✿ Objection:
When preparing the copies of the Noble Qur’an, Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) instructed the scribes:
“If you differ with Zayd ibn Thābit (رضي الله عنه) about any word in the Qur’an, write it in the language of Quraysh, for the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.”
In light of this command, the question arises: If the seven Aḥruf were preserved, what did Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) instruction mean?
✿ Answer:
✔ The ʿUthmānic Codices and the Details of the Seven Aḥruf
The ʿUthmānic codices encompassed all the details of the seven Aḥruf that could fit within the ʿUthmānic script. These codices were written in such a manner that allowed for various Qirāʾāt to be incorporated. The script was left free of diacritical marks and vowel signs so that all the Mutawātir Qirāʾāt could be accommodated.
However, this does not mean that every single codex contained every detail of the seven Aḥruf; rather, arrangements were made such that each codex contained the aspects of the seven Aḥruf that the script could encompass. Certain Qirāʾāt that could not be contained within a single script were distributed among different codices.
✔ Examples:
◈ The Qirāʾah of the verse {وَوَصّٰی} is not found in the Madinan and Syrian codices but is present in others.
◈ The final verse of Sūrah Tawbah {تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا} is only found in the Makkan codex, while the other codices contain {تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا}.
✿ The Choice of Quraysh’s Language
Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) instruction meant that if there was a difference in the script (orthography), it should be written according to the language of Quraysh. This was because the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.
✔ An Example of Difference:
During the writing of the Qur’an, the scribes only faced one disagreement, which was over the word {التابوت} in Sūrah Baqarah:
When this matter was presented to Uthmān (رضي الله عنه), he said:
“Write it as التابوت, for the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.”
This clarifies that Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) command was related to the orthographic differences in writing, not to the elimination of the seven Aḥruf.
✿ Evidences:
① Foundation of the ʿUthmānic Codices
The ʿUthmānic codices were compiled based on the Ṣuḥuf prepared during the caliphate of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه).
Scholars agree that the Ṣiddīqī codices contained all the details of the seven Aḥruf that were established through Tawātur (mass transmission). They included only those Qirāʾāt that were retained at the final review (ʿArḍah Akhīrah) of the Qur’an.
② No Evidence of Eliminating the Aḥruf
There is no authentic or weak narration mentioning that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) ordered the scribes to discard six of the seven Aḥruf.
③ Endorsement by the Companions (رضي الله عنهم)
There were more than 12,000 Companions (رضي الله عنهم) present during Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) time, and due to their profound love and attachment to the Qur’an, they could never have agreed to eliminate any Aḥruf that were established by Tawātur from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) adopted the only correct path to unify the Ummah, and all the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) endorsed this decision.
④ Quraysh’s Language and Other Dialects
If Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) had preserved only the dialect of Quraysh, the Qur’an would have been devoid of words from other dialects. However, the reality is that the Qur’an contains words from dialects other than Quraysh’s as well.
For example:
✔ "فَتَبَيَّنُوا" (Quraysh dialect) and "فَتَثَبَّتُوا" (other dialects) – both Qirāʾāt exist.
✔ Words like "هَيْتَ لَكَ" and "أُفٍّ" are part of the script that encompasses all Mutawātir Qirāʾāt.
✿ Views of the Scholars of the Ummah
① Opinion of the Majority of Scholars
Most scholars hold that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) did not eliminate the seven Aḥruf but preserved them forever.
Notable scholars holding this view include:
✔ ʿAllāmah Ibn Ḥazm (al-Faṣl fī al-Milal)
✔ Mawlānā ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq Ḥaqqānī (Muqaddimah Tafsīr Ḥaqqānī)
✔ ʿAllāmah al-Zurqānī (Manāhil al-ʿIrfān)
They all state that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) adopted a script that encompassed all Qirāʾāt.
② ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Jazarī
He writes:
“The jurists, reciters, and theologians unanimously agree that the ʿUthmānic codices include the seven Aḥruf.”
(al-Nashr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-ʿAshr, vol. 1, p. 31)
③ ʿAllāmah Badr al-Dīn al-ʿAynī
He quotes Imām Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī:
“The seven Aḥruf exist within our current recitations.”
(ʿUmdat al-Qārī, vol. 12, p. 258)
④ Other Scholars
✔ Qāḍī Abū Bakr (al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 151)
✔ ʿAllāmah Anwar Shāh Kashmīrī (Fayḍ al-Bārī, vol. 3, p. 321)
✔ ʿAllāmah Zāhid al-Kawtharī (Maqālāt al-Kawtharī, p. 21)
✿ Objection Regarding “Laḥn” and Its Response
Objection:
It is claimed that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) said:
“There is Laḥn in the Qur’an; the Arabs will correct it with their tongues.”
(Kitāb al-Maṣāḥif, p. 32)
✔ Authentication of the Chain:
ʿAllāmah Maḥmūd Ālūsī explains:
✔ Meaning of “Laḥn”:
“Laḥn” here does not mean error but rather “a particular style of speech.”
Imām Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī (Mufradāt al-Qur’ān) mentions “laḥn maḥmūd” (commendable laḥn), which indicates a beautiful manner of speech.
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, “laḥn al-qawl” also refers to a particular style of speaking, not to an error.
Thus, Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) statement meant that some words of the Qur’an were not part of the daily speech of the Arabs, but over time, they would become accustomed to pronouncing them correctly.
✿ Summary:
✔ Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) did not eliminate the seven Aḥruf; rather, he preserved them.
✔ Quraysh’s language was given preference only in cases of orthographic differences.
✔ The ʿUthmānic codices encompassed all the recitations retained in the final review.
✔ “Laḥn” does not mean error but a particular style of expression.
When preparing the copies of the Noble Qur’an, Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) instructed the scribes:
“If you differ with Zayd ibn Thābit (رضي الله عنه) about any word in the Qur’an, write it in the language of Quraysh, for the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.”
In light of this command, the question arises: If the seven Aḥruf were preserved, what did Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) instruction mean?
✿ Answer:
✔ The ʿUthmānic Codices and the Details of the Seven Aḥruf
The ʿUthmānic codices encompassed all the details of the seven Aḥruf that could fit within the ʿUthmānic script. These codices were written in such a manner that allowed for various Qirāʾāt to be incorporated. The script was left free of diacritical marks and vowel signs so that all the Mutawātir Qirāʾāt could be accommodated.
However, this does not mean that every single codex contained every detail of the seven Aḥruf; rather, arrangements were made such that each codex contained the aspects of the seven Aḥruf that the script could encompass. Certain Qirāʾāt that could not be contained within a single script were distributed among different codices.
✔ Examples:
◈ The Qirāʾah of the verse {وَوَصّٰی} is not found in the Madinan and Syrian codices but is present in others.
◈ The final verse of Sūrah Tawbah {تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا} is only found in the Makkan codex, while the other codices contain {تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا}.
✿ The Choice of Quraysh’s Language
Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) instruction meant that if there was a difference in the script (orthography), it should be written according to the language of Quraysh. This was because the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.
✔ An Example of Difference:
During the writing of the Qur’an, the scribes only faced one disagreement, which was over the word {التابوت} in Sūrah Baqarah:
- One opinion was to write it with the long “tā” as التابوت.
- Another was to write it with a rounded “tā” as التابوة.
When this matter was presented to Uthmān (رضي الله عنه), he said:
“Write it as التابوت, for the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.”
This clarifies that Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) command was related to the orthographic differences in writing, not to the elimination of the seven Aḥruf.
✿ Evidences:
① Foundation of the ʿUthmānic Codices
The ʿUthmānic codices were compiled based on the Ṣuḥuf prepared during the caliphate of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه).
Scholars agree that the Ṣiddīqī codices contained all the details of the seven Aḥruf that were established through Tawātur (mass transmission). They included only those Qirāʾāt that were retained at the final review (ʿArḍah Akhīrah) of the Qur’an.
② No Evidence of Eliminating the Aḥruf
There is no authentic or weak narration mentioning that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) ordered the scribes to discard six of the seven Aḥruf.
③ Endorsement by the Companions (رضي الله عنهم)
There were more than 12,000 Companions (رضي الله عنهم) present during Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) time, and due to their profound love and attachment to the Qur’an, they could never have agreed to eliminate any Aḥruf that were established by Tawātur from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) adopted the only correct path to unify the Ummah, and all the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) endorsed this decision.
④ Quraysh’s Language and Other Dialects
If Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) had preserved only the dialect of Quraysh, the Qur’an would have been devoid of words from other dialects. However, the reality is that the Qur’an contains words from dialects other than Quraysh’s as well.
For example:
✔ "فَتَبَيَّنُوا" (Quraysh dialect) and "فَتَثَبَّتُوا" (other dialects) – both Qirāʾāt exist.
✔ Words like "هَيْتَ لَكَ" and "أُفٍّ" are part of the script that encompasses all Mutawātir Qirāʾāt.
✿ Views of the Scholars of the Ummah
① Opinion of the Majority of Scholars
Most scholars hold that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) did not eliminate the seven Aḥruf but preserved them forever.
Notable scholars holding this view include:
✔ ʿAllāmah Ibn Ḥazm (al-Faṣl fī al-Milal)
✔ Mawlānā ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq Ḥaqqānī (Muqaddimah Tafsīr Ḥaqqānī)
✔ ʿAllāmah al-Zurqānī (Manāhil al-ʿIrfān)
They all state that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) adopted a script that encompassed all Qirāʾāt.
② ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Jazarī
He writes:
“The jurists, reciters, and theologians unanimously agree that the ʿUthmānic codices include the seven Aḥruf.”
(al-Nashr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-ʿAshr, vol. 1, p. 31)
③ ʿAllāmah Badr al-Dīn al-ʿAynī
He quotes Imām Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī:
“The seven Aḥruf exist within our current recitations.”
(ʿUmdat al-Qārī, vol. 12, p. 258)
④ Other Scholars
✔ Qāḍī Abū Bakr (al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 151)
✔ ʿAllāmah Anwar Shāh Kashmīrī (Fayḍ al-Bārī, vol. 3, p. 321)
✔ ʿAllāmah Zāhid al-Kawtharī (Maqālāt al-Kawtharī, p. 21)
✿ Objection Regarding “Laḥn” and Its Response
Objection:
It is claimed that Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) said:
“There is Laḥn in the Qur’an; the Arabs will correct it with their tongues.”
(Kitāb al-Maṣāḥif, p. 32)
✔ Authentication of the Chain:
ʿAllāmah Maḥmūd Ālūsī explains:
- This narration is not established from Uthmān (رضي الله عنه).
- Its chain is disconnected and unreliable, and its narrators are weak.
(Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 1, p. 28)
✔ Meaning of “Laḥn”:
“Laḥn” here does not mean error but rather “a particular style of speech.”
Imām Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī (Mufradāt al-Qur’ān) mentions “laḥn maḥmūd” (commendable laḥn), which indicates a beautiful manner of speech.
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, “laḥn al-qawl” also refers to a particular style of speaking, not to an error.
Thus, Uthmān’s (رضي الله عنه) statement meant that some words of the Qur’an were not part of the daily speech of the Arabs, but over time, they would become accustomed to pronouncing them correctly.
✿ Summary:
✔ Uthmān (رضي الله عنه) did not eliminate the seven Aḥruf; rather, he preserved them.
✔ Quraysh’s language was given preference only in cases of orthographic differences.
✔ The ʿUthmānic codices encompassed all the recitations retained in the final review.
✔ “Laḥn” does not mean error but a particular style of expression.
