Question 645 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 6

Supporters Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and his family, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them peace. Sayyid Ahmed Alhasan (a) did not add anything to or omit anything from the Quran. Rather, this is established from the Household (a), concerning whom the Messenger (s) said: ‘I am leaving among you two successors: Allah’s Book, a rope extending between heaven and earth-or from heaven to earth-and my progeny, my Household. They will never separate until they come to me at the Pond’ (^[115]). The progeny are the equal of the Quran. The Quran is with them; it does not leave them, nor do they leave it. This verse came from them in this form-I mean Ayat al-Kursi-and it is a reading transmitted from them. Likewise, there are readings accepted among Muslims which add or omit letters or words, yet no one has objected. As for addition to or omission from the Quran, this is established in your own sources. Among the narrations authentically reported by you are: 1- Bajalah al-Tamimi narrated: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab-may Allah be pleased with him-found a codex in the lap of a servant boy of his. It contained: “The Prophet has more authority over the believers than they have over themselves; he is a father to them, and his wives are their mothers.” He said, “Erase it, boy.” The boy said, “By Allah, I will not erase it; it is in the codex of Ubayy ibn Kab.” Umar went to Ubayy ibn Kab, who said, “The Quran occupied me, while haggling in the markets occupied you, as your millstone was displayed upon your neck at the door of Ibn al-Ajma.”’ Al-Busiri declared this hadith authentic in Ithaf al-Khirah al-Maharah bi-Zawaid al-Masanid al-Asharah, vol. 6, p. 254, saying, ‘Its chain of transmission is authentic according to al-Bukhari’s criteria.’ Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also declared it authentic in Al-Matalib al-Aliyah, vol. 4, p. 143, saying, ‘Its chain of transmission is authentic according to al-Bukhari’s criteria.’ 2- Al-Bukhari related in his Sahih that Umar ibn al-Khattab said: ‘… Among what Allah sent down was the verse of stoning. We recited it, understood it, and retained it. The Messenger of Allah-may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him-carried out stoning, and we carried it out after him. I fear that after a long time passes, someone will say, “By Allah, we do not find the verse of stoning in Allah’s Book,” and they will go astray by abandoning an obligation Allah sent down. Stoning in Allah’s Book is a truth applying to married men and women who commit adultery when evidence is established, or there is pregnancy or confession. We also used to recite among what we recited from Allah’s Book: “Do not turn away from your fathers, for it is unbelief on your part to turn away from your fathers,” or, “It is unbelief on your part to turn away from your fathers” …’ 3- Muslim related in his Sahih: ‘Abu Musa al-Ashari sent for the Quran reciters of Basra. Three hundred men who had recited the Quran came to him. He said, “You are the best of the people of Basra and their reciters. Recite it, but do not let the time become so long for you that your hearts harden, as the hearts of those before you hardened. We used to recite a surah which we compared in length and severity to Baraah, but I was made to forget it, except that I retained from it: ‘If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would seek a third valley, and nothing fills the interior of the son of Adam except dust.’ We used to recite a surah which we compared to one of the musabbihat, but I was made to forget it, except that I retained from it: ‘O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? A testimony is written upon your necks, and you will be questioned about it on the Day of Resurrection.’”’ 4- Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah narrated: ‘Umar said to Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, “Did you not know that we used to recite, ‘Strive for Allah as He ought to be striven for in the End Times, as you strove in the beginning’?” Abd al-Rahman said, “When will that be, Commander of the Believers?” He said, “When the Umayyads are the commanders and Banu al-Mughirah are the ministers”’ (^[116]). 5- Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah narrated that Umar said to Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf: ‘Did we not find among what was sent down to us, “Strive as you strove the first time”? We do not find it.’ He said, ‘It was among what was dropped from the Quran’ (^[117]). Who, then, dropped these verses-Allah, the Messenger (s), or someone else?! These are your sources and authentic collections, not ours. As for insults and abuse, we do not accept or approve of them. Rather, we explain the truth and its people through legal and moral evidence. May Allah grant you success in every good. The Scientific Committee Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah establish him on earth) Sheikh Nazim al-Uqayli Muharram al-Haram, 1432 AH