# Perfect Preservation of the Quran Doesn’t Hold Up

URL: https://islamsproblems.com/quran-perfect-preservation-myth/
Part: Core Arguments

---

### 3. Perfect Preservation of the Quran Doesn’t Hold Up

#### Uthman’s burning of variant Qurans

Authentic hadiths show even **Muhammad’s best reciters had different Qurans** and
**caliph Uthman ordered them all to be burnt**:

- [Sahih Bukhari 4999](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4999): “I shall ever love that man, for I heard the **Prophet (ﷺ) saying, ‘Take (learn) the Qur’an from** four: Abdullah **bin Mas’ud**, Salim, Mu’adh and **Ubai** bin
Ka’b.’”

- [Sahih Bukhari 5005](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5005): “Umar said, **Ubayy was the best of us** in the recitation (of the Qur’an) **yet we leave some of what he recites.** Ubayy says, ‘**I have taken it from the mouth of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)** and **I will not leave it for anything.**’”

- [Sahih Bukhari 4987](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4987): “Hudhaifa was **afraid of their differences in the recitation** of the Qur’an,” so
**Uthman** “**ordered** that **all the other Qur’anic materials**, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts **or whole copies, be burnt.**”

Ibn Mas’ud and Ubayy (Muhammad’s Trusted Reciters) Couldn’t Agree on What Goes in the Quran

> “I asked Ubai bin Ka’b, ‘O Abu Al-Mundhir! Your brother, **Ibn Mas’ud said so-and-so (i.e., the two Mu’awwidh-at [Surah 113 and 114] do not belong to the Qur’an)**.’ **Ubai said,** ‘I asked Allah’s Messenger
> (ﷺ) about them, and he said, **They have been revealed to me, and I have recited them (as a part of the Qur’an)**,’ So Ubai added, ‘So we say as Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) has said.’”
> [Sahih Bukhari 4977](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4977)

Ibn Hajar’s Authoritative Commentary: Ibn Mas’ud Disagreement on Surah 113 and 114 Is
Authentic

> “**His words, ‘said so-and-so’:** the wording occurs here in vague form, and it is as though
> some of the transmitters left it vague **because they found it too grave to state** -
> Ahmad’s narration from Sufyan gives it plainly: ‘**I said to Ubayy: your brother scrapes it out of the mushaf.**’... Abd al-Rahman b. Yazid al-Nakha’i said: ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud used
> to **scrape the mu’awwidhatayn out of his codices, saying they are not part of the Book of God**.’”
> “Al-Baqillani **interpreted** what is related from Ibn Mas’ud - and Iyad
> and others followed him - saying: Ibn Mas’ud did not deny that they are part of the Qur’an;
> **he only objected to their being written in the mushaf**”
> “It is a **good interpretation,** **except that the authentic, explicit narration I cited refutes it, since it contains: ‘and he says they are not part of the Book of God.’**... but whoever considers
> **the many chains** I have cited will find this **harmonization far-fetched**.”
> “Impugning authentic narrations with no basis is not accepted.
> Rather, **the narration is authentic**.”
> [Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 8/615-616](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/52/9098/#:~:text=%D9%88%D9%87%D9%88%20%D8%AA%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%84%20%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%86,%D8%A8%D9%84%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9%20%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%A9%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%84%20%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%84)

Ibn Mas’ud (Muhammad's Trusted Reciter) Told People to Hide Their Copies from Uthman’s
Burning

> “Once Abdullah **bin Mas’ud** delivered a sermon before us and said, ‘By Allah, **I learnt over seventy Suras direct from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)**. By Allah, the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) came to
> know that I am one of those who know Allah’s Book best of all of them, yet I am not the best of them.’
> Shaqiq added: I sat in his religious gathering and **I did not hear anybody opposing him** (in his
> speech).”
> [Sahih Bukhari 5000](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5000)

> “‘Abdullah **bin Mas’ud disliked Zaid bin Thabit** [copier of Uthman’s codex] **copying the Musahif**, and **he said:** ‘O you Muslim people! **I am removed from recording the transcription of the Mushaf** and it is overseen by a man, by Allah, **when I accepted Islam he was but in the loins of a disbelieving man**’ - meaning Zaid bin Thabit - and it was regarding this that
> ‘Abdullah **bin Mas’ud said:** ‘O people of Al-’Iraq! **Keep the Musahif that are with you, and conceal them**. For indeed Allah said: And whoever conceals something, he shall come with what he
> concealed on the Day of Judgement (3:161). So meet Allah with the Musahif.’” Az-Zuhri said: “It
> was conveyed to me that some
> men amongst the most virtuous of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) disliked that view of
> Ibn Mas’ud.”
> [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3104](https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3104)

Ibn Mas’ud (Muhammad's Trusted Reciter) Recited Differently From Today's
Quran

[Quran 92:3](https://quran.com/92/3?translations=20) reads in today’s Quran:

> “**And [by] He who created** the male and female,”
> [Quran 92:3](https://quran.com/92/3?translations=20)

But **Ibn Mas’ud** (Muhammad's trusted reciter) recited [Quran 92:3](https://quran.com/92/3?translations=20) as:

> “**By the** male and the female.”
> [Sahih Bukhari 4944](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4944)

And **Abu Ad-Darda** (one of the four collectors of the Quran) **heard Muhammad recite it the same way as Ibn Mas’ud** and **refused to switch**:

> “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 Bukhari 4944](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4944)[Sahih Muslim 824a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:824a)

Abu Ad-Darda is One of The Four Collectors of the Quran

> “When the Prophet (ﷺ) died, **none had collected the Qur’an but four persons;: Abu Ad-Darda’.**
> Mu`adh bin Jabal, Zaid bin Thabit and Abu Zaid. We were the inheritor (of Abu Zaid) as he had no
> offspring.”
> [Sahih Bukhari 5004](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5004)

Marwan Destroyed the Original Used for Uthman’s Quran

**Marwan destroyed the original, Hafsa’s manuscript**, because he was afraid of us
checking it, **eliminating verification of preservation**:

> “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.**”
> [Sahih Bukhari 4987](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4987)

> “Marwan used to send to Hafsa asking her about **the scrolls from which the Qur’an was written**,
> but
> Hafsa refused to give them to him. Salim said: When Hafsa died and we returned from burying her,
> Marwan sent a firm message to Abdullah bin Umar, ordering him to send those scrolls to him. Abdullah
> bin Umar sent them to him, and **Marwan ordered them to be torn up**. Marwan said: I only did this
> because what was in them had already been written down and preserved in the Quran, and **I feared that if time passed, someone might doubt the authenticity of these scrolls, or say that some of them were not written down.** Its chain of narration is authentic.”
> [Ibn Kathir, The Virtues of the Qur’an, p. 85](https://dorar.net/h/jPimVa26#:~:text=%D9%81%D8%AE%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%8F%20%D8%A5%D9%86%20%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%20%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%91%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%90%20%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8C,%D9%84%D9%85%20%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%8F%D8%A8%D9%92)

**The Hafsa codex audit:** If Hafsa’s manuscript perfectly matched Uthman’s
standardized version, why destroy the source material? You don’t burn the audit trail unless the
audit trail can become a problem.

#### Sanaa manuscript

The Sanaa manuscript is a parchment with **two different versions of the Quran**
found in
Yemen in 1972 and radiocarbon dated to 578-669 CE. The first version was scraped off and a second (the
modern Quran) was written over it. Under ultraviolet light, both are visible.

Compare verse **[Quran 9:18](https://quran.com/9/18?translations=20)** in the **Sanaa vs. Quran** for example:

- Sanaa 9:18: “The mosques of Allah
are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and **do jihad in the way of Allah** and do not fear except Allah, for it is expected that those will be of the
**successful**.”

- **[Quran 9:18](https://quran.com/9/18?translations=20):** “The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and
the Last Day and **establish prayer and give zakah** and do not fear except Allah, for it is
expected that those will be of the **[rightly] guided**.”

Lines 4-6 pg. 55 Folio 6A

![Sadeghi & Goudarzi, Folio 6A (Quran 9:17-9:26), page 55: Arabic transcription of the Sanaa lower text with consonant-distinguishing footnotes 162, 163, 164.](/assets/folio.png)

[Sadeghi et al. “Ṣan’ā’ 1 and the Origins of the Qur’ān” (Harvard/Stanford)](https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sadeghi-Goudarzi-sana-Origins-of-the-Quran.pdf#page=55)

Verse [Quran 9:18](https://quran.com/9/18?translations=20)
in the Quran has **two independent substitutions in the same direction** from Sanaa 1:

1. jihad (Sanaa 9:18) → establish prayer and give zakah (Quran 9:18)

2. successful (Sanaa 9:18) → rightly guided (Quran 9:18)

The Sanaa 1 variants also match the surrounding verses and Surah 9 which are about
**jihad and fighting disbelievers**.

Original Harvard/Stanford Study: “Direct Documentary Evidence” for Ubayy’s and Ibn Mas’ud’s Rival Codices

The original Harvard/Stanford study cites Sanaa 1 as a **parallel textual tradition** and as **evidence for the rival Companion codices of Ubayy and Ibn Mas’ud reported by Islamic sources**:

> “The lower text of Ṣan‘ā’ 1 is at present **the most important document for the history of the Qur’ān**. As **the only known extant copy from a textual tradition beside the standard ‘Uthmānic one**, it has the greatest potential of any known manuscript to shed light on the
> early history of the scripture. Comparing it with **parallel textual traditions** provides a
> unique window onto the initial state of the text from which the different traditions
> emerged.” [p. 1](https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sadeghi-Goudarzi-sana-Origins-of-the-Quran.pdf#page=1)
> “Ṣan‘ā’ 1 constitutes **direct documentary evidence for the reality of the non-‘Uthmānic text types** that are usually referred to as **‘Companion codices.’**” [p. 19](https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sadeghi-Goudarzi-sana-Origins-of-the-Quran.pdf#page=19)
> “the ordering is **closer to those of Ibn Mas‘ūd and Ubayy b. Ka‘b than to that of ‘Uthmān**.” [p. 24](https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sadeghi-Goudarzi-sana-Origins-of-the-Quran.pdf#page=24)
> [Sadeghi et al. “Ṣan’ā’ 1 and the Origins of the Qur’ān.” (Harvard/Stanford)](https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sadeghi-Goudarzi-sana-Origins-of-the-Quran.pdf#page=1)

Oxford Study: Not Scribal Exercise but Complete Scriptural Codex

> “It seems, then, that the lower layer of the palimpsest, whether or not it included the full
> text of the Quran as presently known, **contained a run of entire suras arranged in a way that was commonly applied in quranic codices**. Such a sequential succession of verses and suras is
> **not what one would expect of a disparate selection of quranic material copied out as a scribal exercise, but is entirely consonant with the process of producing a complete scriptural codex (muṣḥaf)**.... It seems preponderantly likely, hence, that the scribe or scribes who produced
> both layers of the palimpsest were engaged in the project of copying out an entire Quran.”
> [Nicolai Sinai, “Beyond the Cairo Edition,” p. 204](https://lockwoodonlinejournals.com/plugins/generic/pdfJsViewer/pdf.js/web/viewer.html?file=https%3A%2F%2Flockwoodonlinejournals.com%2Findex.php%2Fjaos%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F760%2F603%2F1620#page=16)

Further Scholarship

> “The analysis conducted here demonstrates that the fragments did indeed form **a complete codex**, and one which when reconstructed **reveals an early non-ʿUṯmānic text, sharing some similarities with the so-called ‘Companions’ codices’**”
> [Cellard, “The Ṣanʿāʾ Palimpsest: Materializing the Codices”, p. 1](https://doi.org/10.1086/713473)

> “**Ibn Masʿūd’s dissent had echoes in the fourth/tenth century, with copies derived from his codex still circulating.** Similar information is transmitted by Ibn Qutayba who reports in the
> third/ninth century that Qurʾanic copies diverging from the canonical text were still found. The
> **Codex Ṣanʿāʾ I**, based on a textual tradition which was not altogether eliminated in Umayyad
> times, **confirms the reports of the tradition**. Although their historicity can be questioned at
> some points, their concern with literacy underlines its importance for the first generations of
> Muslims. **All these facts point to a plural written transmission during the first century of Islam—one which survived well into the fourth/tenth century.**”
> [Déroche, “Qurʾans of the Umayyads: A First Overview”, p. 137](https://data.nur.nu/Kutub/English/Qurans-of-the-Umayyads-A-First-Overview_by-Deroche_Brill.pdf#page=152)

Printed Qurans Still Differ

Two **mass-printed Qurans**, Hafs (most of the Muslim world) and Warsh (North and West Africa), **still differ in many verses**. [51 Hafs vs Warsh differences (Muslim source)](https://muslimprophets.com/article.php?aid=64)

> Hafs: “many a prophet **fought**” (qātala).
> Warsh: “many a prophet **were killed**” (qutila).
> [Quran 3:146](https://muslimprophets.com/article.php?aid=64#:~:text=QURAN%203%3A146)

> Hafs: “**He [the Prophet] said**, ‘My Lord knows whatever is said throughout the heaven and earth, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.’” (qāla).
> Warsh: “**Say [O Muhammad]**, ‘My Lord knows whatever is said throughout the heaven and earth, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.’” (qul).
> [Quran 21:4](https://muslimprophets.com/article.php?aid=64#:~:text=QURAN%2021%3A4)

> Hafs: “Indeed, We have sent you, [O Muhammad], with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner, **and you will not be asked** about the companions of Hellfire.” (tus’alu).
> Warsh: “Indeed, We have sent you, [O Muhammad], with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner, **and do not ask** about the companions of Hellfire.” (tas’al).
> [Quran 2:119](https://muslimprophets.com/article.php?aid=64#:~:text=QURAN%202%3A119)

> Hafs: “And **take** [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer.”
> Warsh: “And **they** [O believers] **have taken**, from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer.”
> [Quran 2:125](https://muslimprophets.com/article.php?aid=64#:~:text=QURAN%202%3A125)

Gabriel Revealed 7 Ahruf (Different Ways of Recitation) but Uthman Burned 6 of Them

The **10 Qiraat (like Hafs and Warsh)**, canonized by Ibn al-Jazari
over 700 years after Uthman’s burning, are **different from the 7 Ahruf (different ways of recitation)** revealed to Muhammad. The Qiraat differences often arose because the
Uthmanic codex’s Arabic lacked the marks to pin down one reading. In contrast, Sahih Bukhari
says **Gabriel revealed 7 Ahruf** but according to Tafsir al-Tabari **6 of the 7 Ahruf perished in Uthman’s burning**:

> “Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘**Gabriel recited the Qur’an to me in one way (Harf)**.
> Then I requested him (to read it in another way), and continued asking him to recite it in
> other ways, and he recited it in several ways till **he ultimately recited it in seven different ways (Ahruf)**.’”
> [Sahih Bukhari 4991](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4991)

> “I heard Hisham bin Hakim reciting Surat Al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger
> (ﷺ) and I listened to his recitation and noticed that he **recited in several different ways which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had not taught me**. I was about to jump over him during his
> prayer, but I controlled my temper, and when he had completed his prayer, I put his upper
> garment around his neck and seized him by it and said, ‘Who taught you this Sura which I
> heard you reciting?’ He replied, ‘Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) taught it to me.’ I said, ‘You have
> told a lie, for Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) has taught it to me in a different way from yours.’ So
> I dragged him to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said (to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)), ‘I heard this
> person reciting Surat Al-Furqan in a way which you haven’t taught me!’ On that Allah’s
> Apostle said, ‘Release him, (O Umar!) Recite, O Hisham!’ Then he recited in the same way as I
> heard him reciting. Then Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘It was revealed in this way,’ and
> added, ‘Recite, O Umar!’ I recited it as he had taught me. **Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) then said, ‘It was revealed in this way. This Qur’an has been revealed to be recited in seven different ways (Ahruf)**, so recite of it whichever (way) is easier for you (or read as
> much of it as may be easy for you).’”
> [Sahih Bukhari 4992](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4992)

> “**Allah has commanded you to recite the Qur’an** to your people **in seven dialects (Ahruf)**, and in **whichever dialect they would recite, they would be right**.”
> [Sahih Muslim 821a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:821a)

> “**Consequently, they abandoned the recitation in the six ahruf (modes/dialects)** that
> their just leader had resolved to set aside, doing so out of obedience to him and in the best
> interest of themselves and future generations of their faith. Eventually, **knowledge of those modes faded from the community, and their traces vanished; today, no one can recite using them**, as they have fallen into obsolescence and their traces have disappeared.
> The Muslims collectively rejected reciting in them, not out of a denial of their authenticity
> or the validity of any part of them, but rather out of regard for their own well-being and
> that of their fellow believers. **Thus, there is no recitation among Muslims today other than in the single harf (mode) chosen for them by their compassionate and sincere leader, to the exclusion of the other six modes.**”
> [Tafsir al-Tabari, Introduction](https://shamela.ws/book/43/76#p1:~:text=%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%89%20%D8%AF%D9%8E%D8%B1%D9%8E%D8%B3%D8%AA%20%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A9%20%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%8C%20%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%AA%20%D8%A2%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%8C%20%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%20%D8%B3%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8E%20%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%AF%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%20%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1%D8%A9%20%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7)

Ubayy (Muhammad’s Trusted Reciter) Was Troubled by the Differences in Ahruf but Muhammad Struck Him on the Chest

> “I was in the mosque when **a man entered and prayed and recited (the Qur’in) in a style to which I objected**. Then **another man entered (the mosque) and recited in a style different from that of his companion**. When we had finished the prayer, we
> all went to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said to him: This man recited in a style to which
> I objected, and the other entered and recited in a style different from that of his
> companion. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked them to recite and so they recited, and
> **the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) expressed approval of their affairs (their modes of recitation)**. and **there occurred In my mind a sort of denial which did not occur even during the Days of Ignorance. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw how I was affected (by a wrong idea), he struck my chest, whereupon I broke into sweating and felt as though I were looking at Allah with fear**. He (the Holy Prophet) said to
> me: Ubayy. a message was sent to me to recite the Qur’an in one dialect (Harf), and I replied:
> Make (things) easy for my people. It was conveyed to me for the second time that it
> should be recited in two dialects. I again replied to him: Make affairs easy for my
> people. It was again conveyed to me for the third time to recite in seven
> dialects (Ahruf) And (I was further told): You have got a seeking for every reply that I
> sent you, which you should seek from Me. I said: O Allah! forgive my people, forgive my
> people, and I have deferred the third one for the day on which the entire creation will
> turn to me, including even Ibrahim (peace be upon him) (for intercession).”
> [Sahih Muslim 820a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:820a)

The modern Quran is a product of Uthmanic state-enforced standardization. Viable and
meaningful pre-Uthmanic variants survive in Sanaa. This eliminates knowledge of perfect preservation:
it’s just the variant that survived the fire.

Sheep Ate Verses

In a hasan (good) hadith, **Aisha narrates a sheep ate a page of revealed verses**.

> “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.**”
> [Sunan Ibn Majah 1944](https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:1944)

Independent Authentic Hadiths Confirm the Issue

> “A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) 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 (ﷺ) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur’an (and recited by the Muslims)**.”
> [Sahih Muslim 1452a](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1452a)

> 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 (ﷺ) carried out the penalty of Rajam**, and **so did we after him**.”
> [Sahih Bukhari 6829](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829)

Forgotten Surahs No Longer in Quran

> “(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 to 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.’”
> [Sahih Muslim 1050](https://sunnah.com/muslim:1050)

Even Muhammad Used To Forget Verses

> “**Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) heard a man reciting the Qur’an at night**, and said, ‘May Allah bestow His Mercy on him, as he has **reminded me of such-and-such Verses of such-and-such Suras, which I was caused to forget.**’”
> [Sahih Bukhari 5038](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5038)

Quran Is Collected from Scraps Because Umar Fears a Large Part May Be Lost

> Narrated Zaid bin Thabit: “Abu Bakr As-Siddiq sent for me when the people of Yamama had been
> killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet’s Companions who fought against Musailima). (I went to him)
> and found Umar bin Al-Khattab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), “Umar has come to me
> and said: “Casualties were heavy among the Qurra’ of the Qur’an (i.e. those who knew the Qur’an by
> heart) on the day of the Battle of Yamama, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take
> place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby **a large part of the Qur’an may be lost**. Therefore I suggest, you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur’an be collected.” I said to
> Umar, “How can you do something which Allah’s Apostle did not do?” Umar said, “By Allah, that is
> a good project.” Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allah opened my chest for it
> and I began to realize the good in the idea which Umar had realized.” Then Abu Bakr said (to me).
> ‘You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the
> Divine Inspiration for Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). So you should search for (the fragmentary scripts
> of) the Qur’an and collect it in one book.” By Allah If they had ordered me to shift one of the
> mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur’an.
> Then I said to Abu Bakr, “How will you do something which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?” Abu
> Bakr replied, “By Allah, it is a good project.” Abu Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea
> until Allah opened my chest for what He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr and Umar. **So I started looking for the Qur’an and collecting it from (what was written on) palme stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart**, till I found the last Verse of
> Surat at-Tauba (Repentance) with Abi Khuzaima Al-Ansari, and **I did not find it with anybody other than him**. The Verse is: ‘Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from
> amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty..(till the end
> of Surat-Baraa’ (at-Tauba) (9.128-129). Then the complete manuscripts (copy) of the Qur’an
> remained with Abu Bakr till he died, then with Umar till the end of his life, and then with Hafsa,
> the daughter of Umar.”
> [Sahih Bukhari 4986](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4986)

Yasir Qadhi: “The standard narrative has holes in it”

Yasir Qadhi, Yale-trained Muslim scholar, openly conceded that **the standard narrative of perfect preservation has holes in it** and that this caused him “crises at Yale”:

> “I’ve mentioned the crises that happened to me at Yale. This was the issue... it’s very clear to you
> and to every single very advanced student and specialist that **the standard narrative has holes in it**.”
> [Yasir Qadhi video interview](https://youtu.be/d225z-Yn0vk)

One-Liners

- **The Palimpsest Logic:** If you write something in pencil, erase it, and
write over it in pen, the erased text underneath is older than the text written over it.

- **The Hafsa Codex Audit:** If Hafsa’s manuscript was a perfect match to
Uthman’s standardized version, why destroy it? You don’t burn the source material unless the source
material can become a problem.

### Sources
- Sahih Bukhari 5005: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5005
- Sahih Bukhari 4987: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4987
- Sahih Bukhari 4986: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4986
- Sahih Bukhari 5000: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5000
- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3104: https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3104
- Ibn Kathir, The Virtues of the Qur'an, p. 85: https://dorar.net/h/jPimVa26#:~:text=%D9%81%D8%AE%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%8F%20%D8%A5%D9%86%20%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%20%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%91%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%90%20%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8C,%D9%84%D9%85%20%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%8F%D8%A8%D9%92
- Quran 9:18: https://quran.com/9/18?translations=20
- Sadeghi et al. "Ṣan'ā' 1 and the Origins of the Qur'ān" (Harvard/Stanford): https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Sadeghi-Goudarzi-sana-Origins-of-the-Quran.pdf#page=55
- Nicolai Sinai, "Beyond the Cairo Edition," p. 204: https://lockwoodonlinejournals.com/plugins/generic/pdfJsViewer/pdf.js/web/viewer.html?file=https%3A%2F%2Flockwoodonlinejournals.com%2Findex.php%2Fjaos%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F760%2F603%2F1620#page=16
- Sunan Ibn Majah 1944: https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:1944
- Sahih Muslim 1452a: https://sunnah.com/muslim:1452a
- Sahih Bukhari 6829: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6829
- Yasir Qadhi video interview: https://youtu.be/d225z-Yn0vk
- Sahih Bukhari 4977: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4977
- Sahih Bukhari 4999: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4999
- Sahih Bukhari 5038: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5038
- Sahih Muslim 1050: https://sunnah.com/muslim:1050
- 51 Hafs vs Warsh differences (Muslim source): https://muslimprophets.com/article.php?aid=64

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