Quran Was Already Written Down

Syed Akhbar Ali

Hi folks. This is actually a follow up to my earlier post on the extra-Quranic as well as non-Quranic "Theory of Abrogation" or "Al Nasikh Wal Mansukh".  There is no evidence anywhere at all for this theory of abrogation.

I did receive three comments to the Blog which I did not let through. Two were false and had no basis while the third was as usual rude and just trying to score points without paying attention to proper methods of discussing things intelligently. I will however discuss the Quran verses referred as well as some other points that were raised.

One person said : "An-Naasikh and Al-Mansookh, are two terms among the terms of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. Naskh means abrogating a religious ruling with a new and recent text.. bla bla"

Thanks but no thanks for such a long winded comment. We need proof brother. Please remember this word inside your religious mind : 'PROOF'. The Quran says "Haatu burhanukum inkuntum sadiqeen" - bring your proofs if you are truthful.

So please bring proofs for all your mumbo jumbo. You can resort to the usual habit of shouting, cursing, using bad language etc - but that is not an answer. At the end of the day - please bring your proof.

Another person quoted the Surah 2:106 to justify abrogation. It simply means that this person does not believe in the Quran. He wants to quote another verse from the Quran to say that the Quran is incomplete, it could be changed (by human beings and by goats).  

So stop for a minute and imagine inviting the non-Muslims to Islam by saying, 'Come to Islam, read the Quran, the Quran was revealed by Allah, the verses of the Quran were once abrogated by a goat."   Is this how you invite people to Islam? People will laugh at you.

The commenter quoted Surah 2:106 as follows :  "Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things? 2:106.

First off all this translation is not fully correct.  There is no communications in this verse. The arabic word there is 'ayaat'. Ayaat does not mean communications. Ayaat means signs. 

But even with an incorrect translation like this, there is a built in factor inside this translation which still nullifies the theory of abrogation. Look at the words 'or like it'.

If  the verse says "We bring one... like it" it means there is no abrogation. "Like it" means "the same thing", "benda yang serupa dengannya". This means going back to square one.  Nothing new is being introduced. So mana ada abrogation?

Here is a better translation of Surah 2:106 :   When we abrogate any sign (ayaat), or cause it to be forgotten, we produce a better sign (ayaat), or at least an equal one. Do you not recognize the fact that Allah is Omnipotent?

What are these signs or ayaat referred to in Surah 2:106? We can easily understand this by reading a few verses before 2:106 to see the context. Here are Surah 2:100 - 106

2:100 Is it not a fact that when they make a covenant and pledge to keep it, some of them always disregard it? In fact, most of them do not believe.

2:101 Now that a messenger from Allah has come to them,* and even though he proves and confirms their own scripture, some followers of the scripture (ootul kitaab) disregard Allah's scripture behind their backs, as if they never had any scripture.

2:102 They pursued what the devils taught concerning Solomon's kingdom. Solomon, however, was not a disbeliever, but the devils were disbelievers. They taught the people sorcery, and that which was sent down through Haroot and Maroot. These two did not divulge such knowledge without pointing out: "This is a test. You shall not abuse such knowledge." But the people used it in such evil schemes as the breaking up of marriages. They can never harm anyone against the will of Allah. They thus learn what hurts them, not what benefits them, and they know full well that whoever practices witchcraft will have no share in the Hereafter. Miserable indeed is what they sell their souls for, if they only knew.

2:103 If they believe and lead a righteous life, the reward from Allah is far better, if they only knew.

2:104 O you who believe, do not say, "Raa`ena"* (be our shepherd). Instead, you should say, "Unzurna" (watch over us), and listen. The disbelievers have incurred a painful retribution.

2:105 Neither the disbelievers among the followers of the scripture, nor the idol worshipers, wish to see any blessings come down to you from your Lord. However, Allah showers His blessings upon whomever He chooses. Allah possesses infinite grace.

2:106 When we abrogate any sign (ayaat), or cause it to be forgotten, we produce a better sign (ayaat), or an equal one. Do you not recognize the fact that Allah is Omnipotent?

The ayaat referred to in 2:106 refers the Quran that was alreday revealed. The previous verses 2:100-105 refer to the scriptures that had been revealed before the Quran. The phrase 'ootul kitab' in 2:101 refers the earlier people who were given the kitab much earlier.  

So when a new kitab or book like the Quran was revealed it brought the same ayaat (signs) or something better.  There have been many kitabs or books revealed before the Quran. Among them are the Injeel (Evanglos), Tawraat (Torah), the book given to Moses and the book given to Abraham. All these books are mentioned in the Quran. 

So a  new book can be revealed which is full of ayaat or signs. But once a new book is revealed there is absolutely no changing the words or kalimah that are found inside the new book. This is the meaning of Surah 6:115 which I quoted earlier:

Surah 6:115   "The Word (kalimaatu) of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His Words (kalimaatihi). He is the Hearer, the Omniscient."

Laa mubaddila li kalimaatihi - Nothing shall abrogate or change His Words.     Predictably those religious people who have no faith in the Quran (and are therefore not Muslims - because that is exactly what they accuse others) have nothing to say about this verse. They remain absolutely silent about Surah 6:115. They actually reject Surah 6:115.

And they force themselves to misunderstand Surah 2:106 because they deliberately ignorethese three words  "or like it" that are found in Surah 2:106.  Why would people who claim to be Muslims who believe the Quran want to do a thing like that?

There were other references to Surah 58:12-13 and such but they do not make sense so I dont want to dwell on those verses.  The Proponents of Abrogation also dwell a lot on their theory that the Quran was not compiled into a book form until much later in history.  

Among their beliefs is that the Quran - a book which they like to remind everyone was revealed by Allah -  was first written down on pieces of parchment, pieces of leather, pieces of dry bones and left around here and there. They say that the Quran was finally compiled on paper and into one volume much later.  This is their belief. This is what they say.

But what does the Quran say?  Didnt these people bother to check what the Quran itself says about how it was written or recorded?  Lets see what the Quran has to say about this.

80:11 Indeed, this is a reminder - Kalla innaha tazkiratun

80:12 Whoever wills shall take heed  - Faman sha'a zakkarahu

80:13 In honorable books  - Fee suhufin mukarramatin

80:14 Exalted and pure - marfoo'atin mutahharatin

80:15 (Written) by the hands of emmisaries - bi-aydee safaratin

80:16 Who are honorable and righteous - kiramin bararatin

The Quran is clearly saying that it was written down in suhuf (pages or books). Suhuf is plural, mushaf is singular.  The word mushaf is also used to refer to the written form of the Quran (the book form that we have today).

So the Quran is saying that it was already in book form or suhuf.  I doubt that 114 chapters were written down on loose leaves or in scraps here and there. 

It says 'suhuf' which means a written down, book form. Surely this must be during the lifetime of the Prophet and not a long time after he died.   Here are more verses from the Quran about the Quran itself :

98:1 Those who disbelieved among the people of the scripture, as well as the idol worshipers, insist on their ways, despite the proof given to them  -  Lam yakuni allazeena kafaroo min ahli-lkitabi wal-mushrikeena munfakkeena hatta ta'tiyahumu albayyinaatu

98:2 A messenger from Allah is reciting to them (from) purified pages - Rasoolun minallahi yatloo suhufan mutahharatan

98:3 In them there are written valuable teachings - Feeha kutubun qayyimatun

Again in Surah 98:2 above the Rasool was reciting (yatloo) to them from suhufan mutahharatan or purified pages/books. In them were written (kutubun) valuable teachings. The word kutubun means 'written down'. This means the Quran was already written in book form or suhuf form.

Here is more about the Quran :

52:2 And by the Book inscribed - Wakitaabin mastoorin

52:3 In a Scroll unfolded -  Fee raqqin manshoorin

So the Quran was already a book written down (kitaabin mastoorin) in a scroll that was unfolded (fee raqin manshoorin).

Can we have scrolls (raqqin) made of bones or pieces of leather, dried palm fronds etc? 

And finally the Quran also talks about kertas or paper. In arabic it is qirtas.  Kertas or paper was already known from the time of Moses down to the Prophet. 

6:7 "Even if we sent down to them a physical book, written on paper (qirtas), and they touched it with their hands, those who disbelieved would have said, "This is no more than clever sorcery"  - Walaw nazzalna alayka kitaban fee qirtasin fala masoohu bi-aydeehim laqaala allazeena kafaroo in hatha illa sihrun mubeenun

This verse is not about qirtas. It is about some people who will refuse to believe in the Quran even if it dropped from the sky onto their heads. Even if the Quran had magically dropped down in a nicely bound, physical book form, written on qirtas or paper which they could touch with their own hands, the kafaroo or disbelievers would still not believe.  They would say it was a magical book or sorcery.

So the idea of a kitaaban fee qirtasin or a book written on qirtas (paper) was already known in the Quran.  

Finally here is a very interesting verse :

25:5  "They also said, "Tales from the past that he wrote down; they were dictated to him day and night"   -  Waqaloo asateeru al-awwaleena iktatabaha fahiya tumla alayhi bukratan wa'aseelan"

Here the disbelievers are saying that the Quran was nothing more than tales of the past that were dictated to the Prophet day and night and which the Prophet had written down (iktatabaha).  This confirms again that the Quran was already written down during the Prophet's lifetime. 

So those people who believe in Al Nasikh Wal Mansukh who say that the Quran was NOT written down in a mushaf (singular of suhuf) or that the Quran was written on bits of bones, pieces of leather and such would do better to scrutinise these verses from the Quran above.

The Quran was already written down in a suhuf or pages. It was also in a scroll form. The Prophet himself was reciting from it (yatloo suhufan).

I dont wish to boast but all these verses that I have quoted above have been safely locked up inside the Quran for over 1400 years now.  But I can assure you none or very, very few of the religious people will know that such verses even exist in the Quran at all. I have said it before  - their ignorance of the Quran is complete. These verses will sound like Mandarin or Greek to them.   

And here is something else - many of them will not even want to believe these verses from their own Quran. Yet they will yell at the top of their voices that anyone who rejects even one tiny dot  from the Quran is a kafeer.  They must try shouting that very, very  loudly into the mirror.