Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
It is as if, through this verse, Umar radi Allahu anhu refuted Ubayy, that some verses can be abrogated in recitation or in ruling, and hearing it from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam does not necessarily mean that its recitation was not abrogated.

The official copy of the Noble Qur’an, among the blessed relics of the esteemed scholar, the noble Mawlana Ismail Sahib, Shaykh al-Hadith of Darul Uloom Muhammadiyah, Gujranwala (rahimahullah):

The written form of the Noble Qur’an that was present with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the form of sheets and parts should be called the official script. In light of this script, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu, after the incident of Harrah, compiled the official copy. On this basis, those official copies were written which Uthman al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu sent to various governors.

When doubts arose due to differences in spelling and the script being incomplete, in order to correct it by comparing it with memorization and partial writings, the dialect and language of the Quraysh were made the basis.

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu, due to the deaths of memorizers and reciters, there was a danger of the Noble Qur’an being lost.

During the caliphate of Uthman al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu, due to the abundance of non-Arab elements and the influx of non-Arabic spellings, the official copy was reviewed, and the greatest merit was that all doubtful documents were destroyed so that no material would remain for debate and skepticism. Now, it can be said with certainty that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu had exactly the same Noble Qur’an that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his noble companions radi Allahu anhum recited repeatedly during their lifetimes and had it written as an official document. And the timely effort of Uthman al-Ghani radi Allahu anhu was so effective that until today, not a single letter has been added or omitted, and the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) recitation has been preserved correctly, and all anomalous readings were set aside.

In "Al-Itqan," Hafiz Suyuti, and in "Al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Qur’an," al-Zarkashi, have mentioned some matters from which certain doubts may arise regarding the compilation and arrangement of the Noble Qur’an.

Some other narrations also support this, but in the face of the magnificent and grand mutawatir transmission of the Noble Qur’an after its memorization, these individual reports and traditions have no real standing.

Allamah Ibn Hazm, in "Al-Milal wa al-Nihal," states: When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, Islam had spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The light of Islam had spread from the Red Sea and the coasts of Yemen to the shores of the Persian Gulf and the banks of the Euphrates.

Then Islam had spread from the farthest borders of Syria to the shores of the Red Sea. At that time, so many cities and settlements had come into existence in the Arabian Peninsula that only Allah knows their number.

Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, the mountains of Banu Tayy, the settlements of Mudar, Rabi‘ah, and Quda‘ah, Ta’if, Makkah, Madinah—all these people had become Muslim, and their mosques were full.

In every city, every village, every settlement, the Noble Qur’an was being recited in the mosques.

Children and women knew the Qur’an, and written copies of it were in their possession.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam departed to the higher realm, and there was no disagreement among the Muslims; they were a single community, united upon one religion. The caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu lasted two and a half years. During his caliphate, parts of Persia, Rome, and the region of Yamamah were also included in the Islamic domain, and the recitation of the Noble Qur’an increased further. People wrote the Noble Qur’an.

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abu Dharr, and Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhum and others wrote and compiled copies of the Noble Qur’an. Copies of the Noble Qur’an were present in every city, and it was being recited from them.

Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu passed away, and the situation remained as it was. During his caliphate, the fitnah of Musaylimah and Aswad al-‘Ansi arose; both claimed prophethood and openly declared prophethood after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Some people denied zakat.

Some tribes adopted apostasy for a few days, but the Muslims of those very tribes confronted them, and not even a year had passed before the fitnah and turmoil ended, and conditions returned to normal.

After Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu, the seat of caliphate was adorned by Umar radi Allahu anhu.

Persia was completely conquered.

Syria, Algeria, Egypt, and some regions of Africa were included in the Islamic domain.

Mosques were built, and the Noble Qur’an began to be recited. In all countries, the manuscripts of the Noble Qur’an were published, from east to west, from scholars to children in schools.

The recitation of the Qur’an began, and this continued for a full ten years.

There was never any disagreement in Islam; they adhered to one religion, and at the time of Umar radi Allahu anhu’s passing, at least one hundred thousand copies of the Noble Qur’an must have been published in the regions of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Then, during the caliphate of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, Islamic conquests expanded even further, and the publication of the Noble Qur’an spread on a large scale in the conquered lands.

At that time, it would have been impossible to count the published copies of the Noble Qur’an.

After the martyrdom of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, the era of disagreements began, and the movement of the Rawafid gained strength. It was due to the Rawafid that objections and doubts regarding the preservation of the Noble Qur’an began. The situation was such that if anyone altered a single word in the poetry of Nabighah or Zuhayr, it would not be possible, and he would be disgraced in the world.

The matter of the Noble Qur’an is even more significant.

At that time, the Noble Qur’an had spread to Andalusia, Berber lands, Sudan, Kabul, Khurasan, Turkistan, Sicily, and India.

From this, the foolishness of the Rawafid becomes evident: they call Uthman radi Allahu anhu the compiler of the Qur’an. The same is the case with Christian and social missionaries.

These people, learning from the Rawafid, try to prove the Noble Qur’an to be altered like their own scriptures, whereas in such circumstances, even a single letter could not have been added or omitted by Uthman radi Allahu anhu or anyone else.

The falsehood of the Rawafid and their disciples is also clear from the fact that Ali radi Allahu anhu remained the empowered caliph for five years and nine months, and after him, Hasan.

They did not order the Qur’an to be changed, nor did they publish another correct copy of the Noble Qur’an during their rule.

How can it be believed that throughout the entire Islamic domain, an incorrect and altered Qur’an was being recited, and Ali radi Allahu anhu would easily tolerate it?

(Mukhtasar al-Fasl fi al-Milal wa al-Nihal, Ibn Hazm)

Hafiz Ibn Hazm wrote this statement regarding the preservation of the Noble Qur’an in response to the false claims of Christians and Rawafid, which continued to be published for a long time after the martyrdom of Uthman radi Allahu anhu. Since the Shia were called Muslims and the practice of taqiyyah was common among them, such reprehensible literature, due to the error of narrators, also entered the narrations of Ahl al-Sunnah, although the hadith scholars have clarified the reality of such narrations and exposed their falsehood and fabrication.

Experts in the science of hadith understand the reality of these narrations and traditions, but Ibn Hazm has given a fundamental and unanimous answer that in the face of this grand mutawatir transmission, the importance of this dubious collection of narrations is nothing. Therefore, when there is no contradiction, the question of reconciliation or preference does not arise.

Transmitted by: Khalil Ahmad Razi, son of Mawlana Muhammad Dawud Raz, may his shadow be extended, Rahpoh, district Gurgaon (Haryana)

All praise is due to Allah, it is the second ten days of the month of Safar al-Muzaffar, 1394 AH, and it is the time of Asr.

Today, I am completing the writing of this juz’. I myself do not know how many times I have read every single word of this juz’, and how many times I have used the pen for erasure and addition. Still, I am human, of limited understanding; I can only say that whatever shortcomings occurred in this important service, may Allah Most High forgive them.

I hope that sincere scholars will also overlook the shortcomings and, by sincerely correcting them, will earn my prayers.

O Allah! Just as You enabled me to complete this second part of this important book, enable me to complete the third part as well, which starts from juz’ 21 and ends at 30.

Grant my borrowed life enough respite that I may be honored with its completion, and on the Day of Judgment, may I, along with all my noble helpers and supporters, present this humble service under the banner of praise, under the leadership of our master Imam Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari rahimahullah, at the Hawd al-Kawthar in the presence of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and may we be granted the cup of Kawthar from the blessed hand of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Our Lord, accept from us; indeed, You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. And may Allah send blessings upon the best of His creation, Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful. Ameen, then Ameen.

The humble servant of the Prophetic hadith, Muhammad Dawud, son of Abdullah Raz al-Salafi, village Rahpoh, district Gurgaon, Haryana (India) (6-3-74)

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Ubayy ibn Ka'b radi Allahu anhu was also a reciter of the Noble Qur'an and an excellent scholar, but he relied excessively on his own codex (mushaf).
When he was informed that he recited a certain verse, even though its recitation had been abrogated, he would not retract from it; rather, he would say, "I heard it from the blessed mouth of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam."
➋
Umar radi Allahu anhu deduced from a Qur'anic verse that the abrogation (naskh) of some Qur'anic verses is itself established by the Qur'an.
Ubayy ibn Ka'b radi Allahu anhu's having heard it from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is not a necessary proof that its recitation has not been abrogated; therefore, the verses that are abrogated in recitation (mansukh al-tilawah) in the recitation of Ubayy ibn Ka'b radi Allahu anhu, we do not accept them, rather, we leave them aside.
(Fath al-Bari: 9/68)