The Qur'an ( When Was It Complied )

Other Evidence

There are other evidences which point to the fact that the Qur'an we have today is the very same as was gathered and structured during the time of the Messenger of Allah, with no additions or subtractions:

1. The 'Opening' Chapter

The naming of the first chapter of the Qur'an as the 'opening' chapter during the time of the Prophet means that it is the opening chapter of the Qur'an despite the fact that neither this chapter or even the first verse of it were the first chronologically to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The naming of it as the 'opening' chapter during the Prophet's lifetime shows that the book was collated together as a whole in the form existent today, and that the first chapter then is still the first chapter today.

2. The Hadith of the "Two Momentous Things"

The Prophet (S) used to say in this hadith that is widely related by both Sunnite and Shi'a scholars:

'I leave with you the two momentous things - the book of Allah and the people of my household. As long as you adhere to these two you will never go astray after me.' 21

The book that the Prophet (S) left behind for his community is the gathered and structured whole and not scattered verses otherwise the name 'book' would not be ascribed to it.22

21 See Seas of Lights: vol.13, p.147: 'I leave with you the two momentous things - the book of Allah and my kin the people of my household. They will never separate until they arrive at the well (of Kauthar).'

22 In the lexicon Lisan al-'Arab, under kataba, the word kitab (book) is a noun used for what is written as a gathered whole. In the dictionary al-Munjid, under kataba, the word kitab (book) is something in which there is writing. It is called this because in it chapters, sections and issues are gathered.

Allah precedes his Prophet in this regard by referring to the Qur'an again and again and in numerous verses as 'The Book', alluding to the fact that it is gathered and collated with Him on the preserved tablet - as certain commentators have stated, and that He showed the Prophet its compilation and structure and ordered him to compile and structure the Qur'an as it is compiled and structured in the preserved tablet, which the Prophet duly did.

Allah speaks in the Qur'an saying: {This is a blessed book which We have sent down, confirming (the revelation) before it, and to warn the mother of all cities and those around her, and those who believe in the hereafter will believe in it while they are steadfast in their prayers.}23

He, Almighty is He, also says: {He has the keys to the unseen, none know of them save He and He knows what is in the land and in the sea, not a leaf drops but that He is aware of it nor a seed in the darkness of the earth, nor anything wet or dry but that it is in a clear book.}24

He Almighty is He also says: {O people of the book, Our messenger has come to you to make plain to you much of that which you have been concealing of the book and to forgive much. From Allah has come to you a light and an elucidating book.}25

And He Almighty is He has said: {And this is a blessed book which We have sent down so follow ye it and adopt piety so may ye be shown mercy.}26

And He Almighty is He has said: {A book sent down to you so let there be no shame in your breast to warn with it and as a reminder to those who have faith.}27

And He Blessed is He has said: {A book whose verses have been made firm and then explained from the auspices of the wise the knowing.}28

23 The Qur'an: The Livestock (6): 92. 24 The Qur'an: The Livestock (6): 59. 25 The Qur'an: The Table Spread (5): 15. 26 The Qur'an: The Livestock (6): 155. 27 The Qur'an: The Heights (7): 2.

THE HOLY QUR'AN When was it compiled?

And He The Almighty has said: {A book which We have sent down to you so you may bring the people out of the darkness and into the light by the permission of their Lord to the way of The All Mighty The All Praised.}29

3. The Complete Recitation of the Qur'an

It is related that the Prophet (S) ordered that the Qur'an should be recited in its entirety during the month of Ramadan and at other times, and he made known the virtue and reward to be gained from its recitation. This complete recitation would have no meaning if the Qur'an had not been present as a complete structured whole as the meaning of a complete recitation (khatma) is to begin at the beginning of a book and to end at the end of it.30

The Prophet (S) said: 'Whoever completes a recitation of the Qur'an, it is as if he has reached the station of prophethood except that he does not receive revelation.' 31

The Prophet (S) also said: 'When the believer reads the Qur'an, Allah looks upon him with mercy and for each verse gives him one-thousand Houris and for each letter gives him a light on the path. When he completes a recitation of the Qur'an, Allah rewards him with the reward of three-hundred and thirteen prophets who carried out the message of their Lord, and it is as if he has read every book that Allah has sent down upon His prophets, and Allah forbids his body from the fire and forgives him and his parents their sins.' 32

'Abdullah Ibn Mas'oud and Ubayy Ibn Ka'b and others completed recitations of the Qur'an in front of the Prophet (S) a number of times. If the Qur'an had not been gathered together during his lifetime then this would not have been possible.

28 The Qur'an: The Prophet Hud (11): 1. 29 The Qur'an: The Prophet Abraham (14): 1. 30 In the lexicon Lisan al-'Arab, under the word khatama, a person khatama the Qur'an if he reads it to the end. In the dictionary Al-Wasit, khatama means to complete something and reach the end and finish with it, and it is said 'finish the Qur'an.' In the dictionary al-Munjid, it means to read the entire Qur'an. 31 Usul al-Kafi: vol.2, p.604. In the book Mutashabih al-Qur'an, the author says: It is proven that the Prophet (S) read the Qur'an, compiled it and ordered that it be written down in this form. Every year he would read it for the Angel Gabriel once except the year of his death when he read it for him twice. A group of the companions recited it in its entirety in front of the Prophet among them Ubayy Ibn Ka'b. 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'oud recited it ten times in front of the Prophet.33

In the book Seas of Lights, the great scholar al-Majlisi says: 'Al- Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi in their authenticated collections of hadith relate from Anas: 'The Qur'an was collected during the lifetime of the Prophet by four men of the Ansar: Ubayy Ibn Ka'b, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal, Abu Zaid, and Zaid Ibn Thabit.34

4. Between the Mihrab and the Pulpit

It is also reported that the entire Qur'an was placed in a written form between the mihrab and the pulpit (minbar) and that Muslims used to copy from it.

5. Presentation of Qur'an to the Messenger of Allah

It is related that Archangel Gabriel (a) used to present the Qur'an to the Prophet (S) once every year, and in the last year of the Prophet's life he presented it to him twice. This would not have been possible had the Qur'an not been already gathered and collated.

The hadith report that when the Prophet (S) began to feel the effects of the illness, which afflicted him at the end of his life, he took the hand of 'Ali (a) and said: 'The trials have descended like the darkness of night. Gabriel used to present (the Qur'an) to me once every year but this year he presented (the Qur'an) to me twice. It seems to me that my time is near.' 35

33 Mutashabih al-Qur'an: vol.2, p.77. 34 Seas of Lights: vol.89, p.77. 35 Qasas al-Anbiya' of al-Rawandi: p.357, section 13.

THE HOLY QUR'AN When was it compiled?

The Prophet (S) also said: 'Gabriel used to present to me the Qur'an once per year but this year he presented it to me twice. I believe that my time is near.' 36

6. The Memorisation of the Qur'an

It is related that a group of the Companions of the Prophet had memorised the entire Qur'an by heart during the time of the Prophet.37

This is clear to anyone who refers to the commentary on the Qur'an by al-Balaghi. Also in one of the issues of the periodical 'Answers to Religious Questions'38 there is an article by (the author's father) al- Sayyid Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi published in the holy city of Karbala.

7. Concordance with the Book of Allah

Another fact which shows that the Qur'an we have today is the same Qur'an revealed to the Messenger of Allah without literary corruption, or addition or subtraction are the traditions which order that any hadith related from the Messenger of Allah or his household should be compared with the Holy Qur'an in order that the wheat be separated from the chaff. These traditions say: 'All (hadith) that is in concordance with the Book of Allah was said by the Messenger of Allah or his household. Anything that goes against the book of Allah is vain and false and was not said by them.

These traditions refer us to the Qur'an which we have with us today in order to tell the truth from the falsehood, which points to it being free from any addition or subtraction, substitution or corruption, as a corrupted book is not fit to be the source of knowledge of the true from the false.

Related from Ja'far al-Saadiq (a) is that the Prophet (S) said: 'For every truth there is a reality and for every correct practice there is a 36 Seas of Lights: vol.22, p.466 and vol.22, p.471.

37 In Seas of Lights: vol.41, p.147: 'All are agreed upon the fact that Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) had memorised the Qur'an during the time of the Prophet (S)

38 This is a religious publication, which was printed in Karbala at the instigation of al- Imam al-Shirazi and was overseen by some of the most esteemed scholars.

guiding light, so whatever is in concord with the book of Allah then go by it and whatever contradicts the book of Allah then leave it.' 39