1: Qur’an is Pure of Any Falsification
Qur'an is not Falsified
Regardless of propagandas against Shi’aa, we believe that this Qur'an which is in our hands and other Muslims of the world is exact the same Qur'an which descended to our holy Prophet (s.a.) and not even a word of that has been changed, added or reduced.
We have written this matter clearly in lots of our books in essentials, interpretation and other subjects and proved it by logical and cited proofs.
We believe that, in consensus of Muslim scholars (Sonni and Shi’aa), nothing has been added to Qur'an and most of researchers of both sides say that nothing has been reduced from it.
Some persons of both groups believe that something reduced from Qur'an, which their expressions are not reliable to famous scholars of Islam.
Two Books from Two Groups
One of those persons is “Ibn Khatib” from Egypt who is one of Ahl -e- Sonnat and has a book named “Alforghan fi Tahrif -e- Qur'an” (Difference in falsification of Qur'an) which published in 1948. Al Azhar University noticed at the time and collected and destroyed the issues, but some of them find the way to the hands of people illegally.
Also there is another book named “Fasl Alkhetab fi Tahrif -e- Ketab -e- Rab Alarbab” (An expression in falsification of the book of almighty god) which is written by one of Hadith tellers of Shi’aa, Hajji Noori, and published in 1874. This book denied by Najaf Islamic School as soon as it published and collected, also afterwards several books has been written in denial of that. Some of great scholars who wrote a book in this issue are:
The great Faqih the late Sheikh Mahmood Ibn Abi Ghasem, known as Moarrab -e- Tehrani (died 1895) with the book “Kashf Alertiab fi Adame -e- Tahrif -e- Ketab” (Eliminating any doubts about not falsification of Qur'an).
The late Allame Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Shahrestani (died 1897) with the “Hefz Alketab Alsharif an Shobhat Alghol Beltahrif” (Maintaining the holy book from the word of falsification) in denial of Hajji Noori’s book.
The late Allame Balaghi (died 1933), one of researchers from Najaf Islamic school, in his famous book “Tafsir -e- Aala -e- Rahman” (Interpretation of gifts of the Merciful) has an interesting chapter in denying of Fasl Alkhetab.
I also in the book “Anvar Alosool” (Lights of essentials) wrote an expanded argue about Qur'an which is not falsified and made an irrecusable answer to doubts of Fasl Alkhetab.
Although the late Hajji Noori was a scientist of Islam but as Allame Balaghi said he used unreliable cabbalas, and Hajji Noori himself after the book had been published got penitent and all of the masters of Najaf Islamic school enumerate that book as one of his clear mistakes.
It is interesting that after publishing of Fasl Alkhetab, Hajji Noori due to lots of blames which had been shown to him wrote a lecture in defending himself and said that I meant Qur'an is not falsified and my explanations have been misunderstood.
The late Allame Sayyed Hobateddin Shahrestani says: When I was in Samarra the late Great Mirza Shirazi had been convert there to the center of Shi’aa science, and when we enter in any meeting all the attendants was talking against Hajji Noori and his book, and even some of them beshrew him.
Regarding these issues, should anyone know the words of Hajji Noori as the belief of Shi’aa?
But some of Wahhabi fanatics use this book (Fasl Alkhetab) as a pretext and insist on relating the matter of falsifying Qur'an to Shi’aa, but:
If writing a book is a proof of Shi’aa belief, then believing of falsification of Qur'an can be ascribed to scholars of Ahl -e- Sonnat, because Ibn Khatib also wrote “Alforghan fi Tahrif -e- Qur'an”, and if reluctance of Al Azhar scholars about this book is the proof of denying what it contains, then disagreement of Najaf Islamic school scholars about the words of “Fasl Alkhetab” can be comprehended the same.
In interpretation of “Ghartabi” and “Dorr Almanthoor” which both are famous interpretations of Shi’aa, have quoted from Ayesha (wife of Prophet (a.s.)) that: “Ahzab Sura had 200 verses but it remained only 73 from them!”
Moreover, above all in Sahih -e- Bokhari and Sahih -e- Muslim some cabbalas can be found which talk about falsification.
But we never let ourselves to accuse our Sonni brother for falsification because of one author or some weak cabbalas; also they should not do this to Shi’aa for only a book or some weak Ahadith which all of Shi’aa grand scholars had denied.
1- Words included in the book Fasl Alkhetab by Hajji Noori generally are quoted from three persons who were false religious, liar or had unknown status (false religious Ahmad ibn Mohammad Sayyari, Liar Ali ibn Ahmad Kufi and unknown or denied Abi Jarood).
Do Not Deracinate Islam Because of Sectarian Enmity
People who insist on accusing Shi’aa for believing the falsification of Qur'an may not noticed that are deracinating Islam due to sectarian enmity, because enemies say: purity and not falsification of Qur'an is not decided between Muslims because a large group of them believe on falsification. We admonish these brothers that do not target the heart of Islam which is Qur'an due to sectarianism and fanatic enmities.
Let’s think about Islam and not to be cruel to it and don’t say this much about falsification and do not give them pretext for attacking Islam.
This accusation has been so developed that in one of my pilgrimages of Ka’ba (Umra) I met minister of religious affairs of Saudi Arabia and he welcomed me, but he said: “I heard that you have a Qur'an different from ours!!”
I told him that checking for the correctness of this issue is so simple. You yourself or one of your agents can return with us (I pay the way) to Tehran. Qur'an is available in all mosques and homes in there and there are hundreds of mosques and hundreds of thousands of homes in Tehran. Choosing the mosque and the home on your choice, we knock the door, read and inspect the Qur'an and you will find that there is not even a word different from any other Qur'an in Islamic countries in our Qur'an. The great scholar like you should not be trapped in these factitious rumors!
Our lectors won the first prize in many of international tournaments, and our Qur'an keepers (memorizers) especially children amazed a lot of Islamic countries.
Every year thousands of persons added to our Qur'an lectors and keepers and classes for memorizing, reading and interpretation of Qur'an and also colleges of Qur'an sciences distributed all over our broad country, and proving all this can be done simply by watching this programs for everyone.
In all these programs there is no Qur'an except that famous and general Qur'an which all the Muslims have and nobody knows another Qur'an and in no meeting you can hear words about falsification of this holy book.
Logical and Quoted Proofs for Not Falsification of Qur'an
We believe that there are lots of logical and quoted proofs for not falsification of Qur'an, because Qur'an says: “We descended Qur'an and we are in charge of protecting it.”
And it also says: “This book is certainly invincible, nothing false can reach it in front or from the back, because it is from the sage and admired Allah.”
Is it possible that any person even think of falsification of the book which almighty Allah has undertaken to protect it?!
Also Qur'an was not a discarded or forgotten book which someone could add or reduce something from it.
Scribers of Qur'an which they have counted from 14 to 400 scribe and keep any verse as soon as it descended.
There were hundreds of Qur'an keepers (memorizers) in the age of Prophet (s.a.), who were keeping verses in their mind as soon as they descended.
In those days reading Qur'an was known as they most worship and Qur'an was being read days and nights.
Moreover Qur'an was the constitution of Islam and the law of living of Muslims and was present in all aspects of theirs lives.
Referring to wisdom and sanity we can find that this book cannot be falsified or adding or reducing.
Islamic cabbalas from our Imams (a.s.) insist on the purity, completeness and not falsification of Qur'an.
The Imam of Muslims Ali (a.s.) says explicitly in Nahjul Balagha: “Allah has descended a Qur'an which says all the things, and Allah gave Prophet (s.a.) life enough to complete the religion for you with Qur'an.
In lots of sermons of Nahjul Balagha has talked about Qur'an, and in none of them you can see a word about falsification, but it clears the completeness of Qur'an.
In a Hadith from Imam Mohammad ibn Ali Taghi (a.s.) which had been said to one of his friends about aberrance of people from the right way, we can read: “A group of people left Qur'an in the way that they use its expressions but falsify their meanings.”
This Hadith and other ones show that the words of Qur'an has remained unchanged and falsification has happened in theirs meanings, in the way groups translate and interpret Qur'an as they wish and for their personal purposes and interests.
From this we can reach a point that anytime something is said about falsification, it referred to falsification of meaning and interpretation by everyone’s own idea and it was not about the exact words and expressions of holy Qur'an.
In other hand we can read in a lot of cabbalas from our Imams (a.s.) that: “For assessing the correctness of falsehood of cabbalas compare them with Qur'an. Cabbalas which are according to Qur'an are correct and you can act upon them, but those which are against Qur'an are false and should be left unnoticed.”
This is a clear proof of not falsification of Qur'an, because if it was not, Qur'an cannot be the indicator for knowing right from wrong.
Moreover famous Hadith of Thaqalayn which can be found extensively in books of Shi’aa and Sonni
, Says that: The great Prophet (s.a.) Said: “I leave among you two valuable things, the book of Allah and my dynasty, which if you refer to them you will never be aberrant.”
This meaningful Hadith shows that holy Qur'an and the dynasty of Prophet (s.a.) are trusted shelters for guiding people through the day of judgment.
If Qur'an had been falsified, then how it could be a trusted shelter and save people from aberrance?
The Last Expression
The last expression is that the greatest sin in front of God is to accuse someone of doing or saying something that they had never done or said.
We have said in all places that none of great Shi’aa scholars and researchers had believe or now believes in falsification of Qur'an as their books testify, but a fanatic and pertinate group repeat these accusations. What answer did they prepare for the Day of Judgment, when they accuse Shi'aa in this way and discredit holy Qur'an?
If your pretext points to some weak cabbalas which can be found in some of our books, these kinds of weak cabbalas also can be found in your references of Hadith and interpretations which formerly said.
No sect can be built upon weak cabbalas, and we never accuse you because of “Alforghan fi Tahrif -e- Qur'an” from Ibn Khatib and those weak cabbalas which it contains, and we never immolate holy Qur'an due to destructive fanaticism.
Don’t talk this much about falsification, don’t oppress Islam, Muslims and Qur'an and do not discredit holy Qur'an by repeating the word “falsification” which is the main asset of Muslims of the world due to sectarian fanaticism, and don’t give enemies pretext for attacking Islam. If you want revenge Shi’aa and followers of Ahl -e- Bait (a.s.) in this way you should know that you are making the basis of Islam instable unaware, because you say a large group of Muslims believe in falsification of Qur'an, and this is a great oppression to holy Qur'an.
Finally I repeat one more time explicitly that none of Shi’aa or Sonni researchers and scholars believe in falsification of Qur'an and they recognize that Qur'an which descended to holy Prophet (s.a.) and this Qur'an which is in hands of Muslims the same and completely equal, and due to affirmation of Qur'an itself they believe that God has guarantied Qur'an from any change, falsification or decadence. But some of fanatic uninformed and unknown persons of both sides accuse each other for falsification and unfortunately “sitting on the branch and cutting the stem.” (A Persian proverb)
May Allah guide them all!
0%
Author: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi
