The history of the Qurʹānic text : from revelation to compilation : a comparative study with the Old and New Testaments

This book provides unique insights into the Qur'anic text's immaculate preservation as well as exploring many of the accusations leveled against it. The reception of divine revelations, Prophet Muhammad's role in disseminating and compiling these verses, and the setting of the text's final external shape, are scientifically examined alongside such topics as the origins of Arabic, the so-called Mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud, and the strict methodology employed in assembling textual fragments. With full colur illustrations throughout. Ch1 Introduction......Page 1 i Geo-Political Condition......Page 13 ii Ibrahim and Makkah......Page 14 iii Qusayy Gains Control of Makkah......Page 17 iv Makkah: A Tribal Society......Page 18 v From Qusayy to the Prophet......Page 19 vi Religious Conditions in Arabia......Page 20 2 The Prophet (53BH/11AH-571-632)......Page 21 ii The Amin......Page 22 iii The Messenger of Allah......Page 23 v Prophet Preaches Openly......Page 24 vi Quraysh Tempt the Prophet......Page 25 vii Quraish Boycott Prophet and Clan......Page 26 viii Pledge of Aqaba......Page 27 x Prophet in Madinah......Page 28 xi Prelude to Battle of Badr......Page 30 xii Execution of Khubaib b 'Adi......Page 31 xiii Conquest of Makka......Page 32 i Abu Bakr Handles Apostasy......Page 33 4 Conquests under Umar & Uthman......Page 35 5 Conclusion......Page 37 Ch3 Revelations and the Prophet......Page 39 1 The Creator and His Attributes......Page 40 ii Message of Prophets......Page 41 2 The Final Messenger......Page 42 3 Receiving the Revelations......Page 43 i Beginning of Wahy and Miracle of Quran......Page 45 ii Impact of Recitation on Polytheists......Page 46 4 Prophet's Roles wrt Quran......Page 48 5 Reciting in Turns with Jibril......Page 50 6 Remarks on Orientalist Claims......Page 51 7 Conclusion......Page 52 Ch4 Teaching the Qur'an......Page 53 1 Incentives of Learning, Teachng, Reciting......Page 54 i The Prophet as Teacher......Page 57 ii The Companions as Teachers......Page 58 i The Prophet as Teacher......Page 59 ii Dialects Prophet Used for Teaching......Page 60 iii The Companions as Teachers......Page 61 4 Outcome of Education: Huffaz......Page 62 5 Conclusion......Page 64 1 During Makkan Period......Page 65 i Scribes of the Prophet......Page 66 iii Recording Common Among Companions......Page 67 i Arrangement within suras......Page 68 ii Arrangement of Surahs......Page 70 iii Sura Order in Some Partial Mushafs......Page 71 4 Conclusion......Page 74 Ch6 Written Compilation......Page 75 ii Zaid's Credentials......Page 76 iii Abu Bakr's Instructions......Page 77 iv How Zaid Used Written Material......Page 79 v Zaid and Oral Sources......Page 80 vi Authentication: Case of End of Baqara......Page 81 vii Suhuf in State Archives......Page 82 2 Umar's Role in Spreading Quran......Page 83 3 Conclusion......Page 84 1 Disputes in Reciting and Uthman......Page 85 2 Uthman Prepares Mushaf from Suhuf......Page 86 ii An Autonomous Copy......Page 87 iii Comparing with Suhuf from Aisha......Page 88 iv Comparing with Suhuf from Hafsa......Page 90 i Final Reading to Companions......Page 91 iv Reciters Accompany Mushafs......Page 92 v Instructions with Mushafs......Page 94 5 Studies of Uthman's Mushaf......Page 95 i Malik b A Amir al-Asbahi......Page 98 6 Hajjaj's Contribution......Page 100 7 Mushaf's in the Market......Page 103 8 Conclusion......Page 105 1 Sura Separators......Page 107 2 Ayah Separators......Page 109 3 Conclusion......Page 112 1 Background of Arabic Characters......Page 113 i Nabatean and Arabic Inscriptions......Page 116 ii Nabatean Language......Page 118 iii Alphabet of Early Arabic......Page 120 iv Scripts and Dating Kufi Manuscripts......Page 123 3 Conclusion......Page 126 Ch10 Arabic Paleography and Orthography......Page 127 1 Writing Styles in Prophet's Day......Page 128 2 Studies of Uthmanic Mushaf......Page 129 3 Dots in Some Early Mushafs......Page 133 i Skeletal Dots in Early Writing......Page 134 ii Diacritical Markings......Page 137 iii Using Two Schemes......Page 139 4 Sources of Skeletal and Diacritical Schemes......Page 141 5 Irregularities in non-Quranic Script......Page 143 6 Conclusion......Page 146 Ch11 Causes of Variant Readings......Page 149 1 The Qira'at is Sunna......Page 150 2 Need for Multiple Readings......Page 151 3 Orientalist View......Page 153 4 Secondary Cause of Multiple Readings......Page 157 5 Replacing by Synonyms......Page 160 6 Conclusion......Page 161 Ch12 Muslim Educational Methodology......Page 163 1 Hunger for Information......Page 164 2 Personal Contact in Learning......Page 165 3 The Isnad System......Page 166 A Morality......Page 169 B Soundness of Knowledge......Page 171 ii Unbroken Chain......Page 172 iv A Misleading Isnad......Page 173 5 First Generations of Scholars......Page 174 6 System to Ward Adulteration......Page 175 i Condition for Using a Book......Page 178 iii Establishing Authorship......Page 179 7 Certficates of Reading......Page 181 i Importance of Reading Notes......Page 183 A Orientalists and Six Books Transmission......Page 184 B Reading Certificates: Ibn Maja......Page 185 8 Hadith Methodology and Other Knowledge......Page 188 9 Isnad and Quran Transmission......Page 189 10 Conclusion......Page 190 Ch13 Variances in Mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud......Page 192 1 Arrangement......Page 193 2 Text......Page 194 3 Omitted Suras......Page 196 i Contents of the Mushaf......Page 197 ii Ibn Mas'ud's Beliefs......Page 198 i When us a Verse Quran?......Page 200 ii Scholars Punished for Ignoring Rule......Page 202 5 Conclusion......Page 203 II History of Biblical Scriptures......Page 206 Birth of Ishmael and Isaac......Page 208 Isaac only legitimac begotten son......Page 209 Jacob wrestles with God......Page 210 Moses......Page 211 Lord advises stealing jewels......Page 212 Stone Tablets and Golden Calf......Page 213 Wandering in the Wilderness......Page 214 David (1000-962)......Page 215 1 Jeroboam I b Solomon (931-910)......Page 216 3 Jehu (841-814)......Page 217 Rehoboam b Solomon to Abijah (931-911)......Page 218 Jehoram to Ahaz (848-716)......Page 219 Jehoahaz to Zedekiah (609-587)......Page 220 iv Hellenistic Rule (333-168) & Maccabean Revolt (168-135)......Page 221 v End of Maccabees (63bc), Romans, 2nd Temple Destroyed (70ce)......Page 222 3 Conclusion......Page 223 1 History of OT......Page 224 B Lost and Rediscovered......Page 225 Modern Scholars: History of Torah......Page 227 A Sources Edited pre 5th-2nd century bc......Page 228 i OT Language not "Hebrew"......Page 229 ii Script: Canaanite and Assyrian......Page 231 B Non-Jewish Sources......Page 232 3 History of Oral Law......Page 233 i 31 Surviving Masoretic Texts......Page 235 5 Search for Authoritative Text......Page 237 ii OT Text in different traditions......Page 238 iii 6000 differences between Samaritan and Jewish Pentateuchs......Page 239 iv Unintentional Corruptions......Page 240 v Alteration okay for doctrinal reasons......Page 241 vi No Authoritaticve Text till 100 ce......Page 242 viii Masora and Textual Integrity......Page 243 i Pointing and Vocalization......Page 244 ii Masoretic Activity in Islamic Influence......Page 246 iii Talmud and Islamic Influence......Page 247 i Western View of Qumran, Dead Sea Scrolls......Page 248 ii Another view......Page 249 8 Deliberate Corruption: Examples......Page 253 9 Conclusion......Page 258 1 Did Jesus Exist?......Page 262 A Life of Jesus: Secondary Sources......Page 263 iv Christ: Moral Attributes of God?......Page 265 2 Jesus' Disciples......Page 266 3 Jesus' Message: Repent.........Page 269 ii Christian Creeds......Page 270 iii "Christian" in the early days......Page 272 4 Persecution of Early Christians......Page 273 5 Early Christian Belief and Practice and Aftermath......Page 274 6 Conclusions......Page 275 1 Lost Gospel Q - A Challenge......Page 276 2 Authors of 4 Gospels......Page 277 3 Are the Gospels Inspired?......Page 278 4 Transmission of NT......Page 279 i Creation of Text Types......Page 280 ii Dates of Recensions......Page 281 i Variant Readings in NT......Page 282 ii Scribal Alterations......Page 285 6 Erasmus Bible, Comma Johanneum......Page 287 7 Contemporary Corruption of NT......Page 288 8 Early Manuscripts vs Christian doctrines......Page 292 9 Conclusion......Page 295 III Appraisal of Orientalist Research......Page 298 1 Need to Prove Distortions......Page 299 2 Criticism of Compilation......Page 300 3 Transmutation by Foreign Idiom......Page 301 i Botched Appropriation......Page 302 ii Counterfeited Bible......Page 303 i Flugel's Attempt......Page 304 ii Blachere's Attempt......Page 305 iii Mingana's Attempt......Page 307 6 Puin and San'a Fragments......Page 310 i San'a Fragments Only 1st Century proofs?......Page 311 7 Conclusion......Page 314 i Validity of an Anti-Semitic Work......Page 317 ii Anti-Judaic Scholar Impartial with Jewish Theme?......Page 318 iii Jewish Scholars Free to Study Jewish Topics?......Page 319 i Israeli Suppression of Palestinian History......Page 321 ii Orientalist Pioneer: Deceiver of Muslims......Page 322 i History: Jews, Christians, Romans......Page 323 ii Impartial Muslim Studies......Page 326 i Colonialism and Demoralisation of Muslims......Page 327 ii Jewish Question & Modifying History......Page 329 5 Conclusion......Page 335 Ch20 Closing Remarks......Page 336 Bibliography......Page 340 Index......Page 350