We believe that a true and comprehensive
understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the
Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
Shias and The Quran
A Wahhabi friend mentioned that Shia believe Quran is not complete. My answer to this matter is:
"Glory to (Allah), this is a big
slander!"
(Quran 24:16).
Shia do NOT believe that Quran is missing something.
There are few weak
traditions which might imply to the contrary. Such reports are rejected and
unacceptable if they want to imply such a thing.
It is interesting to point out that there are numerous traditions reported in
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim which allege that many verses of Quran are
missing. Not only that, but also they these Sunni reports allege that two
chapters from the Quran are missing one of them was similar to chapter 9 (al-Bara'ah)
in length!!! Some Sunni traditions even claim that the Chapter al-Ahzab (Ch. 33)
was as lengthy as the Chapter of Cow (Ch. 2)!!! The Chapter of Cow is the
biggest Chapter of the present Quran. The traditions inside Sahih al-Bukhari and
Muslim even present some of the missing verses.
Yet, fortunately Shia never
accuse the Sunni brothers and sisters of believing that the Quran is incomplete.
We say that these Sunni reports are either weak or fabricated.
The completeness of Quran is so indisputable among Shia that one of the greatest
scholars of Shia in Hadith
wrote: "
Our belief is that the Quran which Allah revealed to His Prophet
Muhammad is (the same as) the one between the two covers (daffatayn). And it is
the one which is in the hands of the people, and is not greater in extent than
that. The number of surahs as generally accepted is one hundred and fourteen
...And he who asserts that we say that it is greater in extent than that, is a
liar."
Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Ali
Ibn al-Husain Ibn Babwayh, known as "Shaykh Saduq" (309/919-381/991)
"We believe that
the Holy Quran is revealed by Allah through the Holy Prophet of Islam dealing
with every thing which is necessary for the guidance of mankind. It is an
everlasting miracle of the Holy Prophet the like of which can not be produced by
human mind. It excels in its eloquence, clarity, truth and knowledge. This
Divine Book has not been tampered with by any one. This Holy Book which we
recite today is the same Holy Quran which was revealed to the Holy Prophet. Any
one who claims it to be otherwise is an evil-doer, a mere sophist, or else he is
sadly mistaken. All of those who have this line of thinking have gone astray
as Allah in Quran said: "Falsehood can not reach the Quran from any direction
(41:42)"
"... our certainty of the completeness of the Quran is like our certainty of the
existence of countries or major events that are self evident. Motives and
reasons for recording and guarding the Holy Quran are numerous. Because the
Quran is a miracle of the prophethood and the source of Islamic Knowledge and
religious rule, their concern with the Quran made the Muslim Scholars highly
efficient concerning grammar, its reading, and its verses."
(Allama Muhammad Ridha
Mudhaffar who wrote in his Shia Creed book)
With this various concern by the most eminent Shia scholars, there is no
possibility that the Quran was added or deleted in some parts.
Besides what Allah mentioned in Quran about its protection, we can use our logic
to derive the same result. Allah sent his last Messenger to show people (to the
end of the time) His Right Path. Therefore if Allah does not preserve His
message, He would be contradicting His own aim. Obviously, such negligence is
evil according to reason. Thus, in essence, Allah preserves His message as He
preserved Moses in the house of His Enemy, Pharaoh.
The Quran itself says:
Surely those who disbelieve in the reminder when it comes to
them, and most
surely it is a Mighty Book: Falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor
from behind it; a revelation from the Wise, the Praised One.
Quran [41:41-42]
Allah has promised the protection of the Quran. Any one who claims that the Quran has been changed doubts the promise of Allah himself. How can the sunni claim that the Shia have a different Quran or follow a separate Quran when Allah himself promises the truthfulness of the Quran during all times?
Following are textual evidences of Tehreef in Quran from Sunni sources. I in no way claim that sunnis believe in the incompleteness of the Quran even if evidence of Tehreef in sunni resources exist.
'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported that
'Umar b. Khattab sat on the pulpit of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
and said: Verily Allah sent Muhammad (may peace be upon him) with truth and
He sent down the Book upon him, and the verse of stoning was included in what
was sent down to him. We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood
it. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) awarded the punishment of
stoning to death (to the married adulterer and adulteress) and, after him, we
also awarded the punishment of stoning, I am afraid that with the lapse of
time, the people (may forget it) and may say: We do not find the punishment of
stoning in the Book of Allah, and thus go astray by abandoning this duty
prescribed by Allah. Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah's Book for married
men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or it there is
pregnancy, or a confession.
Sahih Muslim, Book 017, Number 4194
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: 'Umar said, "I am afraid that after a long time has
passed, people may say, "We do not find the Verses of the Rajam (stoning to
death) in the Holy Book," and consequently they may go astray by leaving an
obligation that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of Rajam be
inflicted on him who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if he is already
married and the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession." Sufyan
added, "I have memorized this narration in this way." 'Umar added, "Surely
Allah's Apostle carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him."
Sahiah Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 82, Number
816
Ibn Mardawayh reported that Hudhayfah said:
'Umar said to me 'How many verses are contained in the chapter of al-Ahzab?'
I said, '72 or 73 verses.' He said it was almost as long as the chapter of the
Cow, which contains 287 verses, and in it there was the verse of stoning.
(Al-Muttaqi 'Ali bin Husam al-Din in his book
"Mukhtasar Kanz al-'Ummal" printed on the
margin of Imam Ahmad's Musnad, Volume 2, page 2, in his hadith about chapter 33)
We Shi’as, believe that the Qur’an is the Divine Revelation (wahi) sent down from Allah, the Exalted, upon his noble Prophet (s), containing an exposition of all things. It is also His everlasting miracle disabling all mankind from keeping pace with it in respect of rhetoric and eloquence, and the realities and sublime knowledge it contains, being guarded against any alteration or changing or mutation (tahreef). The Qur’an we have today is the same exact one revealed to the Prophet. Anyone claiming to the contrary is a violator, misguided, mistaken, or ignorant, for it is surly Allah’s Word, and falsehood can never come at it from before it or from behind it.
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