Towards Understanding the Qur'an & Sunnah Series

ْ َّ ِ ِ‫م‬
ِ‫يم‬ َّ ِ ِ ِ ‫ِ ِب ْس‬
ِ ‫للاِالرحمنِِالر ِح‬
ِ‫ِسيدنِاِونبينِاِمحم ِدِوعىلِآلهِوصحبهِأجمعي‬،‫الحم ِدِهللِربِالعالميِِوالصال ِةِوالسالمِعىلِ رأشفِاألنبياءِوالمرسلي‬

InِtheِnameِofِAllāh,ِAr-Raḥmāniِ(theِMostِMerciful),ِAr-Raḥeemِ(theِEspeciallyِMerciful)
PraiseِbeِtoِAllah,ِtheِLordِofِtheِWorlds;ِandِmayِHisِblessingsِandِpeaceِbeِuponِourِProphetِMuhammadِandِuponِallِ
hisِFamilyِandِCompanions.

Part. 2 – Preservation of the Qur’an

Comparedِtoِallِotherِscriptures,ِtheِQur’anِisِtheِbestِpreservedِinِbothِtheِheartsِofِ
Muslimsِandِtheِwrittenِcopiesِofِtheِcodexِ(muṣḥaf)—aِmanifestationِofِAllah’sِpromiseِtoِ
protectِDivineِrevelationِfromِdistortion:

“Indeed,ِitِisِWeِwhoِsentِdownِtheِQur’anِandِindeed,ِWeِwillِbeِitsِGuardian.”
(Qur’anِ15:9)

TheِoralِtransmissionِofِtheِQur’anِwasِtheِprimaryِmethodِtheِProphetِ‫ِﷺ‬adoptedِtoِ
preserveِitsِtext,ِfollowingِtheِDivineِcommandِofِ“recitation”ِandِrespondingِtoِtheِ
circumstancesِofِtheِrevelation’sِfirst recipients. In addition to immediately reciting the
revelationِtoِhisِcompanions,ِtheِProphetِ‫ِﷺ‬wouldِreciteِitِtoِdisbelieversِtoِpresentِtheِ
miraculousِmessageِofِIslam.ِHeِ‫ِﷺ‬wouldِteachِatِmosques,ِduringِtravel,ِandِonِaِone-
on-one basis to those coming to embrace Islam, to gatherings he came across, and in
prayersِandِsermons.ِTheِProphetِ‫ِﷺ‬alsoِinstructedِhisِcompanionsِtoِteachِtheِQur’anِtoِ
eachِotherِasِwellِasِtoِnewِMuslimsِacrossِdifferentِgeographiesِandِcontexts.ِTheِQur’anِ
was taught and recited by travellers and in concentrated efforts in various places of
worship, extending from centralized populations of Muslims to nomadic Bedouins. Millions
of Muslims today across the globe, from all different age groups and ethnic or linguistic
backgrounds,ِhaveِtheِentireِQur’anِmemorizedِbyِheart.ِThroughoutِhistoryِandِuntilِ
today, Muslims remained committed to the oral culture of their text and maintained its
verbal delivery with the most careful verification and articulation possible.

Ensuring theِpreservationِofِtheِQur’anِwasِaِlife-longِprocessِforِtheِProphetِ‫ِﷺ‬andِhisِ
companions. Following Divine instructions and envisioning the future of his ummah he
organized scribal work among a select group of companions to contribute to the
preservation process and to inspire the succeeding knowledge-based civilization they
established.ِTheِProphet’sِscribesِandِtheِwrittenِsheetsِofِtheِQur’anِwereِtheِprimaryِ
sourcesِforِtheِcompilationِofِtheِQur’anِduringِtheِcaliphateِofِAbū Bakr and its unified
transcription during the caliphate of ʿUthmān.ِTheِQur’anِweِhaveِtoday,ِallِ114ِchapters,ِ
easily accessible in numerous print and digital forms, was fully and authentically preserved
due to the oral and textual efforts of the first generation of our ummah.

Source and Further Reading: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/how-the-quran-was-

preserved-during-the-prophets-time-mechanisms-of-oral-and-written-transmission

___________________________________________________________________________

TheِpreservationِofِtheِQur’anِprovesِ2ِthings:
 1. Theِfollowingِverseِisِmiraculousِbecauseِitِhasِmanifested:

“Indeed,ِitِisِWeِwhoِsentِdownِtheِQur’anِandِindeed,ِWeِwillِbeِitsِGuardian.”
(Qur’anِ15:9)

2. Islamِmustِbeِtrueِsinceِnoِotherِreligionِhasِtheِsameِlevelِofِproofِthatِitsِ
scripturesِandِteachingsِhaveِbeenِpreserved.ِIfِGodِwouldِrevealِscriptureِorِaِ
religion,ِdon’tِyouِthinkِitِwouldِbeِpreservedِandِnotِchangedِoverِtime?ِJudaismِ
&ِChristianityِbothِrelyِonِtheِBibleِwhichِcanِeasilyِbeِprovenِnotِtoِbeِreliable.ِ
TheِoldestِOldِTestament,ِtheِDeadِSeaِScrolls,ِareِdatedِoverِ1000ِyearsِafterِ
Moses,ِpeaceِbeِuponِhim.ِTheِNewِTestamentِwasِnotِwrittenِuntilِatِleastِ70ِ–ِ
200ِyearsِafterِJesus,ِpeaceِbeِuponِhim,ِinِGreek,ِwhichِisِnotِtheِlanguageِJesusِ
spoke,ِwrittenِbyِpeopleِwhoِwereِnotِeyeِwitnesses,ِtheِauthorsِofِtheِgospelِareِ
anonymousِetc.ِTheِunreliabilityِofِChristianityِwillِbeِdiscussedِatِaِlaterِdate.ِ
Inshallah.

Ahruf & Qir’aat

WithoutِaِdoubtِtheِQur’anِisِpreservedِandِthisِisِeasilyِprovenِthroughِmanuscriptsِsuchِ
asِtheِBirminghamِmanuscriptِwhichِisِcarbonِdatedِtoِtheِtimeِofِMuhammad’sِlife,ِpeaceِ
beِuponِhim.ِDetractors,ِChristiansِmainly,ِresortِtoِattackingِtheِfactِthatِtheِQur’anِcanِ
beِrecitedِinِ7ِArabicِdialects.ِItِcausesِdoubtsِforِmany,ِalthough,ِonceِyouِlearnِaboutِtheِ
‘ahruf’ِandِ‘qir’aat’ِ–ِdialectsِandِrecitations,ِyou’llِrealiseِthatِtheِChristiansِareِgraspingِatِ
straws.ِ

Basically,ِatِtheِtimeِofِMuhammad,ِpeaceِbeِuponِhim,ِthereِwereِaِnumberِofِArabicِ
dialects.ِTherefore,ِpronunciationsِofِwords,ِspellingsِandِgrammarِwereِdifferent.ِTheِ
differencesِinِtheِdialectsِofِtheِQur’anِareِminimal,ِinِtheِsenseِthatِtheyِdoِnotِalterِ
doctrineِorِmeaningsِofِverses.ِWordsِwithinِaِverseِcanِbeِdifferent,ِyetِsynonymous.ِTheِ
numberِofِdifferencesِbetweenِtheِahrufِareِsoِslight,ِthatِanِaverageِlistenerِofِtheِQur’anِ
wouldِstruggleِtoِtellِwhereِtheِdifferencesِare.ِ

TheِexistenceِofِthisِphenomenonِisِnotِnewِinformationِbecauseِtheِProphet,ِpeaceِbeِ
uponِhim,ِhimselfِtoldِusِinِtheِHadithِthatِtheِrecitationِofِtheِQur’anِhasِbeenِrevealedِ
inِ7ِahruf.ِThisِmadeِitِeasierِforِtheِQur’anِtoِreachِvariousِArabِtribesِandِspreadِtheِ
messageِofِIslamِeffectively.ِEvenِthoughِtheseِslightlyِvaryingِrecitationsِexist,ِthereِareِnoِ
contradictionsِbetweenِthem,ِwhichِisِitselfِmiraculous.ِIfِtheِ7ِahrufِareِsuchِaِbigِ
problemِforِMuslims,ِasِChristiansِ&ِatheistsِclaim,ِthenِwhyِhaveِscholarsِalwaysِbeenِsoِ
openِaboutِthemِandِhaveِnotِtriedِtoِhideِthem?ِWhyِareِtheِdialectsِopenlyِaccessibleِ
andِmassِtransmitted?ِWhyِareِtheyِtaughtِandِconsideredِhonourableِtoِmemorizeِallِ
variations?ِIfِahrufِwereِaِproblem,ِMuslimsِwouldِhaveِburnedِallِtheِvaryingِmanuscriptsِ
andِonlyِkeptِ1ِdialect,ِyetِthereِareِ7,ِjustِasِtheِProphet,ِpeaceِbeِuponِhim,ِrecited.ِAllِ
variationsِcanِbeِtracedِbackِtoِhim.
Conclusion

Longِstoryِshort,ِtheِQur’anِisِperfectlyِpreserved,ِitِisِexactlyِtheِsameِasِitِwasِoriginallyِ
revealed.ِManyِdetractors,ِespeciallyِChristiansِmakeِupِconspiraciesِandِtwistِfactsِtoِ
makeِitِseemِlikeِtheِQur’anِhasِbeenِchanged.ِTheirِargumentsِareِpathetic,ِyetِtheyِcanِ
causeِconfusionِforِsomeِpeople.ِThatِisِwhyِknowledgeِisِtheِkeyِagainstِdealingِwithِ
doubts.ِTheِmoreِyouِlearnِaboutِanyِtopicِwithinِIslam,ِincludingِQur’anِpreservation,ِ
you’llِeventuallyِrealiseِthereِisِnoِargumentِagainstِtheِtruthِofِtheِreligion.ِIِwon’tِlistِoutِ
theِargumentsِforِandِagainstِtheِQur’anِbeingِpreservedِasِitِwillِtakeِ100ِpagesِtoِexplainِ
butِIِwillِprovideِlecturesِ&ِshortِvideosِforِthoseِnotِconvincedِofِtheِQur’an’sِ
authenticity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ancam0X4Bf0&ab_channel=BloggingTheologyِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz1h0TPULuI&ab_channel=MohammedHijabِ

https://archive.org/details/history-quranic-text-azami-2nd/page/n5/mode/1upِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SCECRhQHW0&ab_channel=BloggingTheologyِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKlSJa-ZnJQ&t=10s&ab_channel=BloggingTheologyِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A50i1CJQrHs&ab_channel=BloggingTheologyClips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwui_NEQs5k&ab_channel=BloggingTheology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hj7u0F3yEg&ab_channel=Arabic101ِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjhyoBSuDkk&ab_channel=MohammedHijab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCnqCKUN5fE&ab_channel=OneMessageFoundationِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K11XfOfTFAU&t=160s&ab_channel=FaridRespondsِ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hj7u0F3yEg&t=2s&ab_channel=Arabic101

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO8S89FdDXE&ab_channel=FaridResponds

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2dRQaGGWZOCmQU0I0kWYb-_LNxqD0qnE

AnythingِgoodِthatِIِhaveِsaidِisِfromِAllahِandِanythingِbadِisِfromِmyselfِandِshaytan.

‫أجمعي‬
ِ ِ ‫ِسيدنِاِونبينِاِمحم ِدِوع‬،‫الحم ِدِهللِربِالعالميِِوالصالةِوالسالمِعىلِ رأشفِاألنبياءِوالمرسلي‬
ِ‫ىلِآلهِوصحبه‬

PraiseِbeِtoِAllah,ِtheِLordِofِtheِWorlds;ِandِmayِHisِblessingsِandِpeaceِbeِuponِourِProphetِMuhammadِandِuponِallِhisِFamilyِandِ
Companions.