Questions:
One of the most common myths about the Qur’an, is that Uthman (r.a.), the third Caliph of Islam authenticated and compiled one Qur’an, from a large set of mutually contradicting copies. The Qur’an, revered as the Word of Allah (swt) by Muslims the world over, is the same Qur’an as the one revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It was authenticated and written under his personal supervision. We will examine the roots of the myth which says that Uthman (r.a.) had the Qur’an authenticated.
1. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself supervised and authenticated the written texts of the Qur’an Whenever the Prophet(pbuh), received a revelation, he would first memorize it himself and later declare the revelation and instruct his Companions r.a. ( radhi Alahu anhum May Allah be pleased with them) who would also memorize it. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was an Ummi who could not read and write. Therefore, after receiving each revelation, he would repeat it to his Companions. They would write down the revelation, and he would recheck by asking them to read what they had written. If there was any mistake, the Prophet would immediately point it out and have it corrected and rechecked. Similarly he would even recheck and authenticate the portions of the Qur’an memorized by the Companions. In this way, the complete Qur’an was written down under the personal supervision of the Prophet (pbuh).
2. Order and sequence of Qur’an divinely inspired
The complete Qur’an was revealed over a period of 22½ years portion by portion, as and when it was required. The Qur’an was not compiled by the Prophet in the chronological order of revelation. The order and sequence of the Qur’an too was Divinely inspired and was instructed to the Prophet by Allah (swt) through archangel Jibraeel. Whenever a revelation was conveyed to his companions, the Prophet would also mention in which surah (chapter) and after which ayat (verse) this new revelation should fit.
Every Ramadhaan all the portions of the Qur’an that had been revealed, including the order of the verses, were revised and reconfirmed by the Prophet with archangel Jibraeel. During the last Ramadhaan, before the demise of the Prophet, the Qur’an was rechecked and reconfirmed twice.
It is therefore clearly evident that the Qur’an was compiled and authenticated by the Prophet himself during his lifetime, both in the written form as well as in the memory of several of his Companions.
3. Qur’an copied on one common material
The complete Qur’an, along with the correct sequence of the verses, was present during the time of the Prophet (pbuh). The verses however, were written on separate pieces, scrapes of leather, thin flat stones, leaflets, palm branches, shoulder blades, etc. After the demise of the prophet, Abu Bakr (r.a.), the first caliph of Islam ordered that the Qur’an be copied from the various different materials on to a common material and place, which was in the shape of sheets. These were tied with strings so that nothing of the compilation was lost.
4. Uthman (r.a.) made copies of the Qur’an from the original manuscript
Many Companions of the Prophet used to write down the revelation of the Qur’an on their own whenever they heard it from the lips of the Prophet. However what they wrote was not personally verified by the Prophet and thus could contain mistakes. All the verses revealed to the Prophet may not have been heard personally by all the Companions. There were high possibilities of different portions of the Qur’an being missed by different Companions. This gave rise to disputes among Muslims regarding the different contents of the Qur’an during the period of the third Caliph Uthman (r.a.).
Uthman (r.a.) borrowed the original manuscript of the Qur’an, which was authorized by the beloved Prophet (pbuh), from Hafsha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet’s wife. Uthman (r.a.) ordered four Companions who were among the scribes who wrote the Qur’an when the Prophet dictated it, led by Zaid bin Thabit (r.a.) to rewrite the script in several perfect copies. These were sent by Uthman (r.a.) to the main centres of Muslims.
There were other personal collections of the portions of the Qur’an that people had with them. These might have been incomplete and with mistakes. Uthman (r.a.) only appealed to the people to destroy all these copies which did not match the original manuscript of the Qur’an in order to preserve the original text of the Qur’an. Two such copies of the copied text of the original Qur’an authenticated by the Prophet are present to this day, one at the museum in Tashkent in erstwhile Soviet Union and the other at the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.
5. Diacritical marks were added for non-Arabs
The original manuscript of the Qur’an does not have the signs indicating the vowels in Arabic script. These vowels are known as fatah, damma and qasra in Arabic. The Arabs did not require the vowel signs and diacritical marks for correct pronunciation of the Qur’an since it was their mother tongue. For Muslims of non-Arab origin, however, it was difficult to recite the Qur’an correctly without the vowels. These marks were introduced into the Quranic script during the time of the fifth ‘Umayyad’ Caliph, Malik-ar-Marwan (66-86 Hijri/685-705 C.E.) and during the governorship of Al-Hajaj in Iraq.
Some people argue that the present copy of the Qur’an that we have along with the vowels and the diacritical marks is not the same original Qur’an that was present at the Prophet’s time. But they fail to realize that the word ‘Qur’an’ means a recitation. Therefore, the preservation of the recitation of the Qur’an is important, irrespective of whether the script is different or whether it contains vowels. If the pronunciation and the Arabic is the same, naturally, the meaning remains the same too.
6. Allah Himself has promised to guard the Qur’an
Allah has promised in the Qur’an :
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption)."
[Al-Qur’an 15:9]
Allah is Omnipotent and Omniscient. Allah has granted knowledge of certain things to humankind. But Allah has knowledge of the seen as well as the unseen.
1. Allah has knowledge of all things
Many people believe that the Qur’an claims that Allah alone knows the sex of the child in the mother’s womb. The Glorious Qur’an says:
"Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He who sends down Rain, and He who knows what is in the wombs…." [Al-Qur’an 31:34]
A similar message is given in the following verse:
"Allah doth know what every female (womb) doth bear By how much the wombs fall short (of their time or number) or do exceed. Every single thing is before His sight, in (due) proportion."
[Al-Qur’an 13:8]
2. Sex can be determined by Ultrasonography
Today science has advanced and we can easily determine the sex of the child in the womb of a pregnant mother, using ultrasonography.
3. The word ‘sex’ is not mentioned in the verse of the Qur’an
It is true that many translations and commentaries of this verse of the Glorious Qur’an say that only Allah knows the sex of the child in the mother’s womb. If you read the Arabic text of this verse, there is no Arabic word corresponding to the English word ‘sex’. In fact the Qur’an says the knowledge of what is in the womb is with Allah alone. Many commentators have misunderstood it to mean only Allah knows the sex of the child in the womb, which is a mistake.
4. No one besides Allah can determine the nature of the child
This verse does not refer to the sex of the child in the womb but it refers to, how the child in the mother’s womb will be. How will his nature be? Will he be a blessing or a curse to his parents? Will he be a boon or a bane to the society? Will he be good or evil? Will he go to heaven or hell? The complete knowledge of all things is with Allah alone. No scientist in the world, no matter how advanced his equipment, will ever be able to accurately determine the knowledge of these things about the child in the mother’s womb.
1. Time of Allah is incomparable to earthly time
The Qur’an says in two verses, (22:47 and 32:5), that the measure of one day in the sight of Allah is equal to 1,000 years of our reckoning. In another verse (70:4) it says that the measure of one day in the sight of Allah is equal to 50,000 years of our reckoning.
These verses generally mean that the time of Allah (swt) is incomparable to the earthly time. The examples given are of one thousand years and fifty thousand years of the earthly time.
2. Yaum also means Period
The Arabic word used in all these three verses is yaum, which, besides meaning a day also means a long period, or an epoch. If you translate the word yaum correctly as ‘period’ there will be no confusion.
a) The verse from Surah Hajj reads as:
"Yet they ask thee to hasten on the Punishment! but Allah will not fail in His
promise. Verily a Day in the sight of thy Lord is like a thousand years of your
reckoning". [Al-Qur’an 22:47]
When the unbelievers asked to hasten the punishment the Qur’an says Allah
will not fail in His promise. Verily a period in the sight of Allah is like a thousand
years of your reckoning.
b) The verse from Surah Al-Sajdah says:
"He rules (all) affairs from the heavens to the earth: in the end will (all affairs) go
up? To Him, on a Day, the space whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your
reckoning". [Al-Qur’an 32:5]
This verse indicates that a period required for all the affairs to go up to Allah
(swt), is a thousand years of our reckoning.
c) A verse from Surah Al-Maarij says:
"The angels and the spirit ascend unto Him in a Day the measure whereof is
(as) fifty thousand years". [Al-Qur’an 70:4]
This verse means that the period required for angels and the spirits to ascend
unto Allah (swt) is fifty thousand years.
d) The period for two different acts need not be the same. For example the
period required for me to travel to destination ‘A’ say Vashi is one hour and
the period required for me to travel to destination ‘B’ i.e. Kashmir is 50
hours. This does not indicate that I am making two contradictory statements.
Thus the verses of the Qur’an not only do not contradict each other, they are
also in perfect harmony with established modern scientific facts.
1. Incidence of Iblis and Angels mentioned in the Qur’an
The story of Adam and Iblis is mentioned in the Qur’an in various places in which Allah (swt) says, "We said to the angels bow down to Adam: and they bowed down: not so Iblis".
This is mentioned in:
Surah Al Baqarah chapter 2 verse 43
Surah Al ‘Araf chapter 7 verse 17
Surah Al Hijr chapter 15 verses 28-31
Surah Al Isra chapter 17 verse 61
Surah Ta Ha chapter 20 verse 116
Surah Sad chapter 38 verses 71-74
But in Surah Al Kahf chapter 18 verse 50 the Qur’an says:
"Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam." they bowed down except Iblis He was one of the Jinns." [Al-Qur’an 18:50]
2. Arabic Rule Of Tagleeb
The English translation of the first part of the verse ‘We said to the angels bow down to Adam: they bowed down except Iblis’, gives us the impression that Iblis was an angel. The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic. In Arabic grammar there is a rule known as Tagleeb, according to which, if the majority is addressed, even the minority is included. If for example, I address a class containing 100 students of whom 99 are boys and one is a girl, and if I say in Arabic that the boys should stand up, it includes the girl as well. I need not mention her seperately.
Similarly in the Qur’an, when Allah addressed the angels, even Iblis was present, but it is not required that he be mentioned separately. Therefore according to that sentence Iblis may be an angel or may not be an angel, but we come to know from Surah Al Kahf chapter 18 verse 50 that Iblis was a Jinn. No where does the Qur’an say Iblis was an angel. Therefore there is no contradiction in the Qur’an.
3. Jinns have free will and can disobey Allah
Secondly, Jinns have a free will and may or may not obey Allah, but angels have no free will and always obey Allah. Therefore the question of an angel disobeying Allah does not arise. This further supplements Iblis being a Jinn and not an angel.
According to some people there is a mathematical error in the Qur’an. In chapter 4 verses 11 and 12 when you add up the different parts of inheritance given to the heirs, it is more than one. Therefore the author of the Qur’an does not know mathematics.
Answer:
The Qur’an mentions about inheritance in many places, in
Surah Al Baqarah chapter 2 verse 180
Surah Al Baqarah chapter 2 verse 240
Surah Al Nisa chapter 4 verses 7 to 9
Surah Al Nisa chapter 4 verses19 and 33
Surah Al Ma‘idah chapter 5 verses 105 and 108
Regarding the share of inheritance it is clearly given in Surah Nisa chapter 4
verse 11, 12 and 176.
Let us examine the verses quoted by these people, i.e. Surah Nisa chapter 4
verses 11 and 12:
"Allah (swt) (thus) directs you as regards your children’s(inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females: if only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; if only one, her share is a half.
For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers (or sisters) the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases is) after the payment of legacies and debts. Ye know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."
"In what your wives leave, your share is a half, if they leave no child; but if they leave child, ye get a fourth; after payment of legacies and debts. In what ye leave, their share is a fourth, if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child, they get an eighth; after payment of legacies and debts."
[Al-Qur’an 4:11-12]
Islam explains the law of inheritance in great detail. The broad and basic outline is given in the Qur’an and the minute details are given in the Ahadith i.e. the tradition and sayings of the Prophet (pbuh).
A person can spend his full life only on the research of the Islamic law of inheritance with its various permutations and combinations. Some people expect to know the law only by superficially reading two verses of the Qur’an without knowing the criteria.
It is similar to a person who wants to solve a mathematical equation but does not know the basic rule of mathematics, i.e. BODMAS which says that in a
mathematical equation, irrespective of which mathematical sign appears first, you will first solve BODMAS: 1st Brackets Off, 2nd Division, 3rd Multiplication, 4th Addition and 5th Subtraction. If people do not know mathematics and first does multiplication then subtraction, then brackets off, then division and finally addition, the answer that he will obtain is bound to be wrong.
Similarly, when the Qur’an mentions the law of inheritance in Surah Nisa chapter 4 verses 11 and 12, even though the children’s share is mentioned first and then that of the parents and spouses, according to the law of inheritance in Islam after paying off the debts and liabilities first, the share is given to the spouses and the parents depending on whether the deceased has left children or not, and whatever portion of wealth is remaining is divided between the sons and the daughters according to their respective shares.
So where does the question arise of the total coming to more than one? So it is not Allah who does not know mathematics but it is the people themselves who are ignorant about mathematics.
Is the translation of English sufficiently accurate?
Well actually no language can adequately translate the Qur’an. The Qur’an is only in Arabic, it is the formula of the revelation itself. However the meanings of the Quran can be rendered into various languages, so that’s all it is a rendering; it is not a translation.
As Muslims we believe that the Qur’an is the word of God it was revealed through God through the angel Gabrielle to Muhammad (pbuh) as a way of being memorized in his heart and being shared with mankind. It was not written by man, it was not composed by Muhammad (pbuh) it was shared through him to humanity and we believe that any contradictions that would be found in the Qur’an are contradictions that would be found either in a misunderstanding of the linguistic premise of the Qur’an or that there is a contradiction due to our perceived knowledge at this moment but latter on in life other things may be uncovered.As for contradictions in terms of its meaning; you will not find a contradiction. You will not find a contradiction in the general theme of the Qur’an, you will not find a place in the Qur’an that says drink and another place that says do not drink. Contradictions that people may mistake as being contradictions are things where they have misunderstood simply because they are human beings. So there are no contradictions in the Quran and we are confident in that regard.
As for if such an error or contradiction were to be found what would it mean for Islam? That is a question that will never need an answer. As Muslims we believe that the Qur’an in its totality does not have any error or contradiction. If a human being at a particular moment in history misunderstands something from it then that is a personal error and not an error of the Creator or of the Qur’an.
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