La Yamassuhu
La Yamassuhu
La Yamassuhu
Offprint from
JERUSALEM STUDIES IN
ARABIC AND ISLAM
34(2008)
M.J. Kister
M.J. Kister
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Opinions found in the early sources concerning the meaning of the word
qur' an address questions such as whether this denotes only the heavenly
lSee different readings in Ibn Khalawayh (d. 370 AH), Mukhta$ar fi shawadhdhi
l-qur'an min kitabi l-badf', G. Bergstraesser, ed. (Cairo, 1934), p. 151: illa 1-
muttahharun; it is understood in the sense of al-mutatahhirun; al-mutharun (which
is understood as referring to angels, al-mala'ika). See also the readings and the
explanations in I.Iusayn b. Ab! I-'Izz al-Hamadan! (d. 643 AH), al-Farzd fi i'rabi 1-
qur'ani l-majzd, ed. Fahm! I.Iasan al-Nimr and Fu'ad 'AlI Mukhaymir, eds. (al-DawJ:ta,
1411/1991), vol. 4, p. 422.
309
310 M.J. Kister
Ibn al- 'Arab! comments on these verses, saying that they refer to
the scrolls of the Quran (~ulJuj al-qur' an) in the hands of the Muslims,
dictated by the Prophet (allatf kana l-nabiyyu soll« lliihs: 'alayhi wa-
sallam yumlfhii) to his scribes. According to Ibn al- 'Arabi, the ~ulJuj
al-qur' an are identical with the qaratfs mentioned in Abu Bakr's el-
egy.17 The scrolls of the Qur'an are thus reproductions of the revelation
granted by God to the Prophet and must be treated with proper rever-
ence. The people of Iraq (among them Ibrahim al- Nakha 'I) consequently
requested that only a believer in a state of purity be permitted to touch
the Quran.l"
The need to preserve the purity of the book seems to have been the
reason for a number of prohibitions aimed at preventing those considered
unclean from touching the Quran; this probably caused Ibn 'Abbas to
prevent Jews and Christians from reading the Qur'an.19 The famous
scholar 'Izz aI-DIn b. 'Abd al-Salam al-Sulami (d. 360 AH) is said to
have forbidden to give a copy of the Quran to a Jew or a Christian for
binding. It is also forbidden to leave books of luuliih. or tajsfr in the
hands of an infidel who was not expected to embrace Islam. 20
In his al-Bohr al-muMt,21 Abu Hayyan quotes an anonymous scholar
who says that the kitab makniin refers to the codices of the Muslims
(ma~alJij al-muslimfn), guarded from (vicious -k) changes and alter-
ations (ma~iina min a l-iabdil wa-l-taghyfr). It is instructive that Abu
Hayyan adds a note saying that at that time (idh dhiika), no codices
(ma~alJif) of the Quran existed; this is a prediction concerning the sit-
uation in the future (ikhbiirun bi-ghayb).
Ibn al- "Arabi quotes the opinion of Abu Hanifa who permitted the im-
pure to touch the Quran on its outer side and on the margins which are
without script (wa-ruwiya 'anhu annahu yamassu ?ahirahu ma-Iuuoiishi:
yahu ina-rna is maktiiba jfhi). The script, on the other hand, may only
be touched by the pure believer. Ibn al- "Arabi himself rejected this opin-
ion, saying that "the precinct of the forbidden is also forbidden" (li-anna
1, p. 90.
34'Abd al-Razzaq, ot-Mnsorma], vol. 1, p. 344, no. 1341; and see Abu 'Ubayd al-
Qasim b. Sallam, Fa¢a'il al-quriin; p. 245, (67, 4-5). I owe this rendering of 'alaqa
to Dr. Mithqal Nattlr.
35Al- TabarI, Jiimi' al-bauiin; vol. 27, pp. 118-119.
36 Al-Qurtubi, al- Tidhkiir fi af¢ali l-rulklikiir, p. 10l.
37AI-BayhaqI, al-Sun an al-kubrii, vol. 1, p. 340, no. 1326; this tradition is recorded
as well by Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Ansarr al-Qurtubl (d. 671 AH) in his al-Tidhkiir
If af¢ali l-adkhkiir If la¢li l-quri iin. wa-qari'ihi wa-mustami'ihi wa-l-'amili bihi wa-
liurmati l-qur'Iini wa-kayfiyyati tiliiuiatilii (Beirut, n.d.), p. 108, on the authority of
Mujahid, On a special kind of an "imaginary" breaking of winds caused by Satan,
see Abu Yusuf Ya'qub b. Ibrahim al-Ansart, Kitiib u l-iithiir , Abu l-Wafa' , ed. (Cairo,
1355), p. 38, no. 137.
38'Abd al-Razzaq, al-Mu?annal, vol. 1, p. 339, no. 1318. On Abu Maryam al-
Hanafi, see Ibn Sa'd, al-Tobaqiit al-kubrii (Beirut, 1377/1957), vol. 3, pp. 377 infra-
378; al-BayhaqI, al-Sunan al-kubrii, vol. 1, p. 90; the name of the man who asked
'Umar why he recites the Quran after returning from the privy is not mentioned in
this report.
316 M.J. Kister
on the authority of Ibn Mas'Iid who stated that there is nothing wrong
with reading the Qur'an without performing ablution. 39
Scholars were divided in their opinion whether menstruating women
and men in a state of impurity are allowed to read the Quran and to
recite its verses; some objected to an impure believer (al-junub) reading
the Qur'an, while others permitted the reading of a small number of
verses.40
Scholars also disagree whether the impure are allowed to touch dinars
and dirhams on which Quranic verses are inscribed. Some held this to be
strictly forbidden, while others tried to compromise, saying that people
have no choice but to touch the coins.j '
Another explanation connects ta yamassuhu illii al-mutahharun to
the story of the Satans who were jailed by Sulayrnan in the sea; they
would come out and read to the people a Quran; Quran is rendered here
as "a recitation" qirii' ii,42 AI-Tabarf records a report on the authority
of al-Dahhak saying that the Satans strove to bring down the Quran
from Heaven to Muhammad, but God prevented them and the Quran
remained out of their reach.43
AI-Tabari records opinions of many Muslim scholars who glossed "the
pure" as referring to the angels in heaven. He mentions, however, another
explanation: "the pure" indicate those who are purified from their sins.
39Abu Yusuf', Kiiiibu t-nua«, Abu l-Wafa", ed. (Cairo, 1355), p. 66, no. 327: ... fa-
qiila 'abdu lliihi: ta ba'sa an taqra'a l-qur'ana 'ala ghayri wurj,u'in.
40See e.g. 'Abd al-Razzaq, ol-Mueonno]; vol. 1, pp. 336-337, nos. 1302-1309;
see al- Wahidi, al- Wasz:t, vol. 4, p. 239 penult.; al-Dhahabi, al-Arba'una luuiitluin,
mashyakhatu Ibn Taymiyya, 'Abd al-'AzIz al-Sayrawan , ed. (Beirut, 1406/1986),
pp. 147-148, no. 30.
41See 'Abd al-Razzaq, al-Mufannaf, vol. 1, p. 343, nos. 1335-1338. Cf. Ibn AbI
Shayba (d. 235 AH), al-Mufannaf, 'Abd al-Khaliq al-Afghani, ed. (n.p., n.d., reprint),
vol. 1, p. 113: Some pious believers disliked to enter the privy (al-khala') carrying
the "white" dirhams, others did not consider it odious. Some pious people considered
it necessary to carry the "white" dirhams entering the privy in order to keep their
money safe. See Muhammad b. 'Abdallah al-Shibli, Ma/:!asin al-wasa'il ff ma'rifati
l-auuiii, Muhammad al-TunjI, ed. (Beirut, 1412/1992), p. 291: awwalu man
kataba l-qur'ana 'ala dirhamin al-/:!ajjaju bnu yusufa l-thaqafiyyu kana l-/:!ajjaju
awwala man daraaa hiidtuh.i l-iloriitiima l-bida wa-kataba 'alayha siiraiari min al-
qur' ani. [a-qiila l-qurrii': "qiitololiu llahu, kataba suraian min al qur' ani [a-homala
l-tiiisa 'ala mii yakrahuna, ya'khudhuhu l-junubu wa-l-/:!a'irj,." See Abu Hilal al-
Hasan b. 'Abdallah al-'AskarI, al-Awa'il (Beirut, 1407/1987), p. 174: ... uui-daroba
l-luijjiiju ol-dariihim wa-naqasha ffM: Alliiliu atuul, Alliihi: l-samad, [a-karihahii 1-
ruisi: li-maktini l-qur'iini ft;ha, Ii-anna l-junuba wa-l-/:!a'irj,a yamassuha; Abu Dawud
al-Sijist.anr, Kitiib u l-mafa/:!if, pp. 186-187; Abu 'Ubayd, Farj,a'il ol-qur'iin; p. 245.
Cf. W. Muir, The Caliphate, its rise, decline and fall (Edinburgh, 1924), pp. 339-340;
see especially p. 340, n. l.
42Al- Tabarr, Jamie al-bauiin; vol. 27, p. 118.
43Al-Tabarr, Jamie al-bauiin; vol. 27, p. 118 infra; and see above, note 8.
La yamassuhu tus 'l-tnuiohhoriin ... 317
'Ikrima says that "the pure" were the bearers of the Torah and the Injil. 44
An interpretation transmitted by Ibn Wahb extends the usual limits of
the "pure" by including the angels, prophets and the messengers. 45
Al-Qurtubi comments on the phrase innahu la-qur' iinun karfmun
stating that the Quran is not a book of sorcery or of soothsaying; it
is a book granted to the Prophet as a miracle; it is respected by the be-
lievers because it is the Word of God, as well as by the people in Heaven
because it is God's revelation. It is a Book sent down by God.46 This
explication given by al-Qurtubi is a true example of the ja¢a'il al-qur' an
genre, which was current already in the early period of Islam.
A typical example of a tradition attributed to the Prophet, emphasiz-
ing the miraculous qualitites of the text of the Quran was transmitted on
the authority of 'Uqba b. "Amir al-Juhani: "Were the Quran wrapped
in raw leather and thrown into fire, it would not burn," (another ver-
sion: "it would not be touched by fire" -k) (law kana l-qur' iinu jf ihiibin
thumma ulqiya jf l-tuiri mii 'l}taraqa).47
A tradition transmitted by Jabir b. Zayd (died at the end of the
first century of the Hijra -k) and AbU Nahik (al-Azdi, al-FarahIdI -k)
establishes a link between the heavenly Book and the Quran in the
believers' possession; it states that the earthly Quran was sent down
from the Tablets of the Quran in Heaven.48
II
The verses discussed in the present article were used also in the contro-
versy related to the createdness or otherwise of the Quran. Regarding
this issue, it was necessary to define the relationship between the heav-
enly book and the earthly copies of the Quran. Such a definition is found
in Muhammad b. AbI Bakr al-RazI's Tafsir . Quran 7:155 reads: "And
when Moses' anger abated in him, he took the Tablets; and in the in-
scription of them was guidance, and mercy unto all those who hold their
Lord in awe" (akhadha l-alwal}a wa-jf tiuskhatihii hudan wa-ral}matun li-
lladliina hum li-rabbihim yarhabiina). When commenting on this verse,
44Al-Tabarr, Jiimi' al-bayan, vol. 27, pp. 118 infra-1l9 supra; al-Qurtubl, al-Jiimi'
li-ahkiim: l-quriin = Tajsiru. l-Qur.tubf, vol. 17, p. 225.
45Al-Tabarr, Jiimi' al-bauiin; vol. 27, p. 1l9.
46AI-QurtubI, Tofsir ; vol. 17, p. 224.
47Al-Munawr, Fayg,u l-qadir , vol. 5, p. 324, no. 7466; Nur aI-DIn al-Hayt.hamr,
Majma' al-zawa'id, vol. 7, p. 158; al-Firyab'i, Fag,a'il ol-qur=tin; pp. 109-1l1, nos. 1-
2.
48AI-TabarI, Jiimi' al-bauiin; vol. 17, pp. 1l8-1l9.
318 M.J. Kister
al-RazI stresses that the verse explicitly states wa-jf nuskhatihii, not wa-
jfhii; this indicates that this was not the original text (awwalu maktubin),
but merely a copy (nuskhatun) of the original text. The word nuskha was
used because Mllsa began to copy the contents of the broken tablets on
a golden tablet (fa-nasakha mii jfhii jf lawl}i dhahabin) which contained
(rules of -k) the Right Way (hudan) and of mercy. The other tablets
contained details of everything (which would happen in the future -k).
According to another opinion, the word wa-jf nuskhatdui was used be-
cause God dictated (laqqana) to Moses the Torah and later ordered him
to write it down; Moses then transferred the Torah "from his heart" to
the tablets and called it a copy (nuskha).
It is obvious that God sent Jibril to the Prophet and the angel recited
to him the verses of the Quran as he heard them from God. Instruc-
tive is al-RazI's analysis of the phrase innahu la-qur' iinun karimun jf
kitabin makniinin: According to two different explanations, the word
kitiib makniui refers either to the Guarded Tablet (al-lawl} al-maMu:;),
or to the the written book (mu$l}af) used by the believers. AI-RazI ar-
gues that writing down the Quran does not mean that the Quran dwells
in the book (wa-la yalzamu min kitabati l-qur' ani jf l-kiiiibi an yakuna
l-our' iinu hiillat: jf l-kiiiibi ... ). By way of illustration, he explains that
this is like a man who writes on the palm of his hand "a thousand dinars;"
this does not mean that he holds in his hand a thousand dinars, and thus
too if one writes on the palm of one's hand al-'arsh or al-kursi.
AI-RazI further discusses whether it can be assumed that the whole
Quran is contained in one book, or that every compendium of the Qur'an
contains only a part of the Quran and only when all the Qurans gath-
ered together contain the entire text. AI-RazI rejects all the three op-
tions, leading to the idea that the Quran is not contained in any of the
books.
AI-RazI affirms that the Quran is God's Word; it is a pre-existent,
eternal attribute of God, existing in Him and cannot be separated from
Him (bal huwa kaliimu llahi ta'alii, wa-kaliimuhu $ijatun qadimatun qa'i-
matun bihi is tujariquhu).
Finally al-RazI deals with the expression iomzil and munzal. These
two expressions could lead one to the erroneous conclusion that the re-
vealed Quran which was sent down was separate from the Essence of
God; that would of course mean that the Quran was created, as every-
thing - except God - is created. But the truth is that the Qur'an was
sent down in a way which did not invalidate the concept that it is an
indivisible part of the Essence of God, since it is His Word. The "send-
ing down" of the Qur'an was carried out in the same way as revelation
was given to Moses: God taught Jibril the Quran and he learned it by
La yamassuhu tus 'l-tnuiohhoriin ... 319
heart. Jibril in turn taught the Quran to the Prophet who then taught
it to the Muslim community. 49
The problem of the status of the Quran as an inseparable part of the
divine essence was the subject of exhaustive discussions among Muslim
scholars. "God's Words" (al-nabf al-ummf alladhf yu'minu bi-'llahi wa-
kalimatihi), mentioned in Qur'an 7:158, are understood as referring to
the Qur'an.50 In the same way, the expression 'ilm in Qur 'an 3:61 and
2:146 was interpreted as referring to the Quran constituting a part of
God's essence.51 Al-Ajurrf mentions a specific group of believers who
held that the Quran is the Word of God, but refrained from stating
that the Qur'an was not created. This group was called al-waqifa and
were accused of belonging to the J ahmiyya. 52
In his al-Ibiisui an usiili l-diyana, al-Ash'arI (d. 324 AH) draws a pe-
culiar comparison between the JahmI view that God's Word was created
and placed in a tree (or in a bush -k) and the Christian allegation that
the Word of God was located in the womb of Maryam; he vigorously
refutes this claim. Al-Ashart also rejects the Jahmiyya's perception ac-
cording to which the names of God are created; these are included in
the Quran; the Quran is the uncreated Word of God; thus the names
of God are uncreated.P''
AI- Tabari (d. 310 AH) gives a concise account of his credo regarding
the nature of the Quran. He stresses that it is the uncreated Word
of God. He who denies this is to be considered an infidel (kafir) and
shedding his blood is lawful. Some curses attached by al-T abarf at the
end of this account are directed against those who would distort his
opinions concerning the Qur'an.54
A comprehensive exposition of this subject is given by Ibn Hazrn
(d. 457 AH). Of special importance is his opinion concerning the differ-
ence between the written Quran and the orally transmitted Quran, The
first tenet challenged by Ibn Hazrn is the assumption that the Quran
49 AI-RazI, Utimiidtiaj jalzl fi as'ila wa-ajwiba min ghara'ib ayi l-t.atizil; Ridwan
al-Daya, ed. (Beirut, 1411/1990), pp. 158-159 and 496-497.
50See al-Ajurrr, al-Sharf'a, p. 76.
51AI-A.jurrI, al-Sharf'a, p. 76-77. See also on pp. 77-82 the utterances of 'Abdallah
b. al-Mubarak: "He who says that the Qur'an was created is an infidel (kafir);" Malik
b. Arias, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdr, Waki' , Ahmad b. Hanbal, al-Shafi'r and others
- all repudiated the assumption that the Quran was created and demanded severe
punishment for those who held this belief.
52Al-Ajurrr, al-Sharf'a, p. 88; and see al-Khallal, al-Musnad min masa'il Ahrruul,
MS. BL. Or. 2675, fols. 154b-158a, 179b, 180a, infra, 180s, 159a, 160b, 181b.
53Al-Asharr, al-lbiina, pp. 22-23.
54Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. Jarrr al- 'I'aban, $arzlJu l-sunna, Badr b. Yusuf al-
Matuq, ed. (al-Kuwayt , 1405/1985), pp. 18-19: ... fa-man rasnii 'anna aw lJaka
'anna aw taqawwala 'alayna fa-'dda'a anna quina ghayra dhiilika fa-'alayhi la'natu
lliilii wa-gharf,abuhu wa-la'natu l-la'inzn wa-l-mala'ikati uia-l-ruisi ajma'zn ....
320 M.J. Kister
was created. It was based on Quran 85:21-22: ... bal huwa qur' iinun
majfd fi lauihin. ma1!Ju(:. This verse might mislead people to think that
the Qur'an, having been put into the Guarded Tablet, was created af-
ter the creation of the Tablet and afterwards placed in it. Whether the
Quran was allegedly created simultaneously with the Tablet, or put into
the Tablet after its creation, one might erroneously conclude that it was
created by God. But the truth is, according to Ibn Hazm, that the
Qur'an, the everlasting Word of God, was not put into the Tablet after
God created it. The Tablet contains merely a written reproduction of
the Quran, not the Quran itself.
Ibn Hazrn affirms that God created the Tablet, but the Tablet con-
tains only writing which cannot be heard (lii yu1!ftu ius bi-rasmin mak-
tiibin fihi, ghayri masmu'in), while the Quran is God's Word, voiced
(masmu'), which cannot be seen (tn yura). Conversely, the writing in the
Tablet can be seen, but cannot be heard until read aloud and brought
to the knowledge (of the people -k). The written script in the Tablet
constitutes an exposition of God's Word (fa- 'lladhi jf-l-law1!i khattun
nuirsiimun, "ibtiratus: 'an kaliimi llahi 'azza wa-jalla).
Ibn Hazrn also observes that the Guarded Tablet is of limited size;
were it true that the Quran is included in the Guarded Tablet, it must
be smaller than the Tablet. This is however impossible, as God assured
the Prophet about the endless dimensions of the book in Quran 18:110
and 31:28.
Ibn Hazrn concludes that the Word of God will not be exhausted, it
has neither beginning nor end; thus it cannot be contained in the Tablet
which has finite dimensions. The Word of God, like His other attributes
will last forever; what is in the Guarded Tablet is just a script (fa-lladM
fi-l-law1!i inn am a huwa khattun maktubun).
Ibn Hazrri's opinion relates to God's Word in the ma~a1!ij: God is
indeed mentioned in the Quranic compendia, circulating among the
believers, pronounced with their tongues, but He does not reside in
their compendia (wa-huwa, 'azza wa-jalla, ghayru luillin uia-lii dakhilin
fi ma§a1!ifina). He is seated on His throne, He is omniscient, His Word
has been written down on the Tablet. His Word is heard, but not seen;
Moses and Adam heard His Words; the Prophet heard His Words on his
nocturnal journey (isra'). 55
In another passage, Ibn Hazrn lists among the books of revelation con-
taining divine speech the Torah, the Gospel (injfl), the Psalms (zabur)
and the scrolls (~u1!uf) (the sheets on which God's Revelation was re-
corded -k); all of these are also the Words of God and no one in the
55Ibn Hazm, 'AlI b. Ahmad, al- Usul ura-l-furii, Muhammad 'A.tif al-Iraqi, Suhayl
Fadlullahi AbU Wafiya and Ibrahim Ibrahlrn Hilal, eds. (Cairo, 1978), pp. 394-400.
La yamassuhu tus 'l-tnuiohhoriin ... 321
III
Shayba, ol-Musunno]; vol. 6, pp. 63-64: man rakhkhus« fi ishtira'iha; pp. 64-65:
man rakhkhosa bay'a l-mceiihi]: Cf. Ibn Hazrn, al-Muhollii, vol. 9, pp. 45-46.
61 Abu Dawud, al-Ma$alJif, p. 177, infra; and see ibid., ult. the saying of al-Sha'br:
laysa yab'i'una kitiiba llahi, inruimii yab'i'una l-waraqa uia-l-anqiish: cf. Ahmad b. al-
Husayn al-Bayhaq", al-Sunan al-kubrii, (Haydarabad, 1352), vol. 6, pp. 16-17; Ahmad
b. Hanbal, Masa'il ol-imiim; riuuiuat ibnihi AM l-Fadl $aliIJ. Fadlu I-Rahman DIn
Muhammad, ed. (Delhi, 1408/1988), vol. 2, p. 402, no. 1081. 'Abd al-Razzaq,
al-Mu$annaf, vol. 8, pp. 110-114, nos. 14516-14531, 14530; Ibn AbI Shayba, al-
MU$annaf, vol. 6, p. 64, no. 270: ... 'ani l-Sluiibi' 'annahu qiila: innahum laysu
yab'i'una kitaba llahi, innanui yabr'una l-waraqa wa-'amala aydzhim.
62See e.g., Ibn Qudarna al-Maqdisi, Hikiiua: al-nuuuizara fi l-qur'tin; p. 47: ... wa-
yaquliina inna l-qur' ana mokiiibun fi l-truisiihi], thumma yaquliina: laysa fiha ilia 1-
liibru wa-l-waraqu. wa-in kana kama za'amu fa-lima ta yamassuha ilia l-muiahliariiti
wa-ma ra'ayna l-mululitlia yumna'u min massi hibrin wa-la waraq.
63 Kitiib al-fatawa, p. 147, no. 106.
La yamassuhu tus 'l-tnuiohhoriin ... 323
(ia ya'rifu rJabta l-qur' ani), he should refrain from working as a scribe,
because he may lead the ignorant astray.64 On the other hand, there is a
prophetic tradition stating that if a believer reads the Quran distorting
the text, or erring in his reading, the angel will put it down exactly as it
was revealed.65 In a similar vein, a non-Arab who mispronounces some
words in the Quran will be granted a reward as if he had read them
correctly.f" This indicates that some non-Arabs who embraced Islam
used to pronounce the Qur 'anic text incorrectly.
In the early period of Islam, the believers seem to have been reluctant
to pay professional scribes for copying the Quran. They doubted their
sincerity, faith and knowledge. Many anecdotes circulate concerning
warnings issued by the pious as to the knowledge which is required of
the copyist in Arabic, in matters of abrogation (naskh) and in the various
readings of the Qur'an,
In the first period of Islam, the believers did not buy copies of the
Quran (ma~alJif); they used to ask their acquaintances, people of piety
and virtue, to copy out some parts of the Quran; sometimes people used
to gather and write the text of the Quran together. It was a collectively
written text, accomplished out of expectation of divine reward (kanii
ya1Jtasibiina bi-ma~alJifihim). 67
It seems that the use of professional scribes became prevalent at the
end of the first century AH. One of the respected scholars who decided
to make his living by copying the Quran with the approval of the Mus-
lim community was Malik b. DInar. 68 Another person who became a
professional scribe was Matar al-Warraq. 69
Excursus
Abrogated verses and variant readings in the Quran
brief survey," Studia Islamica 77 (1993): 10-11, at notes 17-21. 'Abdallah b. Ahmad
b. Hanbal, al-Zawa'id fi l-musnad, 'Amir Hasan Sabra, ed. (Beirut, 1410/1990),
p. 364, no. 158, recorded on the authority of Ubayy b. Ka'b: la-qad ra'aytuha (i.e.,
the Siira; al-al}Zab -k) uia-innahii la-tu'adilu surata l-baqara, wa-la-qad qarano fiha:
"al-shaykhu wa-l-shaykhatu idiui zanaya [a-rjumiihamui al-battata nakiilan mina lliihi
ura-lliiliu "alimun; luikimun", See also ibid., pp. 365-370, on the evaluation of this
luulith,
5 Al-Raghib al-Isfahanr, Mu/:!ar!arat al-'udaba', vols. 3-4, p. 434 supra.
6 Al-Qurtubl, Tofsir ; vol. 14, p. 113.
7 Ibidem.
8AI-SuyutI, al-Durr al-manihiir, vol. 5, pp. 179-180. See a shorter version of
this tradition in Muhammad b. Ayyub b. al-Durays al-Bajalr's Far!a'il al-quriin;
Gh. Budayr, ed. (Damascus, 1408/1987), p. 153, nos. 225-227; see also 'Abdallah
b. Ahmad b. I.Ianbal, Zawa'id, p. 370; Abu 'Ubayd al-Qasim b. Sallarns Far!a'il
ol-qur'iir: (Rabat(?), 1995), vol. 2, pp. 147-148.
326 M.J. Kister
say that punishment by stoning was a lie and an invention.? Some well
known scholars argued that stoning of fornicators was not mentioned in
the Quran, and was merely a rule commonly accepted by the Muslim
community. 10
Ubayy b. Ka'b held that the following verses were part of the Qur'an
(ubayy b. ka' b qiila: kunnii narii hiidhii mina l-qur'iini: law anna li-bni
iidama wiidiyayni min miilin la-tamannii wiidiyan thiilithan. is yamla 'u
jawfa bni iidama illii l-turiiou, thumma yatiibu lliihu 'alii man tiiba).
Ubayy b. Ka'b said: "We considered that (i.e., the following sentences
-k) as being a part of the Quran: "If a man had two valleys of goods, he
would desire a third valley; the interior of the man will not be filled ex-
cept by dust; then God will restore the man who repented to His grace."
Ubayy added: "This was the practice of reading these verses (including
the verse alhiikum al-takiithuru) until Sura 102 was revealed."
Abu Musa al-Ash'arI said that a Sura the length of Siirat. al-barii' a
was revealed to the Prophet, but was later abrogated (fa-rufi'at). Abu
Musa remembered only one verse of this Sura: "God will aid this religion
by means of people who have no share (in Paradise)" (innii lliiha la-
yu' ayyidu hiidhii l-dzna bi-aqwiimin is khaliiqa lahum ... ).n A prediction
of similar content is sometimes described as a iuuiiih. rather than as
a Quranic verse. 'Urnar reported a saying in which the Prophet he
predicted that the Christian nomads of the tribe of RabI'a, dwelling on
the shores of the Euphrates, will assist the cause of Islam, and therefore
refrained from killing them. This was, of course, a justification of the
political decision to grant the Arab Christians a special status in the
Muslim polity of the Arabian peninsula.l '
A tradition transmitted by Abu Urnama supplies a vivid description
of how certain Suras of the Quran were suddenly abrogated. Some
believers memorized a Sura of the Quran, One morning they got up
and were unable to recite even one verse of the Sura. They came to
the Prophet and complained that they had forgotten the Sura. The
Prophet calmed them by saying that the Sura had been abrogated during
the night.13 Several cases of abrogated verses are mentioned in adab
collections, in zuhd literature and in works of iafsir .14
***
There were considerable differences in the reading of words in the Qur 'an.
'A'isha read in Quran 4:117: in yad'iina min diinihi at« cuiihiisuin; in-
stead of the usual reading: in yad'iina min diinihi au:
ituiiluui, Another
reading attributed to 'A'isha is in yad'iina min diinihi illii unthii .15
The verb wa-qarja in the phrase wa-qarja rabbuka an ta ta' budii au:
iyyahu of Quran 17:23, was glossed by amara. Several commentators
considered the reading uia-qadii an error; the scribe had erred and read
the word wa-qarja because a wa was seen as attached to the sa and
12Nilr aI-DIn al-HaythamI, Majma' al-zawa'id, vol. 5, p. 302: ... wa-'an 'umara bni
l-khatiiibi, qala: lawla anni sami'tu rasiila llahi sou« uss« 'alayhi wa-sallam yaqulu
"inna lliilui sa-yumatti'u (scil. sa-yamna'u -k) hadha l-ilina bi-ruisiirii min rabf'ata
'ala shiiii": l-Jurfiti mii taraktu a'rabiyyan tua qataltuhu aw yuslima.
13Yilsufb. Milsa al-Hanafi, al-Mu'tafar min al-mukluosor . vol. 2, p. 163; al-Suyutf,
al-Durr al-monthiir, vol. 1, p. 105; idem., al-Ltqiin; vol. 2, p. 26 supra; al-Muhasibr,
al-'Aql wa-Jahmu l-qur'iin; p. 406.
14See e.g., al-Fasawr, al-Ma'riJa ura-l-ta'rikh, vol. 2, p. 727 and p. 262; al-Harit.h al-
Muhasibl, al-'Aql wa-Jahmu l-qur'tin, pp. 359-475; al-Tabarani, al-Mu'jam al-kabir,
Hamdr 'Abd al-Majid al-Salafi, ed. (n.p., 1400/1980), vol. 11, pp. 268-269, nos. 9148-
9152; see the opinion of Ibn Masud about the two last Silras, the mu'awwidhdhatan:
... 'an 'abdi lliilii 'annahu kana yal:!Ukku l-mu'awwidhdhatayni mina l-rnosiihs] wa-
yaqulu: innamii amara rasiilu ust« falla llahu 'alayhi wa-sallam an yuta'awwadha
bih.imii wa-lam yakun yaqra'u bihimii, Ibn Mas'ud stated that the two Silras were
deliberately inserted into the Qur'an but they do not belong to it.
15See al-Suyntr, al-Durr al-momthiir, vol. 2, pp. 222 inJra-223; auitluinan was
the reading of Mujahid as well. (The Tajsir of Mujahid , 'Abd al-Rahman al-Tahir
b. Muhammad al-Silratf, ed. [Islamabad], p. 174 gives the reading iruitluin; but glosses
it by awthanan). See Sa'ud b. 'Abdallah al-Fanrsan , Marwiyyat ummi l-murninina
'A'isha Jf l-taJsfr (al-Riya<;l, 1413/1992), pp. 168-169.
328 M.J. Kister
*
The Quran was highly respected and the writing of the text, learning
it by heart, reciting verses in public prayers - all these were laudable
deeds characterizing people of distinction and piety. "Those who carry
the Quran in their memory (f;,amalatu l-qur' an) are the nobility of my
people," was an utterance of the Prophet transmitted by Ibn 'Abbas.19
Another prophetic saying states that reading the Quran fills the body
of the believer with prophecy, even though he was not granted revela-
tion.r? When a man enters the room with a copy of the Quran, those
present must stand up; this is out of respect for the Quran which is thus
honoured, in the same way as one honours a learned man.21
*
Worn out copies of the Quran were carefully collected and respectfully
disposed of. Scholars discussed at length the proper ways for their dis-
posal. 22
*
An item discussed by early scholars of Islam was the loud recitation of
the prescribed parts of the Quran during the obligatory prayers in the
mosque. A report recorded by 'Abdallah b. AbI Zayd al-Qayrawani in
his Kitiib al-jiimi' says that in the "old time" people were not used to
listening to the recitation of the Quran from a book. Malik (b. Anas)
disapproved of such recitation. It was introduced by al-F.£ ajja]. 23
According to early traditions, people disliked to be led in their prayer
by an imiim who read the Quran from a mU$lJ,aJ;this was seen as adopt-
ing customs of the People of the Book. Some scholars indeed quoted the
hadith: iii tashabbahu bi-ahli l-kitiib in connection with the reading of
the Quran from a muslui] by the imiim during the canonical prayer. 24
Furthermore, the Prophet enjoined that the Qur'an be read with the
tunes of the Arabs, not with the tunes of the libertines (ahl al-fisq); time
would come, after the death of the Prophet, that people would read the
Quran with tunes of the monks, with voices of weeping or lamentation.
Their hearts would go astray and this would be the lot of their adherents
as welp5
22See the magisterial work of Joseph Sadan on this subject: "Genizah and Genizah-
like practices in Islamic and Jewish traditions, customs concerning the disposal of
worn-out sacred books in the Middle Ages, according to an Ottoman source," Bib-
liotheca Orientalis 43 (1986): 36-58. See Ibn AbI Dawud, Kitab al-mafaJ:tif, p. 195;
Ibn Hajar al-'AsqalanI, Farj,a'il ol-qur=tin; pp. 41-45; al-Qurtubl, al-Tidhkiir fi af¢ali
l-adkhktir, p. 114; al-'Izz b. 'Abd al-Salam, al-Fatawa, p 167, no. 117.
23'Abdallah b. AbI Zayd al-Qayrawanr, Kiiiib al-jiimi' ff l-sunan uia-l-iidiib wa-l-
maghazf ura-l-tti'rikh, Muhammad Abu l-Ajfan and 'Ut hman Bittrkh, eds. (Beirut-
Tunis 1402/1982), p. 164; Ibn al-Hajj, al-Madkhal (Beirut, 1972), vol. 2, p. 211:
... wa-awwalu man aiuiath.a hadhihi l-bid'ata fi l-masjidi l-ljajjaju, a'nf l-qira'ata fi
l-muf/.!aJi, wa-lam yakun hadha min 'amali man nuuiii,
24Ibn AbI Dawud al-Sijist.anI, al-Mafa/.!if, pp. 190-191; and see p. 191: ... an
qatiida 'ani l-liasan annahu kariha an ya'umma l-rajulu fi l-musha], qiila: kama
taf'alu l-nafara. On in toshabbohii, see M.J. Kister, "Do not assimilate yourselves ... :
La tash.abbaliii ... ," JSAI 12 (1989): 321-322.
25AI-FasawI, al-Ma'rifa ura-l-ta'rikh, vol. 2, p. 480; al-Qurtubr, al- Tidhkar fi af¢ali
l-tulkhkiir . p. 117.
330 M.J. Kister
32'Abd al-Razzaq, al-Mus'annaf, vol. 8, p. 114, no. 143530. And see this report:
Ibn AbI Shayba, ol-Musonno], vol. 6, p. 66, no. 276.
33See Sulayman Bashir , Muqaddima fi l-ic'rikh.i l-iikhur (Jerusalem, 1984), p. 74,
note 23; Bashrr quotes the utterance of Ahmad b. Hanbal from the MS Zahiriyya,
rruijmii' 83. He was the first to publish a reference from this MS, which was recently
edited. See Abu l-Qasim al-BaghawI (al-rawz -k), Masa'il Ahrnad b. Hanbal, 'Amr
'Abd al-Mun'im Salim, ed. (Cairo, 1413/1993), p. 47, no. 10.
34Goldziher, "Katholische Tendenz und Partikularismus im Islam," Beiiriiqe zur
Religionswissenschaft 1 (1913-14): 115-116, 118 supra. See also e.g., MakkI b. AbI
Talib Hammush al-QaysI, al-Ibiina 'an ma'anz l-qira'at, 'Abd al-Fatt.ah Isma'Il Sha-
labI, ed. (Cairo, 1379/1960), p. 56: wa-qad turikat qira'atu bni mas'udin al-yawma,
wa-mana'a miilik wa-ghayruhu an yuqra'a bi-t-oira'oi: un
llati tunsabu bni mo.siidin:
See also ibidem, p. 57: ... uia-li-tlhiilika qiila Isma'zl al-Qarf,z: mii ruwiya min qira'ati
bni mosiidin wa-ghayrihi, ya'nz mimmii yukhalifu kha,t,ta l-mu~J:!afi, laysa yanbaghf
li-uho.din an yaqra'a bihi l-yawma. Cf. Ibn Shabba, Ta'rtkh. ol-Matlino: p. 993: 'an
zayd b. thiibit: anna J:!udhayfa b. al-uanuin (r) qadima min ghazwatin ghazaha bi-farji
arminiua [a-luularahii ahlu l-i iriiqi wa-ahlu l-shiimi [a-idhii ahlu l-ririiqi yaqra'una
bi-qira'ati 'abdi lliilii bni mas'udin wa-ya'tilna bi-mii lam yasma' ahlu I-sham, wa-
yaqra'u ahlu l-shiimi bi-qirii'tii: ubayyi bni ka'b, wa-ya'tilna bi-mii lam yasma' ahlu
l-i iriiqi, fa-yukaffiruhum ahlu l-r irtiq.
332 M.J. Kister
*
'A'isha and 'Uthman had a very mild opinion concerning the mistakes in
the Quran, stating that these mistakes would be corrected in the future
by the believing Arabs with their tongues. 35
Abu l-Aswad al-Duali, when asked about the questionable form of
the phrase mii hadha basharan in Quran 12:31, answered that this form
("basharan" instead of "basharun") is a scribal mistake.j"
Zayd b. Thabit inserted the verse la-qad ja' akum rasiiiun min an-
fusikum (Quran 9:128) and the following verse into the text of the
Quran on the authority of Khuzayma b. Thabit, who kept these two
verses in memory.i'" Zayd b. Thabit did listen to the Prophet's reading
of the verse min al-mu'minfna rijalun ~adaqii mii 'ahadii lliilia 'alayhi.
The verse was lost and Zayd b. Thabit was glad to find that Khuzayma
b. Thabit had preserved it, and he inserted it in its proper place (Quran
33:23).38
The tradition attributed to the Prophet, saying that the Quran
wrapped in leather would not burn if thrown into the fire39 was given
a new interpretation: the leather in which the text of the Qur'an was
wrapped and the ink will be burnt, but the Qur'an (i.e., the text in the
mu~f.taf -k) will be taken back to God.40
The idea of the glorious Quran as a part of God's Essence, and the
miraculous revelation of its verses transmitted by the angel Jibril to the
Prophet when he was alone in the cave, were placed side by side with
traditions emphasizing the simplicity of the Prophet's life, his suffering
during his prophetic activity in Mecca, his persecution by the members
of his tribe, the hardships he had to endure and the ascetic and devoted
character of his everyday activities, which conformed with the tenets of
the Quran, 'A'isha could rightly state that his character was according
to the tenets and injunctions of the Qur'an.41
42See e.g., al-SuytrtI, 'Ayn al-isiioa If istidriiki 'jf'isha 'alii l-sahiiba; 'Abdallah
Muhammad al-Darwish , ed. (Cairo, 1409/1988), p. 31: wa-kiina ya'tfhi l-wa/:!yu wa-
anii wa-huwa If li/:!iifin uuihid, Muhibb al-Drn Ahmad b. 'Abdallah al-Tabar'i, al-Sinit
al-thamfn fi maniiqib ummahiiti l-mu'minfn (Cairo, n.d.), p. 34: ... Iii tu'dhfnanf If
'jf'ishata [a-inncliu, wa-lliihi, mii nazala 'alayya l-wa/:!yu fi tihofi 'mra'atin minkunna
ghayrahii. Abu Mansur 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Asakir , Kitiib al-arba'fn fi maniiqib
ummahiit al-mu'minfn, Muhammad Ahmad 'Abd al-'AzIz, ed. (Cairo, 1410/1989),
p. 130.
43See e.g., the report of a letter sent by the Prophet to the people of 'Uman in
Abu Zakariyya Yahya b. Manda, Juz' fihi man 'iisha mi'atan wa-'ishrfna sana mina
l-soluib«, Mashhur Hasan Salman, ed. (Beirut, 1412/1992), p. 84: jii'anii kitiibu 1-
nabiyyi ~allii lliihu 'alayhi wa-sallam If qit'atin min adim,
334 M.J. Kister
min khalfihi44 does not mean that the sheets would not be injured by
some mishap. The phrase in fact implies that Satan will not be able to
insert into the Quran words which were not in the text before or after
the revelation .45
Some details about the writing (or rather: the copying -k) of the
Quranic text by a truunlii and the changes introduced into the text
by 'A'isha, are recorded in some J:tadzth collections. 'A'isha is said to
have ordered her maiolii, Abu Yunus, to write for her a mu~J:taf; she
asked him, however, to inform her when he would reach the phrase
J:tafi~ii 'ala l-~alawati uia-l-saliiii l-unisiii (Qur'an 2:238). When the
ttuuulii reached this phrase, 'A'isha dictated a different version of the
phrase to him. Tradition records two versions of the change introduced
by 'A'isha: J:tafi~ii'ala l-~alawati uia-l-saliiii l-unisiii wa ~alati l-' asri, and
J:tafi~ii'ala l-salonoiiii uia-l-soliiti l-urustii ~alati l-' asri, 46 The reading of
'A'isha constituted a substantial deviation from the accepted version
established by 'Uthman,
There is a tradition according to which Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar,
ordered the truuulii of 'Umar, 'Amr b. Rafi", to copy a musha] for her.
When he reached the verse mentioned above, she ordered him to insert
her reading: J:tafi~ii' ala l-saloioiiii wa-l-~alati l-wusta souiti l-' asr .4 7
The scholars differed as to the meaning of the ~alat ol-unisiii: this
could refer to salii; cl-subh; saliit ol-zuhr, salii; ol=asr, or even to ~alat
al-fajr.48
The tradition of Hafsa, who also entrusted the copying of the Quran
to a mawla, may imply that the two servants were youths captured
during a military expedition, who were familiar with the Arabic script
and were presented as servants to 'A'isha and Hafsa. They may have
been Christians.
44Qur'an 41:43.
45Ibn Qutayba, Kiiiib ta'wfl mukhtalifi l-luulitli (Cairo, 1326), pp. 397-404.
46See the different readings in Sa'ud b. 'Abdallah al-Fanisan , Marwiyyat ummi 1-
mu/ minina 'A'isha (al-Riyad, 1413/1992), pp. 108-112, nos. 163-172; Abu l-Layth
al-Samarqandl, Tajsir , 'All Muhammad Muawwad, 'Adil Ahmad 'Abd al-Mawjild ,
Zakariyya 'Abd al-Majid al-NawtI, ed. (Beirut, 1413/1993), vol. 1, pp. 213-214;
Ibn I;!ajar al-'AsqalanI, al-Kafi ol-shii] fi takhrfji aluuiitli al-kosh.sh.a], following al-
Zarnakhsharr's ol-Kushstuij , vol. 4, p. 21, nos. 175-179; al- Tabaranr, al-Mu'jam al-
kabir, vol. 7, p. 200, nos. 6823-6826, p. 248, nos. 7009-7010.
47See Abu l-Layth al-Samarqandr, Tajsir , vol. 1, p. 213 infra; and see ibidem,
the tradition saying that some people stated that that was the reading of 'Abdallah
b. Mas'ud.
48See Abu l-Layth al-Samarqandi, Tajsir , vol. 1, pp. 213-214; 'Abdallah b. Ahmad
b. Hanbal, Zawa'id, pp. 169-170; al-Wasrti, al- Wasr,t fi tajsiri l-qur'ritii l-majid, vol.
1, pp. 349-351.