Sayed Sharaf-al-din Amali (d 1377 H) writes:
“The books of Hadiths written by Shia and Sunni Ulema contain hadiths hat demonstrate that alteration has been committed in the Quran. That hence means that the present Quran is smaller [in size] from the original Quran. But these hadiths are unreliable in the eyes of Sunni and Shia Ulema because such hadiths are weak from the aspect of sanad and moreover such hadiths can be refuted by a plethora of hadiths that enjoy authentic sanads that are clear from the perspective of number and proof. One cannot therefore rely on such weak hadtihs in comparison to the presence of these countless, clear hadiths that reject the notion of distortion of the Quran,
Moreover the hadiths that evidence distortion with the Quran are single-chained narrations, and if the statement of a single-chained hadith is not useful at the place where it is to be practiced then it is not an authority. On the one side we have unequivocal proof that the present Quran is exempt from distortion in comparison to the assumption that the Quran has been distorted on the basis of some weak hadiths. It is clear that absolute, confirmed facts can never be rejected due to the existence of single chains and assumption. In conclusion, the hadiths that attribute distortion to the Quran should be thrown away”
Ajubat-al-Masail Jaar Allah
Before mentioning the views of the Shia ulema about those traditions that are recorded in the Shia hadith books attributing distortion to the Quran and analyzing such Shia traditions we deem it necessary to draw the attention of our readers to the following three important points.
Those people who after reading some traditions in the hadith books written by Shia Ulema criticize Shia of Ali (as) are fact fanatics that have abandoned all aspects of justice since no Shia author ever claimed that all of the hadiths compiled in his book were correct and Sahih. Similarly none amongst the Shia Muhaditheen and jurists testified to any specific Shia book containing hadiths that were all acceptable and Sahih. Likewise Sheikh Muhammad Jawwad Mughniya states the hadith books of our school like Al Kafi, Istibsar, Al Tahdib, Man La Yuhizar al Faiqh contain both Sahih and weak hadiths. Similarly, the books on Fiqha written by our scholars contain material that have mistakes. It would therefore be correct to assert that according to the Shia of Ali (as) there is no book besides that Holy Quran which is flawless from its beginning till its end.
One cannot therefore cite the tradition from the Shia hadith book against the Shia of Ali (as) as when the Shia reject the authenticity of such a hadith.
In order to corroborate our stance, it would suffice to say that Shiekh Muhammad Yaqub Kuleini (d 329 H) recorded 16200 hadiths in his book ‘Al Kafi’. The scholars have categorized these hadiths in respect of Rijal under five different categories i.e Sahih, Mawthiq, Qawi, Hasan, Dhaeef (weak).
It is therefore evident that since scholars applied this division to our principle book Al Kafi, that is deemed as reliable and a source of Islamic instructions, the authority and authenticity of other books is self clarified.
If there are some hadiths in a book by a author that show distortion to the Quran then merely depending on this fact and accusing the author of believing that the Quran is distorted is in bias, unjust and ignorant. If we were to determine the belief of every author with this methodology then the matter would become more complex as there are also some hadiths in the hadith books that are contradictory (the meaning of a hadith conflicts with the meaning of another hadith). The presence of such hadiths in the hadith books of the Ulema makes it incorrect to call the hadith recorded in a book as the belief of that author.
If a person of a particular school adopts a specific view then it is incorrect to attribute his belief to the entire sect he adheres to. When the vast bulk of the reliable scholars of his sect oppose his personal view, to still attribute his belief to that sect is stubborn fanaticism. One can find a plethora of books in the world of knowledge wherein views are confined as the personal beliefs of an author that have no nexus to the whole school of thought he adheres to.
Similarly if Sheikh Noori Tabarsi (d 1320 H) did advance views of distortion with the Quran then they should be deemed his personal views one cannot attribute his views to every adherent of the Shia Sect.
Who is unaware of the absurdities that are found in the books of Ibn Taimiyah? His position has been vigorously refuted by the scholars and researchers of Ahle Sunnah. Would it therefore be fair for us to ignore all these rebuttals and continue to attribute the views of Ibn Taimiyah to the entire Ahle Sunnah? Clearly not, that would a baseless, unjust approach to follow.
Now if someone despite reading these facts and detailed proofs remains adamant that the personal views of an individual can be attributed to an entire sect then it is nothing short of stubborn blind bigotry, wherein the objective is merely incite violence and hatred against the Shia.
Prominent Shia researchers and scholars have rejected accepting those Hadiths that infer distortion to the Quran and are adamant that the Quran is uncorrupted.
Amongst the hadith that are correct in respect of their chain of narration there are some wherein the view of distortion with the Quran are so clear, that interpretation and reasoning cannot be applied to them. When it comes to these types of hadith the scholars have adopted a very clear view that such hadiths have been been falsely attributed (to individuals) and are fabricated and should be abandoned. The scholars have mentioned the following arguments in order to support their stance:
We Shia openly say that negating the faith of lovers of Ali (as) and calling them kaafir by the Sahaba worshippers is the extreme injustice on their part. We testify in the name of Allah (swt) that we believe in the present Quran being perfect; with neither anything missing from it nor any thing added to it. Right from “Bismillah” till “Walnaas”, we Shia also believe in the same Quran which Ahle Sunnah do and accusing us for having faith on the deletion or addition in Quran by the Sahaba worshippers is totally wrong and an out and out lie.
The beliefs of a mazhab can be known from the sources deemed authentic in its principle books and it is not written in any authentic sources of Shias that present Quran is imperfect or we Shias have any other Quran. Any one who still accuses Shias for having the belief of Tehrif e Quran and denies our testimony is indeed misguided and a mushrik himself while no one knows what one has in his heart except Allah.
Some Nasibi mullahs just feed their followers to use the card of Taqiyyah against Shias on their testimony about the authenticity of Holy Quran. What they do not tell their adherents is the actual meaning of Taqiyyah. Taqiyyah is to hide one’s belief when there is genuine fear of life like someone is physically and literally forcing you or putting sword on your neck to utter what you do not really believe else he could put your life to an end. The Nawasib who on the internet or in their books reject the testimony of Shias about the authenticity of Holy Quran by accusing them for practicing Taqiyyah and hiding their actual belief are in fact Mushriks (polytheist) because of the following two reasons:
Had this been the era of the Imams of the Nawasib Muawyah or Yazeed wherein Shias were under oppression and aggression then methodology might have worked, fortunately we are living in an entirely new world today. We would suggest that in future the Nawasib ponder over the above two points before regurgitating the vomit of the Mullahs on this issue..
We shall now discuss the issue of distortion [Tahreef] in the Quran that will (inshallah) turn out to be an amazing piece of research that will burn the arrogance of Nawasib once and for all.
One of the most renowned scholars of the Yazeedi sect namely Habib ur-Rehman Kandhalvi’s writes in his book “Kia humara Quran aik hai” [do we have same Quran?] page 64 that Sabais i.e Shias should call all of their Mujtahdeen who have attested to distortions in the Holy Quran as Kaafirs, and should publicly burn their books curse such ulema in Muharram processions for some years, only then there can be unity between both Sects. Similar arguments are frequently heard from the Nasibi adherents of such scholars like the apes of Sipah e Sahaba.
Had this alleged Maulana read the major Tafseers of Ahle Sunnah like Tafseer al Itqan, Tafseer Dur Manthoor, Tafseer Tabari without the shackles of Nasbism & Yazeedism he would have known that amongst the claimants of distortion in Quran are Umar, Usman, their sons, Ayesha, other Sahaba, Tabayen and many Sunni ulema. If cursing and declaring those people who believed in the distortion of Quran as kaffirs makes one’s faith more strong and pure then Nawasib should initiate this noble cause, by issuing takfeer, cursing and publicly dissociating themselves from the above mentioned culprits.
This slain maulana had always shown an eagerness to propagate hatred towards Shias from his Ahle Hadeeth followers and relied on “Fasl Khitab” to enable this. But the Shia ulema have always made it crystal clear that the texts in “Fasl Khitab” regarding the distortion of the Quran are unauthentic and rejected by the Shias since we don’t believe that there is any addition or alteration of any kind to the present Quran and that those traditions cited in Fasl Khitaab are similar to those found in Sunni books like Tafseer Dur al-Manthur and Tafseer Itqan. If having such traditions in a book proves disbelief in the Quran then the Sunnis likewise don’t believe in the completeness of the existing Quran.
Nasibi mullah Ahsaan Ilahi Zaheer has rejected the sayings of Shia ulema regarding their affirmation in the Quran by suggesting that such statements have been made under Taqiyyah. We the Shia clearly testify in the absence of Taqiyyah that we believe in the same Quran that the Ahle Sunnah do.
Some Nasibi Ulema are living examples of Kufr and Shirk and have raised this subject matter for the sole objective of facilitating hatred and violence against Shias. They have sought to prove that the Shias are kaafir because traditions in Shia books which point to alterations or distortions in the Quran, their ex-communication from Islam can only be retracted when they curse those ulema that narrated such texts.
We demand justice from these Sahaba worshippers and and would like to ask them about the reports of alteration and distortion in the Quran as recorded by their ulema like Bukhari, Suyuti through to Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri who have relied on the testimonies of the Sahaba such as Umar, Ibn Umar, Ayesha , Hafsa and others. If the very existence of such reports makes one a kaafir that requires the hadeeth recorder and narrator to be cursed then Nasibi ulema like Ahsaan Ilahi and Habib ur Rehman should initiate the practice of cursing their ancestors, and evidence that they are truthful Muslims by cursing Umar, Ibn Umar, Ayesha, Hafsa and their ulema from Imam Bukhari through to Allamah Kashmiri.