By Allah, it is (really) a good thing. So I kept on arguing with him about it till Allah opened my bosom for that which He had opened the bosoms of Abu Bakr and Umar. So I started locating Qur’anic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leaf-stalks of date palms and from the memories of men (who knew it by heart). (Sahih Bukhari, Kitabul Tafir, Hadith 4603)

The Martyrs of Battle of Yamama and frustration of Polemicists & Missionaries:

The Hadith above says that martyrdom of a number of Qur’a (Reciters) in the Battle of Yamama happened to be the final stimulus for the compilation of Qur’an into a single codex. The way it has been dealt with by the Missionaries and polemicists shows their absolute frustration. On one hand the likes of Schwally, Richard Bell and Montgomery Watt suggested that the traditions about it are subject to much criticism and argued that there were hardly any considerable reciters among those who fell at Yamama. One of them writes;

‘In the lists of those who fell in that campaign, very few are mentioned who were likely to have had much of the Qur’an Qur’an by heart’. And further that; ‘those killed were mostly recent converts.’ (Montgomery Watt: Bell’s Introduction to the Qur’an, Chapter 3: Online Source)

And on the other hand some of them tend to convey that too many reciters were killed in the Battle and some parts of the Qur’an were lost with their death as only they knew it.

‘A great majority of the Qur'anic reciters had been killed at al-Yamama, forever taking with them portions of the Qur'an that only they knew.’ (Sam Shamoun: Compilation of the Qur’an. Online Source)

This is a perfect manifestation of the incoherent approach these people have towards Islamic sources. All they know is to seek to find fault with the Qur’an and Hadith one way or the other.

Infact both these contentions are wrong. Some of the important Qur’a (Reciters) were indeed martyred in this battle and thus Umar’s (RA) emphasis for the compilation of the Qur’an. Among the martyrs were Abu Khuzaifa, Salim (one of the four known for their extensive knowledge of Qur’an), Zaid bin Khattab, Thabit bin Qais, Tufail bin ‘Amr, Yazeed bin Thabit, Saib bin Awwam etc. All these were known for their profound knowledge of the Qur’an. Excluding these the martyrs included 18 Emigrants (Muhajireen), of the Ansar 20 were those who participated in Battle of Badr, 10 were such as who fought at Uhud (For the complete list of martyrs of Yamama see Ibn Kathir’s Al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya and Ibn Athir’s Al-Kamil) This proves, the contention of the well known Orientalists that martyrs were mostly ‘recent converts’ is totally rubbish and a manifestation of their superficial knowledge of Islamic sources.

But at the same time to assume that all the people who learnt the whole of Qur’an by heart lost their lives is also fallacious. No part of the Qur’an was lost with the death of some Qur’a (Reciters) because no matter how many they were, there still remained people who had memorized the whole of Qur’an.

Sam Shamoun refers to a narration in Ibn Abi Dawud’s Al-Masahif which reads;

Zuhri reports, 'We have heard that many Qur'an passages were revealed but that those who had memorised them fell in the Yemama fighting. Those passages had not been written down, and following the deaths of those who knew them, were no longer known; nor had Abu Bakr, nor `Umar nor `Uthman as yet collected the texts of the Qur'an. Those lost passages were not to be found with anyone after the deaths of those who had memorised them. This, I understand, was one of the considerations which impelled them to pursue the Qur'an during the reign of Abu Bakr, committing it to sheets for fear that there should perish in further theatres of war men who bore much of the Qur'an which they would take to the grave with them on their fall, and which, with their passing, would not be found with any other. (Ibn Abi Dawud’s Al-Masahif 1/80 Narration 65, Translation from Sam Shamoun’s page)

The fact is this narration is not valid according to the rules of narration as Zuhri was not the eye witness nor has he mentioned as to what is his source of information. He rather narrates with the word بلغنا i.e. ‘it has reached us’ and a narration this way is not acceptable. Even if he had actually related it on the authority of someone who was the eyewitness and had not listened from personally the narration would still have been unauthentic while in this case nothing is known about his source the narration is totally unreliable.

Moreover it also goes against other more rigorous narrations about the people who had memorized the whole of the Qur’an and did not die in the Battle.

Suyuti has quoted a narration of Nasai’ and authenticated it that Abdullah bin Umar (RA) had memorized the whole of the Qur’an during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and we know he did not die at Yamama. Moreover others who had memorized the whole of Qur’an and lived after Yamama include Ubayy bin Ka’b, Abu Ayub Ansari, Ubadah bin Samit, M’az bin Jabal, Abu Darda (RA). (Al-Ittiqan 1/56 Section 20)

These are just a few names recorded in just one book, Al-Ittiqan by Suyuti, clearly mentioning that they had memorized the whole of the Qur’an during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). These are enough to show that the narration of Zuhri brought forward by Sam Shamoun is baseless. There are other evidences that more companions had actually memorized the whole of Qur’an during Prophet’s (PBUH) lifetime.

Did only four people memorize Qur’an during the Prophet’s (PBUH) lifetime?

Sam Shamoun following the footsteps of his predecessor liars uses a narration from Sahih Muslim to suggest that when Zaid (RA) undertook the task of compiling the whole of the Qur’an at one place other codices were already in circulation. The narration goes as:

Anas is reported to have said: Four persons collected the Qur'an during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and all of them were Ansar: Mu'adh b. Jabal, Ubayy b. Ka'b, Zaid b. Thabit, Abu Zaid. Qatada said: Anas, who was Abu Zaid? He said: He was one of my uncles. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 4507)

There are many flaws in the assertion of Sam Shamoun:

1) The narration only relates to rendering the whole of the Qur’an to memory and not putting it in codices. The detailed discussion in Al-Ittiqan clarifies this.

2) The apparent meaning of the narration cannot be true as many companions had memorized the Qur’an in full while the Prophet (PBUH) was alive. The names given under the previous heading testify to it. The fact is Anas (RA) said this in a particular context and it relates to Ansar only. The following narration, referred to by Ibn Hajr as well, clarifies this;

‘Two families of Aws and Khazrij boasted about their superiority over the other. The Aws said, four of us have been of great esteem. One for whom Allah’s throne trembled, he was Sa’d bin M’az. Second, whose testimony was considered equal to two, he is Khuzaima bin Thabit. Third whom the angels gave the (funeral) bath, he is Hanzala bin Abi Aamir. And fourth whose body was saved by the bees from being taken by the infidels, he is Asim bin Thabit. The Khazrij said four of us memorized the whole of Qur’an and no one except them memorized the whole of it. Then Anas (RA) named the four.’ (Al-Ittiqan 1/171 Section 20)

As per this, it was only a comparison between two tribes of Ansar and thus it ought to be considered with respect to them only and not the Muhajireen (Emigrants).

Moreover we also ought to consider what Al-Maziri argued about this narration for he made really a valid point when he said;

‘The saying of Anas (RA) does not prove that except these four no other companion had memorized the whole of Qur’an and that his saying is the ultimate truth because here his words merely imply that Anas (RA) did not know anyone except these four to have memorized the whole of the Qur’an. And while the companions had spread in different cities how could it have been possible for Anas (RA) to know (about each one of them)? It would be possible only if Anas (RA) had met each of them individually and asked him if he had collected the whole of Qur’an during the Prophet’s (PBUH) lifetime and if each of them had replied in negative. This is obviously out of question and if this statement is taken only to be according to the knowledge of Anas (RA) then it does not mean his statement is actually true.’ (Al-Ittiqan 1/170 Section 20)

Was there any Mushaf in circulation before Abu Bakr (RA) decided to undertake the task?

1) Was Salim (RA) the freed slave of Abu Huzaifa the first person to collect Qur’an in a Mushaf?

Sam Shamoun uses a narration recorded in Al-Ittiqan to convey that Salim, the freed slave of Huzaifa and not Abu Bakr was the first one to collect the whole of Qur’an in one codex. The narration goes as;

‘Ibn Buraida said, the first person to collect the Qur’an in one codex (Mushaf) was Salim, the freed slave of Huzaifa.’

But displaying his unmatchable ‘skill’ of intellectual dishonestly he fails to either quote the criticism on this narration by the author of Al-Ittiqan or to dare challenge his criticism. Infact Al-Suyuti, the author himself says before quoting this narration;

‘The most strange narration about the first person to collect the Qur’an (in one Mushaf) is the one narrated by Ibn Ashta in his Kitabul Masahif…’ and then he related the narration in question.

This is not all, just after the narration Al-Suyuti categorically says;

‘Its chain is disconnected.’ See Al-Ittiqan 1/145 Section 18.

2) Was Ali (RA) the first one to organize a complete Mushaf of the Qur’an?

Someone may refer to narrations about Ali’s (RA) having compiled the whole of the Qur’an before the official endeavor. Here are a couple of narrations in this regard and truth about them;

Ibn Abi Dawud narrated from Ibn Sirin that he said; ‘Ali (RA) used to say that when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) died I made a firm conviction that I’ll put on an extra sheet of cloth except for Friday prayers until I gather the (whole of) Qur’an so I did it.’

But this narration is not an evidence for its weakness. Suyuti quotes Ibn Hajr to have said; ‘This narration is Da’if for it is disconnected (in chain) and even if it is considered Sahih it conveys that Ali (RA) meant to say he memorized the Qur’an.’ (Al-Ittiqan 1/144 Section 18)

Another narration on the same lines reads;

‘Ikrama narrated, After giving allegiance to Abu Bakr (RA) Ali (RA) stayed at home. Abu Bakr (RA) was told that Ali (RA) disliked giving allegiance to him. Abu Bakr (RA) called for Ali (RA) and asked him, ‘Did you dislike giving allegiance to me?’ Ali (RA) replied, ‘By Allah this is not case.’ Abu Bakr (RA) inquired, ‘Why then you did not come to me?’ Ali (RA) said, ‘I saw additions being done to the Book of Allah thus I made my mind not to take on an extra sheet of cloth except for Salah until I gather it.’ Hearing this Abu Bakr said, ‘That’s a good you hit upon.’ (Al-Ittiqan 1/144 Section 18)

Regarding this narration following points ought to be considered;

1) ‘Ikarma does not mention the person on whose authority he says this while this is certain that he was not there during the days of Abu Bakr (RA).

2) This narration does not imply that he actually prepared the codex but simply that he learnt the whole of Qur’an by heart.

3) This even goes against an authentic narration from Ali (RA) himself in which he said;

‘Concerning Musahif (codices) the greatest reward will be for Abu Bakr. May Allah have mercy on Abu Bakr for; he is the first one to gather (the Book of Allah) between two bindings.’ (Ibn Abu Dawud’s Al-Masahif 1/16-20 Hadith 8-12)

Al-Suyuti quoted and authenticated it in Al-Ittiqan 1/144 Section 18 calling it Hasan.

All these details debunk the myths created by the missionaries who study without any justified methodology and whose only aim is to seek trouble with Qur’an. Let us ensure them that all such endeavors will only bring shame to them.

In the next post we discuss the actual compilation of Qur'an and its details during the days of Abu Bakr (RA).

INDEED ALLAH KNOWS THE BEST!