The Qur’an was transmitted by the Companions to the next generation through their consensus (ijma‘) and perpetual concurrence (tawatur). Since then, this process has been continuing.
Both these modes yield certitude and a faithful transmission of contents.
Consensus (ijma‘) means that each and every Companion vouched that what is being transmitted by their very large number is in fact the very Qur’an revealed to Muhammad (sws). What, in other words, is implied is that none of them differed upon the transmitted text of the Qur’an. Since then this consensus has existed in every generation of Muslims with the testimony that what is being transmitted in fact is the Qur’an.
The term perpetual concurrence (tawatur) means that such a large number of people transmit in every stage of transmission a piece of information gathered from the senses that their collusion on falsehood is deemed impossible.1 In other words, it is the multiplicity of sources that are replicated at every step. It is agreed upon by all authorities2 that the Qur’an was transmitted through this mode. In fact, this transmission was actually made possible because of the existence of a large of number of Companions of the Prophet (sws) at the very onset.3 This was supplemented further with the existence of the Muslim empire in the times of the Prophet (sws) and which continued to exist for fourteen centuries after him. In other words, in the very first stage of transmission, such a large number of Companions were available to transmit this Qur’an to the next generation that any error in its transmission was ruled out. This process has been continuing ever since in an uninterrupted manner.
Authorities through the ages copiously allude to these two modes of Qur’an transmission. This article presents a survey of how these authorities document these modes.
Consensus
Al-Sarakhsi 401-490 AH) records:
وأثبتوا في المصاحف ما اتفقوا عليه
The companions wrote in the masahif that on which they unanimously agreed.4
Al-Razi 401-490 AH) writes:
أجمع المسلمون علی أن ما بين الدفتين كلام الله
Muslims unanimously agree that what is in between the two covers is God’s word.5
Abu Hayyan (654-745) writes:
وقراءة ابن الزبير …من باب التفسير لا علي أنه قرآن لمخالفته سواد ما أجمع المسلمون عليه من ألفاظ القرآن
The recital of Ibn al-Zubayr … belongs to the genre of tafsir and not the Qur’anic text because it contradicts what the Muslims agree regarding the text.6
Al-Nawawi (631-676 AH) writes:
وقد أجمع المسلمون علي أن القرآن المتلو في الأقطار المكتوب في الصحف الذي بأيدي المسلمين مما جمعه الدفتان من أول الحمد لله رب العالمين إلي آخر قل أعوذ برب الناس كلام الله ووحيه المنزل علي نبيه محمد صلي الله عليه وسلم
Muslims unanimously agree that the Qur’an that is being read in various parts of the world, written in the masahif found among Muslims which they have compiled between two covers from Surah Fatihah to Surah Nas is the word of God and His revelation sent to His Prophet Muhammad (sws).7
Al-Shatibi (720-790 AH) writes:
وبعث الله تعالي من عباده قراء أخذوا كتابه تلقيا من الصحابة وعلموه لمن يأتي بعدهم حرصا علي موافقة الجماعة في تأليفه في المصاحف حتي يتوافق الجميع علي شيء واحد ولا يقع في القرآن اختلاف من أحد من الناس
And God sent forth the reciters among His people who received God’s Book from the companions and taught those who came after them desiring the unanimity of the collectivity in writing it in the masahif until everyone agreed one thing and there was no difference regarding the Qur’an among the people.8
Ibn Dahhan (d. 592 AH) writes:
إجماع الصحابة علي جمع القرآن بين الدفتين …واتفقوا علي أن ما بين الدفتين قرآن
The companions unanimously agree on the collection of the Qur’an between two covers … and are unanimous that what is between the two covers is the Qur’an.9
Al-Ghazali (450- 505 AH):
المكتوب في المصحف المتفق عليه هو القرآن
What is written in the mushaf unanimously agreed upon is the Qur’an.10
Al-Mardawi (817-885 AH) states:
وقد أجمع الصحابة ألا يكون في المصحف غير قرآن وأن ما بين دفتي المصحف كلام الله
The companions unanimously agreed that the mushaf consists of nothing but the Qur’an and that which is between the two covers is the word of God.11
Al-Qalqashandi (756-821 AH) writes:
أجمع الصحابة رضوان الله عليهم علي أن ما بين دفتي المصحف قرآن
The companions (rta) unanimously agree that what is between the two covers is the Qur’an.12
Perpetual Concurrence
Al-Shafi‘i (150-242 AH) writes:
نص حكم لله أو سنة لرسول الله نقلها العامة عن العامة
The text of God’s injunctions and the Sunnah of God’s Messenger has been transmitted by masses from the masses.13
Abu Mansur al-Maturudi (233/247-333 AH) writes:
وطعن في أخبار القرآن إنه خبر الآحاد وذلك كذب بل رواه كافة عن كافة مع ما في هذا إقرار أنه حجة
It is objected to that the information and news provided by the Qur’an consists of isolate reports. This is false. In fact, they are transmitted by the masses to the masses with the acknowledgement that it is a conclusive argument.14
The words used by al-Jassas (305-370 AH) are:
كان طريق إثبات القرآن نقل الكافة دون نقل الآحاد
The way of validation of the Qur’an is naql al-kaffah (transmission by all) as against naql al-ahad (transmission by a few).15
Al-Baqillani (338-402 AH) writes:
قد ذكر العلماء أن الأصل في هذا هو أن يعلم أن القرآن الذي هو متلو محفوظ مرسوم في المصاحف هو الذي جاء به النبي وأنه هو الذي تلاه علي من في عصره ثلاثا وعشرين سنة والطريق إلي معرفة ذلك هو النقل المتواتر الذي يقع عنده العلم الضروري به
Scholars have mentioned that the basis of this is that it is known that it is the Qur’an that has been read out, preserved, written in the masahif that has been brought forth by the Prophet and that it was he who read it out to those who lived in his age over a period of twenty three years. The way to know this is through perpetual concurrence in transmission which gives certitude in knowledge.16
Ibn Hazm (d. 384-456 AH) writes:
القرآن هو عهد الله إلينا والذي ألزمنا الإقرار به والعمل بما فيه وصح بنقل الكافة الذي لا مجال للشك فيه أن هذا القرآن هو المكتوب في المصاحف المشهورة في الآفاق كلها
It is the Qur’an about which God has bound us to follow it and made us mandatory upon us to acknowledge it and it stands authenticated through the transmission of every individual about which there is no possibility of doubt that it is this Qur’an which is written in the masahif famous all over the world.17
He also writes:
رتبة الآي ورتبة السور مأخوذة عن الله عز وجل إلي جبريل ثم إلي النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم لا كما يظنه أهل الجهل أنه ألف بعد موت النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم ولو كان ذلك ما كان القرآن منقولا نقل الكافة ولا خلاف بين المسلمين واليهود والنصارى والمجوس أنه منقول عن محمد صلي الله عليه وسلم نقل التواتر
The arrangement of the verses and that of the surahs occurs from what God, the Mighty, the Exalted, in form handed over by Him to Gabriel and then from Gabriel to the Prophet (sws). This is arrangement was not done after the death of the Prophet (sws) as opined by the ignorant. Had this been the case, the Qur’an would never have been transmitted by every person. And among the Muslims, the Jews, the Christians and the Magians, there is no doubt about the fact that the Qur’an was transmitted through perpetual concurrence from Muhammad (sws).18
Moreover, at another instances, his words are:
فأما القرآن فمنقول نقل الكواف والتواتر
As far as the Qur’an is concerned, it has been transmitted through consensus and through perpetual concurrence in transmission.19
Al-Dabbusi (d. 430 AH) writes:
كتاب الله تعالي: ما نقل إلينا بين دفتي المصاحف علي الأحرف السبعة المشهورة نقلا متواترا
The Book of God, the Exalted, can be defined as that which is transmitted to us between the two covers through perpetual concurrence composed of the seven famous huruf.20
Al-Bazdawi (421-482 AH) states:
أما الكتاب فالقرآن المنزل علي رسول الله المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول عن النبي عليه السلام نقلا متواترا
As for the book, it is the Qur’an revealed to God’s Messenger transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence written in the masahif.21
In the words of al-Sarakhsi (401-490 AH):
اعْلَم بِأَن الْكتاب هُوَ الْقُرْآن الْمنزل علي رَسُول الله صلي الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم الْمَكْتُوب فِي دفات الْمَصَاحِف الْمَنْقُول إِلَيْنَا علي الأحرف السَّبْعَة الْمَشْهُورَة نقلا متواترا
Know that the book is the Qur’an revealed to God’s Messenger (sws) written between the two covers transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence composed of the seven famous huruf.22
To quote al-Ghazali (450- 505 AH):
وَحَدُّ الْكِتَابِ مَا نُقِلَ إلَيْنَا بَيْنَ دَفَّتَيْ الْمُصْحَفِ عَلَي الْأَحْرُفِ السَّبْعَةِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ نَقْلًا مُتَوَاتِرًا
The definition of the Book is that it was what has been transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence between two covers of the masahif composed of the seven famous huruf.23
Ibn Dahhan (d. 592 AH) writes:
الكتاب العزيز هو ما نقل إلينا بين دفتي المصحف علي الأحرف المشهورة نقلا متواترا
The mighty book is one that was transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence between two covers of the masahif composed of the seven famous huruf.24
In the words of al-Razi (544-604 AH):
القراءة الشاذة مردودة لأنها لو كانت قرآنا لنقلت نقلا متواترا
Non-canonical reading (shadhah) stand rejected [as the Qur’an] because had they been the Qur’an, they would have been transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence.25
Ibn Qudamah (541-620 AH) states:
وهو ما نقل إلينا بين دفتي المصحف نقلا متواترا وقيدناه بالمصحف لأن الصحابة رضي الله عنهم بالغوا في نقله وتجريده عما سواه حتي كرهوا التعاشير والنقط كيلا يختلط بغيره فنعلم أن المكتوب في المصحف هو القرآن وما خرج عنه فليس منه
And that [the Book of God] is that which has been transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence and confined in the masahif because the companions (rta) were overly conscious in writing it and excluding anything in this writing that does not belong to it. So much so, they even disliked breaking up its verses in groups of ten and in adding diacritical marks lest it may get mixed it with what does not belong to it. Thus we know that what is written in the masahif is the Qur’an and whatever is extraneous to it is not.26
Muhammad ibn ‘Atiyyah (d. 608 AH) writes:
وإنما قامت علي الجميع الحجة بإرسال النبي - عليه السلام - إلي الناس كافة وتبليغه القرآن للأمة حتي حفظوه ونقلوه نقل التواتر إلي من بعدهم عصرا بعد عصر
And no one has been left with any excuse to deny the truth after the advent of the Prophet (sws) towards all mankind and by his communication of the Qur’an to the Muslim ummah until it has memorized it and thereafter transmitted it through perpetual concurrence to those after them era after era.27
In the words of al-Qurtubi (600-671 AH):
القرآن ثبت نقلا متواترا سوره وآياته وحروفه
The Qur’an is validated through perpetual concurrence in its transmission with regard to its surahs, verses and letters.28
Al-Qarafi (d. 684 AH), while defining lafzi tawatur (verbal concurrent perpetual concurrence in transmission), writes:
اللفظي كما تقول: القرآن الكريم متواتر أي كلّ لفظ منه اشترك فيها العدد الناقل للقرآن
Lafzi tawatur is exemplified when you say: The noble Qur’an is mutawatir ie., every each and word of it transmitted by transmitters has this feature.29
Ibn Tilmisani (d. 644 AH) writes:
وأشهر التوَاتُرِ تَوَاتُرُ القُرآنِ، وتواتره عند حَمَلَتِهِ، فكم في الأُمةِ من لم يُحِط عِلمًا بِألفَاظِ القُرآنِ، ولا يقدح ذلك في تواتره.
The most famous perpetual concurrence in transmission is the perpetual concurrence in transmission of the Qur’an and its perpetual concurrence in transmission lies with its memorizers. Thus there are so many people in the Muslim ummah whose knowledge does not encompass all the words of the Qur’an but this does not negate its perpetual concurrence in transmission.30
Al-Amidi (551-631 AH)
اتفقوا علي أن ما نقل إلينا من القرآن نقلا متواتر
There is a consensus on the fact what has been transmitted to us from the Qur’an is through perpetual concurrence.31
Abu Shammah (596-665 AH) writes:
والقرآن كلام الله منقول نقل التواتر عن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم الذي أنزل إليه لم يزل في كل حين وجيل ينقله خلق لا يحصي
The Qur’an is the word of God transmitted through perpetual concurrence from God’s Messenger (sws) to whom it was revealed. It is ever present being transmitted by people that cannot be counted.32
Al-Jurjani (740-816 AH) states:
القرآن هو المنزل علي الرسول المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول عنه نقلا متواترا بلا شبهة
The Qur’an has been revealed to the Messenger. It is written in the masahif and has been transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence without any doubt.33
Al-Mahbubi (d. 746 AH) states:
القرآن وهو ما نقل إلينا بين دفتي المصاحف تواترا
… The Qur’an is one that has been transmitted to us in between two covers through perpetual concurrence.34
In the words of Imam Ibn Taymiyah (661-728 AH):
والقرآن ما زال محفوظا في الصدور نقلا متواترا حتي لو أراد مريد أن يغير شيئا من المصاحف وعرض ذلك علي صبيان المسلمين لعرفوا أنه قد غير المصحف لحفظهم للقرآن من غير أن يقابلوه بمصحف وأنكروا ذلك
The Qur’an has continued to be safely lodged in the hearts transmitted through perpetual concurrence. So much so, if someone tries to change anything from the masahif and present it before the children of Muslims, they will know that the mushaf has been changed even without comparing it with other masahif because they have the Qur’an memorized and they will reject it.35
Al-‘Ayni (762-855 AH) writes:
الْقُرْآن الْمنزل علي الرَّسُول الْمَكْتُوب فِي الْمَصَاحِف الْمَنْقُول عَنهُ نقلا متواتراً بِلَا شُبْهَة
The Qur’an has been revealed to the Messenger. It is written in the masahif and has been transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence without any doubt.36
Ibn Khaldun (732-808 AH) writes:
القرآن هو كلام الله المنزل علي نبيه المكتوب بين دفتي المصحف وهو متواتر بين الأمة إلا أن الصحابة رووه عن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم علي طرق مختلفة في بعض ألفاظه وكيفيات الحروف في أدائها وتنوقل ذلك واشتهر إلي أن استقرت منها سبع طرق معينة تواتر نقلها أيضا بأدائها واختصت بالانتساب إلي من اشتهر بروايتها من الجم الغفير فصارت هذه القراءات السبع أصولا للقراءة وربما زيد بعد ذلك قراءات أخر لحقت بالسبع إلا أنها عند أئمة القراءة لا تقوى قوتها في النقل وهذه القراءات السبع معروفة في كتبها وقد خالف بعض الناس في تواتر طرقها لأنها عندهم كيفيات للأداء وهو غير منضبط وليس ذلك عندهم بقادح في تواتر القرآن وأباه الأكثر وقالوا بتواترها وقال آخرون بتواتر غير الأداء منها كالمد والتسهيل لعدم الوقوف علي كيفيته بالسمع وهو الصحيح ولم يزل القراء يتداولون هذه القراءات وروايتها إلي أن كتبت العلوم ودونت فكتبت فيما كتب من العلوم وصارت صناعة مخصوصة وعلما منفردا وتناقله الناس بالمشرق والأندلس في جيل بعد جيل إلي أن ملك بشرق الأندلس مجاهد من موالي العامريين وكان معتنيا بهذا الفن من بين فنون القرآن
The Qur’an is God’s Word revealed to His Prophet written between the two covers. It possesses perpetual concurrence in transmission among the ummah. However, the companions narrated different variants from God’s Messenger regarding some of its words and the way they are pronounced. This was passed on and it spread until seven specific systems of variants became prominent. They were transmitted through perpetual concurrence also with regard to their pronunciation. These seven systems of variants were ascribed to reciters who were famous for their transmission from among many. Thus these seven systems of variants became the foundational ones. Then after this more systems of variants were chosen besides the seven except that they were from chief reciters who were not that reliable in transmission. These seven systems of variants are widely found in Muslim books. Some people have differed in the perpetual concurrence in transmission of their variants because to them these are merely ways of pronunciation that cannot be expressed in written form. In their opinion, this is something that does not disrupt the perpetual concurrence in transmission of the Qur’an. The majority has denied this and upheld perpetual concurrence in transmission of the ways of pronunciations. Some others are of the opinion that the ways of pronunciation are not transmitted through perpetual concurrence like prolonging the intonation of alif and the weakening of the alif as the ear is not able to grasp its pronunciation. And this is correct. The reciters continued to transmit and circulate these recitals and their transmission until various disciplines of knowledge were collected and compiled and Qur’anic recitals became a specialized science and a unique branch of knowledge. People transmitted it in the east and in Spain generation after generation until Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid became the ruler of eastern Spain from among the allies of the ‘Amirin. He was a specialist of this discipline from among the other disciplines.37
Abu ‘Abdullah al-Tilmisani (d. 771 AH) writes:
فأما الكتاب فلابد من كونه متواترًا، فإن لم يكن متواترًا لم يكن قرآنا
As far as the Book is concerned, there is no doubt that it is transmitted through perpetual concurrence . If it is not mutawatir, it cannot be Qur’an.38
Ibn Amir al-Hajj (825-879 AH) writes:
وباب القرآن باب يقين وإحاطة فلا يثبت بدون النقل المتواتر كونه قرآنا
The matter of the Qur’an is the matter certainty and comprehensiveness. Thus its status of being the Qur’an cannot be validated without perpetual concurrence in transmission.39
Al-Mardawi (817-885 AH) states:
وما لم يتواتر فليس بقرآن إذا علم أن القرآن لا يكون إلا متواترا
What is not perpetually concurrent in transmission cannot be the Qur’an as it is known that the Qur’an has undoubtedly been transmitted through perpetual concurrence.40
Al-Fanari (d. 834 AH) records:
وقال مشايخنا: هو القرآن المنزل علي رسولنا المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول تواترًا بلا شبهة
Our elders said: “It is the Qur’an revealed to our Messenger written in the masahif transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence without any doubt.”41
Al-Nuwayri (d. 801-857 AH) records:
القرآن عند الجمهور من أئمة المذاهب الأربعة منهم الغزالي وصدر الشريعة وموفق الدين المقدسي وابن مفلح والطوفى هو ما نقل بين دفتي المصحف نقلا متواترا
In the view of the majority scholars from among the four schools of jurisprudence like al-Ghazali, Sadr al-Shari‘ah, Muwaffiq al-Din al-Maqdisi, Ibn Muflih and al-Tufi, the Qur’an is what is written in the masahif transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence without any doubt.”42
Ibn Hajar (773-852 AH) writes:
فإن الله قد حفظ لهذه الأمة دينها من خلال حفظ كتابه العزيز الذي لا يأتيه الباطل، فتناقلته الأمة جيلاً عن جيل نقلاً متواترا: حفظا وتلاوة وتدبرا
Indeed God has preserved the religion of this ummah by protecting His mighty Book in which evil cannot penetrate. Thus, the ummah has transmitted it though perpetual concurrence generation after generation through memorizing it, reading it and reflecting over it.43
Al-Suyuti (849-911 AH) records:
وقال ابن الحصار ترتيب السور ووضع الآيات مواضعها إنما كان بالوحي كان رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم يقول ضعوا آية كذا في موضع كذا وقد حصل اليقين من النقل المتواتر بهذا الترتيب من تلاوة رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم ومما أجمع الصحابة علي وضعه هكذا في المصحف
Ibn al-Hisar said: “The arrangement of the surahs and the placement of the verses at their respective places is indeed through divine revelation. God’s Messenger used to say: ‘Place this place at such and such an instance,’ And certitude has been achieved regarding this arrangement by perpetual concurrence in transmission through the recital of God’s Messenger and the consensus of the Companions about this placement in this manner in the mushaf.”44
Al-Manawi (952-1031) records:
القرآن عند أهل أصول الفقه اللفظ المنزل علي محمد … المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول عنه نقلا متواترا بلا شبهة
The Qur’an in the opinion of the scholars of usul al-fiqh was revealed to Muhammad in the form of words … that is written in the masahif and has been transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence without any doubt.45
Al-Dimyati (d. 1117 AH) writes:
القرآن عند الجمهور من أئمة المذاهب الأربعة هو ما نقل بين دفتي المصحف نقلا متواترا
In the opinion of the majority from among the four schools of jurisprudence, the Qur’an is between the two covers of the mushaf transmitted through tawatur.46
Al-San‘ani (1099-1182 AH) writes:
يشترط في كونه قرآنا تواترا نقله وهو نقل جماعة عن جماعة تحيل العادة تواطؤهم علي الكذب
The condition for being Qur’an is perpetual concurrence in transmission; this means that such a group of people transmit it from another group that any collusion on falsehood is ruled out.47
Shah Waliullah (d. 1114-1176 AH) writes:
واعلم أن تلقي الأمة منه الشرع علي وجهين أحدهما تلقي الظاهر ولا بد أن يكون بنقل إما متواترا أو غير متواتر والمتواتر منه المتواتر لفظا كالقرآن العظيم
Know that the ummah has received the shari‘ah from God’s Messenger in two forms: one of them is the apparent form. This is undoubtedly either perpetually concurrent in transmission or not so. An example of perpetual concurrence in transmission is the noble Qur’an has been transmitted in this manner in oral form. 48
Al-Kumakhi (d. 1171 AH), while referring to various authorities, writes:
هو المنزل علي الرسول، المكتوب في المصاحف، المنقول عنه نقلًا متواترًا
The Qur’an has been revealed to the Messenger, written in the masahif, transmitted from him through tawatur.49
Al-Nukri (d. AH) writes:
القرآن هو المنزل علي رسولنا المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول عنه نقلا متواترا
The Qur’an has been revealed to our Messenger, written in the masahif, transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence.50
Al-Shawkani (1173-1250 AH) writes:
واما حد الكتاب اصطلاحا فهو الكلام المنزل علي الرسول المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول الينا نقلا متواترا
As for the technical definition of the Book, it is: Words revealed to our Messenger, written in the masahif, transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence.51
Ibn ‘Abidin (1198-1252 AH) writes:
وهو اسم للمنزل باللفظ العربي المنظوم الخاص المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول إلينا نقلا متواترا
The Qur’an connotes revealed words arranged in a specific way, written in the masahif, transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence.52
Al-Shanqiti (d. 1393 AH) writes:
وكتاب الله هو ما نقل إلينا بين دفتي المصحف نقلاً متواتر
The Book of God is one that has been transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence written between the two covers of the masahif.53
Manna‘ al-Qattan (d. 1420 AH) writes
وتلقاه الصحابة عن رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم تلاوةً له وحفظًا ودراسةً لمعانيه وعملًا بما فيه ...وهكذا استمر حفظ المسلمين للقرآن في كل عصر، وتوارثت الأمة نقله بالكتابة علي مر الدهور، جيلا بعد جيل، من غير تحريف أو تبديل
The companions received it from God’s Messenger (sws) by reciting it to him, by memorizing and understanding its meanings and by following it … In this manner, Muslims continued to preserve the Qur’an in every age. Through the ages the Muslim ummah transmitted it in writing generation after generation without any change or interpolation.54
Muhammad al-Tha‘alabi (d. 1376 AH) writes:
هو اللفظ المنَزَّل علي النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم المنقول إلينا بين دفتي المصحف تواترًا.
The Qur’an is the word revealed to Prophet Muhammad (sws) transmitted to us between two covers through perpetual concurrence.55
Al-Taftazani (d. 1390 AH) records:
الكتاب هو القرآن المنزل علي الرسول المكتوب في المصاحف المنقول إلينا نقلا متواترا بلا شبهة
The Book is the Qur’an revealed to the Messenger written in the masahif transmitted to us through perpetual concurrence without any doubt.56
Al-Zarqani (d. 1367 AH) writes:
القرآن الكريم ... نقل إلينا ... نقلا متواترا قاطعا لا ظل فيه للشك
The noble Qur’an ... has been transmitted to us ... through perpetual concurrence with certitude such that there is no shadow of doubt.57
Al-Khidri (d. 1345 AH) writes:
الكتاب هو القرآن ، وهو اللفظ العربي المنزل علی سيدنا محمد صلی الله عليه وسلم للتدبر والتذكر المنقول متواترا وهو مابين الدفتين المبدء بسورة الفاتحة المختوم بسورةالناس
The Book is the Qur’an revealed in Arabic to our revered Messenger Muhammad (sws) for the purpose of reflection and reminding, transmitted through perpetual concurrence. It is between two covers beginning from Surah al-Fatihah and ending on Surah al-Nas.58
Nur al-Din al-Itr (d. 1356-1442 AH) writes:
القرآن قد نقله جمع عظيم غفير لا يمكن تواطؤهم علي الكذب ولا وقوع الخطأ منهم صدفة، هذا الجمع الضخم ينقل القرآن عن جمع مثله وهكذا إلي النبي صلّي الله عليه وسلم، وذلك يفيد العلم اليقيني القاطع بأن هذا القرآن هو كلام الله تعالي المنزل علي نبيه صلّي الله عليه وسلم
The Qur’an has been transmitted by a very large multitude of people which cannot collude on falsehood and there is no chance of perpetration of any error from them coincidentally. This huge multitude of people has transmitted the Qur’an from a similarly huge multitude and so on until the Prophet (sws). This gives absolute certitude that it was the Qur’an that was the word revealed by the Almighty to the Prophet (sws).59
Al-Suhaym (b. 1379 AH) writes:
نقل القرآن الكريم نقلا متواترا صوتا ورسما
The noble Qur’an has been transmitted through oral and written perpetual concurrence.60
Ahmad Fathullah (b. 1374 AH) writes:
القرآن كلام الله عز وجل ، المنزل علي رسوله (صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم) المكتوب في المصاحف ، المنقول عنه نقلا متواترا بلا أية شبهة ، أي الموجود عندكل المسلمين بلا نقص أو زيادة ، أو تحريف أو شبهة
The Qur’an is the word of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. It has been revealed to His Messenger (sws) and is written in the masahif. It has been transmitted from him through perpetual concurrence without any sort of doubt. Ie., it is found amongst all Muslims without any addition or deletion, interpolation or doubt.61
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1. See, for example: Jalal al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kamal al-Din Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Sabiq al-Din al-Suyuti, Mu‘jam maqalid al-‘ulum, 1st ed. (Cairo: Maktabah al-adab, 1424 AH), 66; Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Qadi Muhammad Hamid ibn Muhammad Sabir al-Faruqi al-Hanafi al-Thanawi, Mawsu‘ah kashshaf istilahat al-funun wa al-‘ulum, 1st ed., vol. 1 (Beirut: Maktabah Labnan, 1996), 738; Muhammad ‘Abd al-Ra’uf al-Manawi, Al-Tawqif ‘ala muhimmat al-ta‘arif, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-fikr, 1410 AH), 633-634; ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Jurjani, Al-Ta‘rifat, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-kitab al-‘arabi, 1405 AH), 131.
2. See: Abu Zayd al-Dabbusi, Taqwim al-adillah fi usul al-fiqh (Beirut: Dar al-kutub al-‘ilmiyyah, 2001), 20; ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Bazdawi, Usul al-Bazdawi: Kanz al-usul ila ma‘rifah al-usul (Karachi: Matba‘ah Javid, n.d.), 5; Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Sahal al-Sarakhsi, Usul al-Sarakhsi, vol. 1 (Beirut: Dar al-ma‘rifah, n.d.), 279; al-Ghazali, Al-Mustasfa, 81; Al-Amidi, Al-Ihkam, vol. 1, 212; Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Shawkani, Irshad al-fuhul ila tahqiq ‘ilm al-usul, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-fikr, 1992), 62.
3. Obviously no exact number can be estimated because no one ever counted them or could have possibly done so given their number and places in which they lived. However, according to Abu Zur‘ah al-Razi (d. 264 AH), one of the earliest historians of Islam, this number stood at 114, 000. See: Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Thabit al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Al-Jami‘ li akhlaq al-rawi wa adab al-sami‘, vol. 2 (Riyad: Maktabah al-Ma ‘arif, 1403), 293. In the opinion of Imam Shafi‘i (d. 204 AH), those who heard and saw the Prophet (sws) were approximately sixty thousand in number. See: Abu al-Fada’ Isma‘il ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa al-nihayah, vol. 4 (Beirut: Maktabah al-ma‘arif, n.d.), 356.
4. Al-Sarakhsi, Usul al-Sarakhsi, vol. 1, 280.
5. Al-Razi, Mafatih al-ghayb, vol. 1, 163.
6. Muhammad ibn Yusuf Abu Hayyan al-Undulusi, Tafsir bahr al-muhit, 1st ed., vol. 4 (Beirut: Dar al-kutub al-‘ilmiyyah, 1422 AH), 446.
7. Abu Zakariyyah Yahya ibn Sharaf Al-Din al-Nawawi, Al-Tibyan fi adab hamalah al-Qur’an, 1st ed. (Damascus: Al-Wakalah al-‘ammah li al-tawzi‘, 1403 AH), 85.
8. Ibrahim ibn Musa al-Shatibi al-Maliki, Al-Muwafaqat fi usul al-fiqh, vol. 2 (Beirut: Dar al-ma‘rifah, n.d.), 60.
9. Ibn al-Dahhan, Taqwim al-nazar, vol. 1, 294.
10. Al-Ghazali, Al-Mustasfa, 81.
11. Al-Mardawi, Tahbir sharh al-tahrir, vol. 3, 1373.
12. Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Qalqashandi, Subh al-a‘sha fi sana‘ah al-insha’, vol. 3 (Damascus: Wazarah al-thaqafah, 1981), 146.
13. Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i, Al-Risalah (Cairo: 1358 AH), 278.
14. Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, Al-Tawhid (Alexandria: Dar al-Jami‘at al-misriyyah, n.d.), 196.
15. Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Razi al-Jassas al-Razi, Ahkam al-Qur’an, vol. 1 (Beirut: Dar ihya’ al-turath al-‘arabi, n.d.), 10. See also: Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Razi al-Jassas al-Razi, Al-Fusul fi al-usul, 1st ed., vol. 2 (Kuwait: Wazarah al-awqaf wa al-shu’un al-islamiyyah, 1405 AH), 252.
16. Al-Qadi Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Tayyib ibn Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn al-Qasim al-Baqillani, I‘jaz al-Qur’an, 5th ed., vol. 1 (Misr: Dar al-ma‘arif, 1997), 16. See also: Al-Qadi Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Tayyib ibn Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn al-Qasim al-Baqillani, Al-Intisar li al-Qur’an, 1st ed., vol. 1 (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 2001), 101.
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33. ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Jurjani, Al-Ta‘rifat, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-kitab al-‘Arabi, n.d.), 223.
34. ‘Ubaydullah ibn Mas‘ud al-Mahbubi, Sharh al-talwih ‘ala al-tawdih li matn al-tanqih fi usul al-fiqh, vol. 1 (Beirut: Dar al-kutub al-‘ilmiyyah, 1416 AH), 46.
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