It is a well-known fact that within Muslim sources, Sunni and Shia alike, there are many narrations which claim the Qur’an that we have today is incomplete or corrupted.
Let us mention the narrations that we find in Sunni books.
Narrated by 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 Messenger carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Book of Limits and Punishments set by Allah, Hadith No. 6829
'Umar bin Al-Khattab said:
"Verily Allah sent Muhammad with the truth, and he revealed the Book to him. Among what was revealed to him was the Ayah of stoning. So the Messenger of Allah stoned, and we stoned after him. I fear that time will pass over the people such that someone will say 'We do not see stoning in the Book of Allah.' They will be misguided by leaving an obligation which Allah revealed. Indeed stoning is the retribution for the adulterer if he was married and the evidence has been established, or due to pregnancy, or confession."
Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book 17, Hadith 12
Abu Harb b. Abu al-Aswad reported on the authority of his father that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari sent for the reciters of Basra. They came to him and they were three hundred in number. They recited the Qur'an and he said:
"You are the best among the inhabitants of Basra, for you are the reciters among them. So continue to recite it. (But bear in mind) that your reciting for a long time may not harden your hearts as were hardened the hearts of those before you. We used to recite a surah which resembled in length and severity to (Surah) Bara'at. I have, however, forgotten it with the exception of this which I remember out of it:" If there were two valleys full of riches, for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley, and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust." And we used so recite a surah which resembled one of the surahs of Musabbihat, and I have forgotten it, but remember (this much) out of it:" Oh people who believe, why do you say that which you do not practise" and" that is recorded in your necks as a witness (against you) and you would be asked about it on the Day of Resurrection".
Sahih Muslim , Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Naysaburi, Book 12, Hadith 156;
'Umar bin Al-Khattab said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH & His Family) stoned, Abu Bakr stoned, and I stoned. If I didn't dislike that I add to the Book of Allah. I would have written it in the Mushaf, for I fear that there will come a people and they will not find it in the Book of Allah, so they will disbelieve in it."
Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Book 17, Hadith 11
It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Mas'oud that:
Abu Bakr and 'Umar gave him the glad tidings that the Messenger of Allah had said: "Whoever would like to recite the Qur'an as fresh as when it was revealed, let him recite it like Ibn Umm 'Abd.'"
Sunan Ibn Majah, Ibn Majah, Book of the Sunnah, Hadith No. 138
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to `Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were Waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur'an, so he said to `Uthman, "O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Qur'an) as Jews and the Christians did before." So `Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, "Send us the manuscripts of the Qur'an so that we may compile the Qur'anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you." Hafsa sent it to `Uthman. `Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, `Abdullah bin AzZubair, Sa`id bin Al-As and `AbdurRahman bin Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. `Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, "In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Qur'an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur'an was revealed in their tongue." They did so, and when they had written many copies, `Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. `Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur'anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Book of Virtues of the Qur'an, Hadith No. 4987
Abu Yunus, the freed slave of 'A'isha said:
'A'isha ordered me to transcribe a copy of the Qur'an for her and said: When you reach this verse: " Guard the prayers and the middle prayer" (ii. 238), inform me; so when I reached it, I informed her and she gave me dictation (like this): Guard the prayers and the middle prayer and the afternoon prayer, and stand up truly obedient to Allah. 'A'isha said: This is how I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH & His Family).
Sahih Muslim, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Naysaburi, Book 5, Hadith 261
'A'isha reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah's Apostle (PBUH & His Family) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims).
Sahih Muslim, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Naysaburi, Book 17, Hadith 30
'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported that 'Umar b. Khattab sat on the pulpit of Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) and said:
“Verily Allah sent Mohammad (PBUH & His Family) 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 (PBUH & His Family) 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, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Naysaburi, Book 29, Hadith 21
Narrated Ibrahim: The companions of `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) came to Abu Darda', (and before they arrived at his home), he looked for them and found them. Then he asked them:
'Who among you can recite (Qur'an) as `Abdullah recites it?" They replied, "All of us." He asked, "Who among you knows it by heart?" They pointed at 'Alqama. Then he asked Alqama. "How did you hear `Abdullah bin Mas`ud reciting Surat Al-Lail (The Night)?" Alqama recited: 'By the male and the female.' Abu Ad-Darda said, "I testify that I heard me Prophet reciting it likewise, but these people want me to recite it: -- 'And by Him Who created male and female.' but by Allah, I will not follow them."
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an , Hadith No. 4944
It was narrated that 'Aishah said:
“The Verse of stoning and of breastfeeding an adult ten times was revealed, and the paper was with me under my pillow. When the Messenger of Allah died, we were preoccupied with his death, and a tame sheep came in and ate it.”
*These verses were abrogated in recitation but not ruling. Other hadith establish the number for fosterage to be 5.
Sunan Ibn Majah, Ibn Majah, The Chapters on Marriage, Hadith No. 1944
Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair:
I said to Ibn Abbas, "Nauf-al-Bakali " claims that Moses of Bani Israel was not Moses, the companion of Al-Khadir." Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's enemy tells a lie! Ubai bin Ka`b narrated to us that Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) said, 'Moses got up to deliver a sermon before Bani Israel and he was asked, 'Who is the most learned person among the people?' Moses replied, 'I (am the most learned).' Allah then admonished Moses for he did not ascribe all knowledge to Allah only (Then) came the Divine Inspiration: -- 'Yes, one of Our slaves at the junction of the two seas is more learned than you.' Moses said, 'O my Lord ! How can meet him?' Allah said, 'Take a fish in a basket and wherever the fish is lost, follow it (you will find him at that place). So Moses set out along with his attendant Yusha bin Noon, and they carried with them a fish till they reached a rock and rested there. Moses put his head down and slept. (Sufyan, a sub-narrator said that somebody other than Amr said) 'At the rock there was a water spring called 'Al-Hayat' and none came in touch with its water but became alive. So some of the water of that spring fell over that fish, so it moved and slipped out of the basket and entered the sea. When Moses woke up, he asked his attendant, 'Bring our early meal' (18.62). The narrator added: Moses did not suffer from fatigue except after he had passed the place he had been ordered to observe. His attendant Yusha bin Noon said to him, 'Do you remember (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the fish ...' (18.63) The narrator added: So they came back, retracing their steps and then they found in the sea, the way of the fish looking like a tunnel. So there was an astonishing event for his attendant, and there was tunnel for the fish. When they reached the rock, they found a man covered with a garment. Moses greeted him. The man said astonishingly, 'Is there any such greeting in your land?' Moses said, 'I am Moses.' The man said, 'Moses of Bani Israel?' Moses said, 'Yes,' and added, 'may I follow you so that you teach me something of the Knowledge which you have been taught?' (18.66). Al-Khadir said to him, 'O Moses! You have something of Allah's knowledge which Allah has taught you and which I do not know; and I have something of Allah's knowledge which Allah has taught me and which you do not know.' Moses said, 'But I will follow you.' Al-Khadir said, 'Then if you follow me, ask me no question about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it.' (18.70). After that both of them proceeded along the seashore. There passed by them a boat whose crew recognized Al-Khadir and received them on board free of charge. So they both got on board. A sparrow came and sat on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak unto the sea. Al-Khadir said to Moses. 'My knowledge and your knowledge and all the creation's knowledge compared to Allah's knowledge is not more than the water taken by this sparrow's beak.' Then Moses was startled by Al-Khadir's action of taking an adze and scuttling the boat with it. Moses said to him, 'These people gave us a free lift, but you intentionally scuttled their boat so as to drown them. Surely you have...' (18.71) Then they both proceeded and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of him by the head and cut it off. Moses said to him, 'Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed nobody? Surely you have done an illegal thing! ' (18.74) He said, "Didn't I tell you that you will not be able to have patient with me up to ..but they refused to entertain them as their guests. There they found a wall therein at the point of collapsing.' (18.75-77) Al-Khadir moved his hand thus and set it upright (repaired it). Moses said to him, 'When we entered this town, they neither gave us hospitality nor fed us; if you had wished, you could have taken wages for it,' Al- Khadir said, 'This is the parting between you and me I will tell you the interpretation of (those things) about which you were unable to hold patience.'...(18.78) Allah's Messenger (PBUH & His Family) said, 'We wished that Moses could have been more patient so that He (Allah) could have described to us more about their story.'
Ibn `Abbas used to recite: -- 'And in front (ahead) of them there was a king who used to seize every (serviceable) boat by force. (18.79) ...and as for the boy he was a disbeliever. "
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an , Hadith No. 4727
All of these narrations prove that the Qur’an that we have today is incomplete or corrupted.
Is There Only One Qur’an?
Now Muslims believe that the Qur'an is one. And they say that no matter where you go, you will find the same Qur'an. And they claim that even if we were to burn every single copy of it the following day more than a hundred million people who memorized the Qur'an would sit down and write it to the exact same dot.
The truth is that the Qur'ans found among people today vary in their wording and may contain extra letters. Despite these differences, all versions are accepted and utilized by Muslims. Many are unaware of this diversity, mistakenly believing there is only one definitive copy as revealed to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family). To illustrate these discrepancies, a comparison is drawn between the 1924 Egyptian edition, following the transmission of Imam Hafs, and the version transmitted by Imam Warsh. Interested individuals can confirm these distinctions by comparing the two Qur'an editions.
Let us look at Surah Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2) Verse 58, it says:
وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا ٱدۡخُلُواْ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةَ فَكُلُواْ مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ رَغَدٗا وَٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡبَابَ سُجَّدٗا وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٞ نَّغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ خَطَٰيَٰكُمۡۚ وَسَنَزِيدُ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
Transliteration: Wa-ith qulna odkhuloo hathihialqaryata fakuloo minha haythu shi/tum raghadan wadkhulooalbaba sujjadan waqooloo hittatun naghfirlakum khatayakum wasanazeedu almuhsineen
And [recall] when We said, "Enter this city and eat from it wherever you will in [ease and] abundance, and enter the gate bowing humbly and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens.' We will [then] forgive your sins for you, and We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]."
This is in the Hafs version of the Qur'an. Now let us see what the Warsh version says:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا اَ۟دْخُلُواْ هَٰذِهِ اِ۬لْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُواْ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَداٗ وَادْخُلُواْ اُ۬لْبَابَ سُجَّداٗ وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٞ يُغْفَرْ لَكُمْ خَطَٰيٰ۪كُمْۖ وَسَنَزِيدُ اُ۬لْمُحْسِنِينَۖ
Wa-ith qulna aadkhuluu hadhih ailqaryata fakuluu minha hayth shit/um raghada wadkhuluu aulbab sujjada waquluu hittat yughfar lakum khataykum wasanazid aulmuhsinina
And when We said, “Enter this town, and eat from it wherever you wish, and enter the Gate prostrate and say, ‘Hatta.’ You will be forgiven.” My mistake is yours, and We will increase the doers of good.
Hafs says ‘نَّغۡفِرۡ’ ‘nagfir’ or ‘We will forgive’
While Warsh says ‘يُغْفَرْ’ ‘yughfar’ ‘You will be forgiven’
Here is a Muslim women reciting the Warsh version of this verse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uyBQSeBTvU&ab_channel=AshharMustaffa
Starting from minute 6:40 to 7:11
Here is a Muslim man reciting the Hafs version of this verse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5zh5QCsjYY&ab_channel=TheMeaningOfIslam
Starting from minute 28:35 to 29:00
Let us look at Surah Al Baqarah (Chapter 2) Verse 10, it says:
فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضٗاۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡذِبُونَ
Fee quloobihim maradun fazadahumu Allahu maradan walahum AAathabun aleemun bima kanoo yakthiboona
“In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.”
Here is someone reciting the Hafs version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5zh5QCsjYY&ab_channel=TheMeaningOfIslam
Minute 3:20
Warsh verse says in Surah 2 Verse 9:
فِے قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ فَزَادَهُمُ اُ۬للَّهُ مَرَضاٗۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يُكَذِّبُونَۖ
fiai qulubihim mmarad fazadahum aulllah marada walahum eadhab aalimu bima kanuu yukadhdhibuna
“In their hearts was a disease, so God increased their disease, and for them was a painful punishment because they denied it.”
Here is someone reciting the Warsh version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S1Y3PWXCtM&t=2816s&ab_channel=DoortoDeen
Minute 2:44
Hafs says ‘yakdhibuuna’ or ‘يَكۡذِبُونَ’
Warsh says ‘yukadhdhibuuna’ or ‘ يُكَذِّبُونَۖ’
Let us look at Surah Al Baqarah (Chapter 2) Verse 140, it says:
أَمۡ تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ وَٱلۡأَسۡبَاطَ كَانُواْ هُودًا أَوۡ نَصَٰرَىٰۗ قُلۡ ءَأَنتُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ أَمِ ٱللَّهُۗ وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّن كَتَمَ شَهَٰدَةً عِندَهُۥ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ
Am taqooloona inna ibraheema waismaAAeela waishaqa wayaAAqooba waalasbata kanoo hoodan aw nasara qul aantum aAAlamu ami Allahu waman athlamu mimman katama shahadatan AAindahu mina Allahi wama Allahu bighafilin AAamma taAAmaloona
“Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, “Are you more knowing or is Allah?” And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.”
Warsh says in Surah 2 Verse 139:
'am yaqulun 'inn 'iibrahim wa'iismaeil wa'iishaq wayaequb walasbat kanuu hudaan aaw nasary qul antumu 'aelam 'am ailllahu waman aazlam mimman katam shahadatan eindahuۥ min aalllahi wama aalllah bighafil eamma taemaluna
"Or do they say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say, Do you know better, or God? And who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony that he has from God? And God is not unaware of what you do."
Hafs says ‘taquluna’ or ‘تَقُولُونَ’ ‘you (plural) say’
Warsh says ‘yaquluna’ or ‘they say’
1:22:06
Here is someone reciting the Warsh version of this verse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn2QSZmiVt8&ab_channel=ZarnaBeena
Let us look at Surah Al Baqarah (Chapter 2) Verse 214, it says:
أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۖ مَّسَّتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٞ
Am hasibtum an tadkhuloo aljannata walamma yatikum mathalu allatheena khalaw min qablikum massathumu albasao waalddarrao wazulziloo hatta yaqoola alrrasoolu waallatheena amanoo maAAahu mata nasru Allahi ala inna nasra Allahi qareebun
Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.
The Warsh Version says:
اَمْ حَسِبْتُمُۥٓ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ اُ۬لْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَاتِكُم مَّثَلُ اُ۬لذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ اُ۬لْبَأْسَآءُ وَالضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّيٰ يَقُولُ اُ۬لرَّسُولُ وَالذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ مَت۪يٰ نَصْرُ اُ۬للَّهِۖ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصْرَ اَ۬للَّهِ قَرِيبٞۖ
aam hasibtumu 'an tadkhuluu auljannat walamma yatikum mmathal auldhin khalawa min qablikum mmssathum aulbasa' walddrra' wazulziluu hattay yaqul aulrrasul waldhin 'amanuu maeahu maty nasr aulllahi 'ala 'inn nasr aalllah qarib
"Or did you think that you would enter Paradise when the parable of those who passed away before you came to you? Calamity and adversity touched them, and they were shaken until The Messenger and those who believed with him say: When will God’s victory be? Indeed, God’s victory is near."
Hafs says ‘hatta yaquula’ or ‘حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ’
Warsh says ‘hatta yaquulu’ or ‘حَتَّيٰ يَقُولُ ’
Here is someone reciting the Warsh version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEAoaJtBZt8&ab_channel=ZarnaBeena
There is a different vowel in the last letter. The fatha vowel used in the Hafs version places the verb into the subjunctive mood which gives the preceding particle hatta the meaning so that. The Warsh version uses the damma vowel which places the verb into the imperfect indicative mood which gives the particle hatta the meaning until.
Let us look at Surah Al Baqarah (Chapter 3) Verse 146, it says:
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيّٖ قَٰتَلَ مَعَهُۥ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٞ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا ٱسۡتَكَانُواْۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
Wa ka aiyim min Nabiyyin qaatala ma’ahoo ribbiyyoona kaseerun famaa wahanoo limaaa Asaabahum fee sabeelil laahi wa maa da’ufoo wa mas takaanoo; wallaahu yuhibbus saabireen
"And how many a prophet fought and with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast."
The Warsh Version says:
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِےٓءٖ قُتِلَۖ مَعَهُۥ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٞ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَآ أَصَابَهُمْ فِے سَبِيلِ اِ۬للَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اَ۪سْتَكَانُواْۖ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ اُ۬لصَّٰبِرِينَۖ
waka'ayin mmin nnabiai'ٖ qutila maeahu ribbiuwn kathir fama wahanuu lima 'asabahum fiai sabil ailllah wama daeufuu wama aastakanua walllah yuhibb aulssabirina
“And how many of your prophets were killed with him many of your disciples, but they were not weak because of what befell them in the cause of God, nor were they weak, nor were they quiet And God loves those who are patient.”
Hafs says ‘qatala’ or ‘ قَٰتَلَ ’ And many a Prophet fought (qatala)
Warsh says ‘qutila’ or ‘قُتِلَۖ ’ And many a Prophet was killed (qutila)
Here is someone reciting the Warsh version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6KaHoZKWDQ&t=9s&ab_channel=MamadouDiallo
Let us look at Surah Al Baqarah (Chapter 2) Verse 184, it says:
أَيَّامٗا مَّعۡدُودَٰتٖۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٖ فَعِدَّةٞ مِّنۡ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَۚ وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُۥ فِدۡيَةٞ طَعَامُ مِسۡكِينٖۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيۡرٗا فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّهُۥۚ وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ
Ayyaamam ma’doodaat; faman kaana minkum mareedan aw’alaa safarin fa’iddatum min ayyaamin ukhar; wa ‘alal lazeena yuteeqoonahoo fidyatun ta’aamu miskeenin faman tatawwa’a khairan fahuwa khairul lahoo wa an tasoomoo khairul lakum in kuntum ta’lamoon
"Fast for a specific number of days, but if one of you is ill, or on a journey, on other days later. For those who can fast only with extreme difficulty, there is a way to compensate- feed a needy person. But if anyone does good of his own accord, it is better for him, and fasting is better for you, if only you knew."
The Warsh Version says:
أَيَّاماٗ مَّعْدُودَٰتٖۖ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضاً اَوْ عَلَيٰ سَفَرٖ فَعِدَّةٞ مِّنَ اَيَّامٍ ا۟خَرَۖ وَعَلَي اَ۬لذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُۥ فِدْيَةُ طَعَامِ مَسَٰكِينَۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْراٗ فَهُوَ خَيْرٞ لَّهُۥۖ وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيْرٞ لَّكُمُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَۖ
'ayaama mmaedudat faman kan minkum mmaridaan aaw ealay safar faeiddat mmin aayaam akhara waealay aaldhin yutiqunahuۥ fidyat taeam masakina faman tatawwae khayra fahu khayr llahu wa'an tasumuu khayr llakumu 'iin kuntum taelamuna
“Fast for a number of days. And whoever of you is sick or on a journey, then a number of other days, and those who are able to endure it must pay a ransom by feeding poor people. So whoever does good voluntarily, it is better for him, and that you fast is better for you, if you only knew.”
Hafs says ‘ta’aamu miskiinin’ or ‘فِدۡيَةٞ طَعَامُ مِسۡكِينٖۖ ’ ... a redemption by feeding a poor man/person …
Warsh says ‘ta’aami masakiina’ or ‘فِدْيَةُ طَعَامِ مَسَٰكِينَۖ ’ ... a redemption by feeding poor men/people ...
And we have many other examples that can be found in the Goal of the Wise, Door Number 29.
Now let us go over the historical discrepancies in the Qur'an.
The first example is the story of soldiers being tested with a river which is in Surah Al Baqara, verse 249,
“And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, “Indeed, Allah will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand.” But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, “There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers.” But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient.”
There is just one problem with verse, there is no historical record in the Torah of Saul testing his soldiers with a river. We do find soldiers being testing with a river, but it was not with Saul, it was with Prophet Gideon. We read in the Book of Judges, Chapter 7, Verse 1-8
“Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.”
So the story of the river and the 10,313 is the story of Prophet Gideon and this happened hundreds of years before the incident of David and Goliath. Saul was the King in the time of David.
It is also important to note that the Arabic namze Talut ‘طَالُوتُ’ does not mean Saul. Saul in Arabic is شاول or ‘Shawul’.
So the person who made this corruption confused the name of Talut with Saul and mixed the story of Saul with Gideon.
Another historical discrepancies in the Qur'an is when the Qur'an calls Lady Maryam the sister of Aaron. We read in Surah Al Maryam verse 27-29,
“Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, “O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented. O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste. So she pointed to him. They said, “How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?”
However Lady Maryam, the mother of Jesus did not have a brother by the name of Aaron. Now Muslims try to say that the Arabic word, ‘يَـٰٓأُخۡتَ’ can have two meaning, ‘sister’ or ‘descendant’. So they say that the Qur'an is saying that Maryam, the mother of Jesus was a descendant of Prophet Aaron. And others try to say that it is possible that Imran, the father of Mary, had a son and he named him Aaron.
By people saying that it is possible Imran, the father of Mary, had a son and he named him Aaron, they are proving that this is referring to Miriam, brother of Aaron and Moses. Imran was the father of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. And they have to provide evidence that Imran (Joachim), husband of Anne, had a son by the name of Aaron.
Now for those who say that Maryam, the mother of Jesus was a descendant of Prophet Aaron, who were the ones who said: “O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste"? It was the Jews. Now, did the Jews believe that Maryam, the mother of Jesus was a descendant of Prophet Aaron?
Let us look at what Rabbi Tovia Singer says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3CJ5SZXUY4&ab_channel=ToviaSinger
https://outreachjudaism.org/marys-genealogy/
Rabbi Tovia Singer says,
“It is not found anywhere in the Christian Bible, that Mary was a descendant of Aaron. Now where that comes from is that we are told in Luke's very elaborate infancy narrative that her cousin, Elizabeth was from a priestly family. But that doesn't mean that Mary was from a priestly family. The only way Mary would be for a priestly family, if Elizabeth was from a priestly family, is if the way they were first cousins is if their fathers were brothers. It's very clear also from Luke, that this is irrelevant, because there's no mention made of it. The only thing that matters to Luke is Joseph, which shouldn't have been relevant because of the virgin birth. But it is in fact, we are told in Luke, that is Joseph that's from the house of David, not Mary (Luke 1:27). So, number one is, there's no source in the Christian Bible that Mary was from a priestly family and the only way that you can be a priest is if your father is a priest, a descendant of a heroine HaNavi. Because the only way a tribe identity can be conveyed is through the father, not through the mother. In Numbers, chapter 1 verse 18, ‘their father's house.
‘And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.’
That's why in these genealogies, and there are only two of them in the gospels, one in Luke and one in Matthew, Matthew 1 and Luke 3, they're only men mentioned there. It could sometimes say who they were married to, but it's only men. It's not a coincidence that you're flipping a coin and, and heads come up every time. They are mentioning men because women will be completely irrelevant here. Now, they're both stuck with the problem of the virgin birth. Because all these genealogies are tracing to Joseph's genealogy, not Mary’s. And if Jesus was born to a virgin, then Joseph wasn't his father, and Joseph didn't adopt him (Jesus). Stop with that nonsense. God didn't give up Jesus for adoption anyways. If Mary was from a priestly family, it would not convey anything to Jesus.”
So from the Jews, they did not consider that Mary is a descendant of Aaron, so where did Muslims get this idea from? Therefore it is clear that the Qur'an confused the story of Miriam in the time of Moses to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Another historical discrepancies in the Qur'an is the character of Haman who supposedly was one of the servants of Pharoah.
We read in Surah Al Qasas (28) Verse 38,
“Pharaoh declared, “O chiefs! I know of no other god for you but myself. So bake bricks out of clay for me, O Hamân, and build a high tower so I may look at the God of Moses, although I am sure he is a liar.”
And in Surah Ghafir (40) Verse 36,
“Pharaoh ordered, ‘O Hamân! Build me a high tower so I may reach the pathways leading up to the heavens and look for the God of Moses, although I am sure he is a liar.’ And so Pharaoh’s evil deeds were made so appealing to him that he was hindered from the ˹Right˺ Way. But the plotting of Pharaoh was only in vain.”
Except that in the Old Testament, Pharaoh doesn't build this tower to look at the God of Moses. The tower that's built is the tower of Babylon and Pharaoh in the Old Testament and doesn't have an individual called Haman. Haman is a different character that appears in a different time period in a different country in the Old Testament. So Haman is in the Old Testament, but he's existing in the Book of Esther. In the Book of Esther, Haman was the minister of the Persian king Ahasuerus.
We read in Esther 3,
1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
12 Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring.
13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
And as a disclaimer, these historical discrepancies occurred after Prophet Mohammed (PBUH & His Family).
So to account for these historical discrepancies, there are only three possibilities.
One, there is some corruption in the Qur'an and this is why these inconsistencies are there.
Two, it is the fact that the Bible and the Torah had it wrong and the Qur'an has it right on every single event. So Mary, the mother of Jesus did have a brother called Aaron, and Haman did live with Pharaoh in the time of Moses, and the Jews just split the character of Saul and they made him into a new character and made up Gideon, and they made up a whole new story about Haman somewhere else. It's either that the Bible is right, or the Qur'an is right, or that the Qur'an is right, but it's preserved with Ahlul Bayt and the Muslims rejected it. And so the version that we have now, it's not the complete, authentic, incorrupt version.
Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) said,
“And I think that that is the likely explanation, and that's where all of the evidence is pointing to. And that's what gathers all of these narratives together. And that's what is acceptable. Even logically speaking, you have inaccuracies. Okay, contradictions, where are they coming from? Well, at least some of them are coming from where the companions and the Household of the Prophet are telling us that they came from. And they came from the Muslims who did not know the Old Testament and the New Testament, and they were basically in a power struggle after the death of the Prophet. And they compiled it as they wished to compile it, but yet God will preserve the Qur'an and has preserved the Qur'an and will bring forward the Qur'an in its pure form in the time of the Qaim.”
The School of Divine Mysteries Series: The Shocking Truth about the Quran
Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) also said,
“...If you're going to accept the fact that what the companions testified to and the Household of the Prophet testified to that there was corruptions in the Qur'an and that it was compiled by humans after the Prophet left. And they arranged things according to how they saw fit or how they remembered it. And we leave this door open to the possibility of human corruption and interference in the Qur'an.
If we accept that, then this becomes a very natural thing that we can accept. And if one day the original Qur'an comes with the Qaim, and it corrects the idea, and it says, actually no, that verse was misplaced or that verse was a verse that came in a different place and it was talking about Meryam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, and not talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. But the companions, they didn't know any better. So they took that verse from here and they put it over here. Then in that context it would make sense. And if we believe that narrative, it would make sense that the Qaim will come and correct some of these things.”
The School of Divine Mysteries Series: The Shocking Truth about the Quran