The Objection of Christian Orientalists
Some Christian orientalists, relying on a narration in Sunan Ibn Majah, claim that some verses of the Quran were lost because a goat ate them. Let us now examine this narration in detail and try to reach the reality of this claim.
Text of the Narration
Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: “The verse of stoning and the verses of suckling ten times were revealed (in the Quran). These two verses were written on a paper kept on my bed. At the time of the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we were busy with his preparation and burial when a goat came and ate that paper.”
Chain and Authenticity of the Narration
While examining the narration, the first thing to see is how reliable its chain is. The said narration has a few weaknesses:
➊ The Issue of Tadlis by Muhammad bin Ishaq:
One of the narrators in this narration is Muhammad bin Ishaq, who narrates his narrations with “on the authority of” (ʿan). This mode of narration is considered doubtful when the narrator is known for tadlis (concealment of defects in a chain). Muhammad bin Ishaq is known for exactly this, so his narration is considered weak unless he explicitly states hearing from his teacher.
➋ Critical Analysis:
In the same chain of Musnad Ahmad, other reliable narrators have narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) the narration about suckling, but without the mention of the paper being eaten by a goat. This shows that these additional words are only in the narration of Muhammad bin Ishaq, and due to his being a sole narrator (tafarrud) and opposing some reliable narrators, they are not considered authentic.
Even if the Narration is Accepted, the Facts
Even if this narration is accepted as correct, it does not affect the preservation of the Quran. The reasons are as follows:
➊ The Matter of the Verses of Stoning:
Various narrations establish that the Prophet ﷺ forbade including the verses of stoning in the Quran. This shows that these verses were not part of the Quran.
In the narration of Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission to write the verse of stoning in the Quran, which the Prophet ﷺ disliked.
➋ Abrogation of the Verse of Suckling:
The mention of the verse of suckling of an adult is reported in Sahih Muslim from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), that this verse was later abrogated.
Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: “Allah first revealed that prohibition is established by ten sucklings, then it was abrogated by five sucklings.”
Proof of the Preservation of the Quran
Even if the incident of the goat eating the paper is accepted as correct, it does not establish the claim that any part of the Quran was lost:
➊ The Position of Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was alive during the compilation of the Quran in the times of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). If she had knowledge of any verse being lost, she would certainly have informed the Companions.
➋ The Process of Compiling the Quran:
The Quran was compiled in various periods, and during this a large number of huffaz were present. If any verse had been lost due to a goat’s eating, it can be said that that verse would have been remembered and preserved by some other Companion.
Summary
In the light of the above evidences, this narration of Sunan Ibn Majah is weak in terms of its chain and cannot be relied upon. Even if it were accepted as authentic, it would have no effect on the preservation of the Quran and its completeness. No part of the Quran has been lost, and it remains complete and preserved under the protection of Allah.
