A Study of Sunni and Shii Traditions Concerning Tahrif [of Holy Quran] Part 3
Shi'i Books and Treatises in Refutal of Tahrif
A treatise written by al-Shaykh al-Hurr al-'Amili, as cited by the author of Lulu 'at al-bahrayn.29
A treatise by al-Shaykh 'Abd al-`Ali al-Karaki refuting the occurrence of deletion30
A treatise of al-Shaykh Aga Buzurg al-Tehrani entitled al-Naqd al-latif nafy al-tahrif.31
The study by al-Sayyid al-Khifi in his book al-Bayan ft tafsir al-Qur'an.
The study by al-Allamah Muhammad Husayn al-Tabatabal in his great exegesis at-Mizanfi tafsir al-Qur'an, under the verse 15:9.
A treatise by 'Abd al-Husayn al-Rashti Al-Hairi entitled Kashf al-'ishtibah, a refutation of Musa Jar Allah.
Al-Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahim al-Tabezi's book Ala' al-Rahim in refutation of tahrif.
A treatise written by the philosopher Hasan Zadeh Amuli in the published collection of his rasail.
A treatise by the faqih al-Fadil al-Lankarani, in his book Mad khal al-tafsir. -
Al-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn al-Shahristani's book entitled Risdlah fl hifz, al-Kitab al-sharif 'an shubhat al-qawl bi al-tahrif.
A detailed study by al-Sayyid Lutf Allah al-Safi al-Gulpayegani in his book Ma'a al-Khatib fi khututihi al-'aridah, which is a rejoinder to what al-Khatib has written against the Shi`ah.
A comprehensive book entitled Radd Fasl al-khitab, whose manuscript is with al-Shaykh Ricla al-'Ustadi in Qumm.
Al-Tahqiq fi nafy al-tahrif, a series of articles published in the journal Turathuna in refutation of tahrif by al-Sayyed 'All al-Milani.
My teacher, al Allamah al-Sayyid Jafar Murtada al-'Amili's comprehensive study, named al-Qawl al-fasl fi al-tahrif wa al-qira'at, to be published shortly.
Nonetheless, all these facts have posed no hindrance to an uninformed writer who had the temerity to write: "Nearly all Shii 'ulama', belonging both to the earlier and the latter generations accept the occurrence of tahrif in the Qur'an and that it has suffered alteration and deletion." It is an obvious misrepresentation of the truth to attribute the views of some Akhbari writers, occasioned by their uncritical acceptance of certain fabrication of the Ghulat and other heretics, to scholars and ascribe the opinion of a little minority to the Imami Shiis in general.
It is also not possible to ascribe the statements of the Shi'l 'ulama' in refutal of tahrif to taqiyyah, because these statements have been made by them in their books on fiqh, tafsir and doctrine (Itiqadat), an example of which is al-Shaykh al-Saduq's work on Shii creed, mentioned above. Though the Shiah believe in the concept of taqiyyah, they do not consider it valid in respect of the very foundations of the faith, especially the Qur'an. Apart from this, these statements have been made in books that were written for Shiis and hence the question of taqiyyah does not arise.
As a conclusion to these observations of Shii 'ulama', we quote a Sunni scholar on the topic of the Shi'l rejection of the occurrence of tahrif.
Rahmatullah al-Hindi, in Izhar al-haqq hawl al-Shiah wa al- Qur'an, observes: "The Glorious Qur'an is considered secure from alteration and change by a vast majority (jumhur) of Twelver Shi'i scholars, and whoever among them has spoken of deletions in it, his view has been rejected and considered unacceptable by them."32