Seeking Clarity on the Quran's Preservation Over Centuries

Wakas

peace Fusion, all,

Let us try a thought experiment

Let's say you are actually living at the time of prophet Muhammad and you are in the audience when the prophet himself is reciting to you Al Quran.

How do you know what is being said is Al Quran or how are you going to determine what this man is reciting before you is actually revelation from God?

good_logic

Peace Fusion.
Narratives are plenty and can differ like for example, quote

Nineteen years after the Prophet Muhammad's death, during the reign of Khalifa `Uthman, a committee of scribes was appointed to make several copies of the Quran to be dispatched to the new Muslim lands. The copies were to be made from the original Quran which was written by Muhammad's hand.

This committee was supervised by Uthman Ibn Affaan, Ali Ibn Abi Taaleb, Zeid Ibn Thaabet, Ubayy Ibn Kaab, Abdullah Ibn Al-Zubair, Saeed Ibn Al-Aas, and Abdul Rahman Ibn Al-Haareth Ibn Heshaam. The Prophet, of course, had written the Quran in its chronological order of revelation , together with the necessary instructions to place every piece in its proper position. The last sura revealed in Medina was Sura 9. Only Sura 110, a very short sura, was revealed after Sura 9, in Mina.

The committee of scribes finally came to Sura 9, and put it in its proper place. One of the scribes suggested adding a couple of verses to honor the Prophet. The majority of scribes agreed. `Ali was outraged. He vehemently maintained that the word of God, written down by the hand of His final prophet, must never be altered.

Ali's protest is documented in many references, but I cite and reproduce here the classic reference AL ITQAAN FEE 'ULUM AL QURAN by Jalaluddin Al-Suyuty, Al-Azhareyyah Press, Cairo, Egypt, 1318 AH, Page 59 .

Translation `Ali was asked "Why are you staying home?" He said, "Something has been added to the Quran, and I have pledged never to put on my street clothes, except for the prayer, until the Quran is restored."

The horrendous dimensions of this crime can be realized once we look at the consequences

Uthman was assassinated, and Ali was installed as the fourth Khalifa.
A 50-year war erupted between the new Khalifa and his supporters on one side, and the Mohammedan distorters of the Quran on the other side.
Ali was martyred, and eventually his family, the prophet Muhammad's family, except for some women and children, were killed. The disaster culminated in the infamous Battle of Karbala, where Ali's son, Hussein, and his family were massacred.
The Muslims were deprived of the pure, unaltered, Quran for 1400 years.
The distorters of the Quran finally won the war, and the "official" history that came to us represented the victors' point of view. This apparent victory for God's enemies was, of course, in accordance with God's will. In just two decades after the Prophet's death, the idol worshipers who were defeated by the Prophet in the conquest of Mecca (632 AD) reverted to idolatry. Ironically, this time around their idol was the Prophet himself. Such idol worshipers obviously did not deserve to possess the pure Quran. Hence the blessed martyrdom of the true believers who tried to restore the Quran, and the apparent victory for the distorters of God's word.

The first peace time ruler after this lengthy and disastrous war was Marwan Ibn Al Hakam (died 65 AH/684 AD). One of the first duties he performed was to destroy the original Quran, the one that was so scrupulously written by the Prophet's own hand, "fearing it might become the cause of NEW disputes" . The question an intelligent person must ask is "If the original Quran were identical to the Quran in circulation at that time, why did Marwan Ibn Al-Hakam have to destroy it?!"

Of course narratives remain just that and can only be confirmed as fact by evidence.
However there are many questions we can ask regarding the spread of false Islam
1- God s deen was not to be forced on people Why spread GOD s religion by the sword?
2- why was Qoran and hadiths not mixed up? Was this a coincidence? Was this a mistake by the rulers or was this in GOD s plan ?
3-What happened to the Muslims in history and does it fit with GOD s religion and its aim?
4- GOD s words about what the prophet will say " My Lord ,my people have abandoned Qoran" is this a true prediction ?

It seems they preserved their nemesis and demise by leaving the Qoran well alone as if they had no idea that their fabrications and crimes were clearly written and prophesised in it.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

Fusion

That's an excellent question, Wakas. I believe Good Logic has already provided an answer in his response on April 14, 2024. Subsequent discussions have primarily focused on the historical preservation aspects related to human agency.

Personally, I think that if I were to truly believe, I would consider several factors that don't typically apply to my current context. For instance, my cultural and spiritual surroundings would be significant. Furthermore, the message itself, which addresses social issues, justice, and ethical monotheism, would potentially ignite my curiosity and urge to discover the truth—motivating my belief that this Man and his message are indeed touched by divine intervention. However, more crucial than the message itself would be my personal observations of this man's life. Witnessing his day-to-day integrity, honesty, and how he conducts himself consistently would serve as one of the most compelling reasons to heed his words.

Similarly, when figures like Rashad Khalifa and Ghulam Ahmed Qadiyani were arguably portrayed as carrying forward God's message, it illustrates how people's reactions can vary based on their personal views and the historical context they find themselves in.

However, for my acceptance of the divine message to happen, I believe that one must inherently possess a certain goodness, as I think that God grants guidance (hidaya) to those who are deserving, those who already have a spark within them. I'm not sure how I would have been if I were born back then. I previously mentioned or commented somewhere that I believe it's more commendable for someone in modern times to believe in the message and stories of the Quran compared to someone who was present during the Prophet's time, for several reasons. Today, we have access to the complete, compiled text of the Quran, allowing us to study and analyze it thoroughly from various perspectives. Additionally, we can compare it with other religious texts, which adds more complexity to our understanding. Moreover, in today's world, we don't witness miracles or direct divine punishments like those described in ancient times, which seemingly wicked people escaping consequences, as GL explained in another post, now we are in a grace period until the Day of Judgement. Thus, believing in our times is more difficult and challenging than it would have been for those who lived during the Prophet's time. This is purely my own viewpoint.

Or as my good friend JKhan, who seems increasingly exasperated with me, often reminds me of my shortcomings -)

وَٱعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ ٱلْيَقِينُ

I think the intent here is death but i wish to read it like I will continue to search and search until I have the absolute faith about God and his message.

Fusion