Bukhari

Hadith Commentary: Imam Bukhari has cited both of these reports to refute those people who claim that the leadership (imamate) of Ali radi Allahu anhu was mentioned in the Noble Qur’an, but that the Companions removed those verses. When Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma, who was the cousin of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, who was the son of Ali radi Allahu anhu, were themselves unaware of such things, then how could others possibly know of them? It is thus clear that the assumption of the Rafidah is false (Wahidi).

This is a refutation of those Rafidah who claim that the Qur’an is not complete, and that several surahs which were revealed regarding the virtues of Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt radi Allahu anhum were, Allah forbid, removed by the Companions. One Shia even composed a surah in his book, naming it after Ali radi Allahu anhu and calling it Surah Ali. Its beginning is: “O you who believe, believe in the two lights (nurayn) whom We have sent down, who recite My verses to you and warn you of the punishment of a tremendous day,” etc. Allah forbid, this entire passage is utterly nonsensical, and merely by looking at it, the foolishness of its fabricator becomes evident.

Even today, many Shia individuals are ensnared in such false delusions, believing that ten parts (juz’) of the Noble Qur’an have been removed. We seek refuge with Allah from such deviations.

Hadith Commentary:
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Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has refuted the claim of the Rafidah that the Noble Qur’an originally contained mention of the Imamate of Ali radi Allahu anhu, which the Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in allegedly removed.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, in refutation of this claim, has presented those reports which are specifically related to Ali radi Allahu anhu.
When Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, who was always with Ali radi Allahu anhu and was well aware of his circumstances, and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, who was the son of Ali radi Allahu anhu—when these individuals were not aware of such matters, then how could others have come to know of them?
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From this, it becomes clear that their claim is false and fabricated.
If there had been any information regarding the caliphate and Imamate of Ali radi Allahu anhu, then these individuals would certainly have known of it, and they would never have concealed it.
(Fath al-Bari 9/82)
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Note:
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In the present era, there is a vigorous propaganda that the current copy of the Qur’an is not the one that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but rather, it was altered and added to, and a new edition was enforced by the government, and it is this copy that is prevalent among us today. Therefore, it is necessary that we present our observations regarding this propaganda.
The reality is that during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the entire Qur’an existed in written form, and whenever a verse was revealed, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would summon his scribe and instruct him to write that verse in a specific surah.
This writing, which existed in various parts and scrolls, should be called the official written record. In light of this very writing, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu, after the incident of Yamamah, compiled the official copy.
Then, on the basis of this official copy, during the caliphate of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, official copies were written,
which he sent to various regions.
A special effort was made to compare these copies with those memorized and with the various portions written by the Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in.
Since, from the outset, the Qur’an was based on and founded upon the dialect of Quraysh,
during the caliphate of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, due to the increase of non-Arab elements and the influence of non-Arab dialects, the official copy prepared by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu was reviewed, and the copy prepared at that time had the great merit that it incorporated all the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) readings, and all anomalous readings were set aside.
Then, individual and doubtful documents were destroyed.
No material was left for debate or for the creation of doubts and suspicions.
Now, it can be stated with certainty that Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu possessed exactly the same Qur’an that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in recited repeatedly during their lifetimes and had written as an official document, and the timely effort of Uthman radi Allahu anhu proved so effective that until today, not a single letter has been added or omitted from it.
Imam Ibn Hazm rahimahullah has provided very valuable information in this regard, the summary of which is as follows:
When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, Islam had spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula; from the Red Sea and the coasts of Yemen, the light of Islam had reached the shores of the Persian Gulf and the banks of the Euphrates. At that time, so many cities and settlements had been established in the Arabian Peninsula that none but Allah knows their number.
The populations of Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, the mountains of Najd, the tribes of Mudar, Rabi‘ah, and Quda‘ah, the people of Ta’if, Makkah, and Madinah—all had become Muslim. The mosques in these cities were flourishing; in every city, every village, and every settlement, the Qur’an was being recited and taught.
Children, women, and other individuals knew the Qur’an, and they possessed written copies of the Qur’an. When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam departed from this world, there was no disagreement among the Muslims; rather, they were united as one community and one religion.
The caliphate of Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu lasted two and a half years.
During his caliphate, some regions of Persia and Rome and the entire region of Yamamah were incorporated into the Islamic state.
The recitation of the Qur’an increased.
People wrote copies of the Qur’an for themselves; in short, copies of the Qur’an were present in every city, and these were being taught.
Many tribulations arose during his rule, but within a year, the situation returned to normal.
When Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu passed away, the situation was on the right track.
After his demise, the seat of caliphate was adorned by Umar radi Allahu anhu.
All of Persia was conquered; Syria, Algeria, Egypt, and some regions of Africa were included in the Islamic government.
Mosques were built, the Qur’an was recited, and copies of the Qur’an were prepared in all regions; the recitation of the Noble Qur’an was heard in schools from east to west.
This continued for a full ten years.
There was no disagreement among Islam and the Muslims.
They adhered to one religion.
At the time of Umar radi Allahu anhu’s death, there must have been nearly one hundred thousand written copies in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
Then, during the caliphate of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, Islamic conquests expanded, and the publication of the Noble Qur’an spread widely in the conquered regions.
At that time, the number of published copies of the Qur’an would have been impossible to count.
With the martyrdom of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, the era of discord began.
The movement of the Rafidah gained strength.
Due to this movement, objections and doubts regarding the preservation of the Noble Qur’an arose.
The situation was such that if anyone were to alter 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 entirely different.
At that time, the Qur’an had spread to Andalus, Berber, Sudan, Kabul, Khurasan, Turkistan, and India. This movement reveals the foolishness of the Rafidah, as they blame and accuse Uthman radi Allahu anhu regarding the compilation and authorship of the Qur’an. The same is the case with Christians and social missionaries; these people, having learned from the Rafidah, try to prove the Qur’an to be altered like their own written scriptures, whereas in such circumstances, it was impossible for Uthman radi Allahu anhu or any other person to add or omit even a single letter.
The falsehood of the Rafidah and their disciples is also evident from the fact that Ali radi Allahu anhu was the authoritative caliph for five years and nine months, and after him came Hasan radi Allahu anhu. Neither did they order the Qur’an to be changed, nor did they publish any other copy of the Noble Qur’an during their rule.
How can it be believed that during the time of Ali radi Allahu anhu, the entire Islamic empire continued to recite a false and altered Qur’an, and Ali radi Allahu anhu accepted this so easily?
If the statement of Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, which Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has presented, is read together with the above clarification, the reality of that reprehensible literature becomes clear, on the basis of which the Noble Qur’an is alleged to have been altered.
What value do these dubious collections of reports have in the face of the magnificent tawatur (mass transmission) presented by Imam Ibn Hazm rahimahullah?
When there is no contradiction, then the question of reconciliation or preference does not arise.
In any case, efforts have been made in the past, and will continue to be made in the future, to cast doubt on the Noble Qur’an, but they will never succeed in any way.
The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
“Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder (the Qur’an), and indeed, We will surely be its Guardian.” (al-Hijr 15:9)