(Authored by: Waqar Akbar Cheema)
The preservation of the Qur’ān is a unique and unparalleled feature of Islam. Allah ﷻ Himself has promised to safeguard the Qur’ān from any alteration:
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’ān and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
(Sūrah al-Ḥijr: 9)
✔ The Qur’ān has been preserved not only through memorization but also through writing and as law of the Islamic state for over fourteen centuries—ensuring that it remained unchanged.
✔ Unlike the Qur’ān, no other religious scripture has been preserved in its original language or in its entirety.
- The Torah and the Gospel no longer exist in their original Hebrew or Syriac languages.
- These scriptures underwent multiple translations and transmissions, causing loss and corruption.
- Due to the absence of divine promise to protect them, these books fell prey to tampering over the centuries.
- The Qur’ān confirms the truth of previous revelations while also correcting distortions.
- It authenticates true prophecies and corrects false alterations.
- Modern research confirms many historical and scientific truths found in the Qur’ān.
- Orientalists have long attacked Islam and the Qur’ān, extending criticisms of the corrupted Torah and Gospel to the Qur’ān itself.
- Figures like George Sale and Arthur Jeffery tried to claim that there were multiple Qur’āns, basing their arguments on manuscript variations.
(Arthur Jeffery, The Koran, E.J. Brill, 1937, p. 20)
✔ Misinterpretation of Reports
- Orientalists distort historical reports by removing them from context.
- Their aim is to falsely portray variations in the Qur’ānic text, whereas the actual Qur’ānic text has always remained unchanged.
- As Abul Hasan ʿAlī Nadwī said:
“They use a microscope to see but present the findings to readers through a telescope.”
✔ Use of Weak Narrations
- Orientalists rely on weak or isolated narrations that do not meet the rigorous standards of isnād and dirāyah (narration and contextual integrity).
- They ignore the unbroken chains of reliable transmission (tawātur) that guarantee the preservation of the Qur’ān.
✔ Definition:
In Sharīʿah terminology:
“The removal of a previously established Sharʿī ruling through another Sharʿī ruling.”
✔ Naskh does not suggest a change in Allah’s knowledge or error in previous rulings.
✔ It demonstrates divine wisdom in replacing or refining laws to match changing circumstances.
✔ Evidence from the Qur’ān:
“Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it.”
(Sūrah al-Baqarah: 106)
“And when We substitute one verse in place of another—and Allah knows best what He reveals…”
(Sūrah al-Naḥl: 101)
✔ Logical & Scriptural Response:
- Unlike the Jewish claim that naskh means Allah changed His mind, naskh in Islam is about phased-out legal commands.
- Each command was appropriate for its time and not mistaken.
- Prophet Yaʿqūb (عليه السلام): Marriage to two sisters was permissible in his Sharīʿah.
- Prophet Nūḥ (عليه السلام): All creatures were lawful for consumption; later restrictions were placed in the Sharīʿah of Mūsā (عليه السلام).
✔ In Islam, examples include:
- Early permissibility of using wine vessels later replaced by the prohibition of alcohol.
✔ Difference in Scholarly Opinions:
- Early scholars counted more abrogated verses because they used the term broadly.
- Later scholars refined it, e.g.:
- al-Suyūṭī: ~20 abrogated verses.
- Shāh Walī Allāh: 5 verses only.
✔ No Complete Cancellation:
- ʿAllāmah Anwar Shāh Kashmīrī: No verse is fully invalid—some aspects remain valid, such as:
- Sadaqah before private consultation: no longer binding but remains commendable.
✔ The Qur’ān has been preserved in its entirety and is free from all distortions.
✔ Orientalist claims are based on selective, weak reports and misunderstanding of authentic Qur’ānic preservation.
✔ Naskh is part of divine wisdom, showing Islam’s dynamic capacity to meet changing circumstances.
✔ It is not about cancelling truth but about adjusting laws to best serve humanity in every era.
