Partial Listing of Some Variants in the Qur’an

March 2006 version

Two common misconceptions taught by some Sunnis is that one proof of the Qur’an being from Allah is that there are no manuscript variations, and the Qur’an today is identical to the Qur’an just after Mohammed. The point of this is not to try to say which variants are correct, or even how significant each variant is. It is simply to show that variants exist, and cannot be swept under the rug.

The Tenth Century Compendium of Islamic Literature called The Fihrist (p.62) says, "According to the statement of Ubayy ibn Ka’b the total number of the verses of the Qur’an is six thousand, two hundred and ten. The total of the surahs of the Qur’an, according to the statement of ‘Ata ibn Yasar, is 114, its verses are 6,170, one hundred and seventy, its words 77,439, and its letters 323,015. According to the statement of ‘Asim al-Jahdari, there are 113 surahs. The total number of verses of the Qur’an as stated by Yahya ibn al-Harith al--Dhamari is 6,226, while its letters are 321,530." [The original quote spelled out the numbers.]

"It is quite clear that 'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud did not mean by what he said: He who recites any command or prohibition in the Qur'an must not change from it to the recitation of any threat or promise in it, and he who recites any threat or promise in it must not change from it to the recitation of any narration or parable in it. What he meant, may God have mercy on him, was: He who recites with his harf must not change it to another just because he dislikes it - and his harf is his recitation, just as the Arabs call someone's recitation his harf.... - AND HE WHO RECITES WITH UBAIY'S OR ZAID'S HARF, OR WITH THE HARF OF ANY OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE MESSENGER OF GOD WHO RECITED WITH ONE OF THE SEVEN AHRUF, must not change from it to another because he dislikes it. For unbelief in part of the Qur'an is unbelief in all of it, and unbelief in one of these ahruf is unbelief in all of it, meaning by harf the recitation of anyone who recited with one of the seven ahruf as we have described." Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari (Translated & Abridged by J Cooper, W F Madelung and A Jones), Jami' al-Bayan 'an ta'wil ay al-Qur'an, 1987, Volume 1, Oxford University Press & Hakim Investment Holdings (M.E.) Limited, p.16, 29.

Today there are two standard Arabic texts, called Warsh and Hafs. See Adrian Brockett, "The Value of the Hafs and Warsh transmissions for the Textual History of the Qur’an", Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Qur'an, ed. Andrew Rippin; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988, p.34,37.

This List of Variants in the Qur’an is far from complete. Here are just some of them.

Lost sura of the valley of gold: Abu Harb b. Abu al-Aswad reported on the authority of his father that Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said: "…We used to recite a Sura which resembled in length and severity to (Sura) Bara’at. I have, however, forgotten it with the exception of this which I remember out of it: ‘If there were two valleys full of riches for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley, and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust.’ And we used to so recite a Sura which resembled one of the suras of Musabbihat, and I have forgotten it, but remember (this much) out of it: ‘O people who believe, why do you say that which you do not practice’ (lxi 2.) and ‘that is recorded in your necks as a witness (against you) and you would be asked about in on the Day of Resurrection’" (xvii. 13). Sahih Muslim vol.2:2286 p.500,501

Likewise Bukhari vol.8 book 76 ch.10 no.444-447 p.296-298 also recounts this. 444, 445, and 447 simply say that the prophet said this. 446 says that Ibn Az-Zubair said this in a sermon, and "We considered this as a saying from the Qur’an till the Sura … 102:1 was revealed."

One Muslim reader pointed out that Bukhari no.446 says they only considered it a verse of the Qur’an, so some Muslims might have mistakenly said it was part of the Qur’an for a time. So does that mean these some Muslims mistakenly included this as the Qur’an as Bukhari no.446 suggests, or that it really was a part of the Qur’an, but was taken out later as Sahih Muslim states. To answer this, we should see if there are any [other] verses that were in the Qur’an but “cancelled” (quietly deleted) with no evidence they were improperly in the Qur’an. Here are some.

Narrated Nafi’: Ibn ‘Umar recited the verse: "They had a choice either to fast or to feed a poor person for every day", and said that the order of this Verse was cancelled. Bukhari vol.3, book 31 ch.39 no.170 p.97

"Narrated Anas bin Malik: ... There was revealed about those who were killed at Bi’r-Ma’una a Qur’anic Verse we used to recite, but it was cancelled later on. The verse was: ‘Inform our people that we have met our Lord. He is pleased with us and He has made us pleased.’" Bukhari vol.4:69 p.53.

See also the History of al-Tabari vol.7 p.156.

Other references to cancelled verses are

‘Ubai bin Ka’b, one of Mohammed’s secretaries, has a extra suras, and omits about 12 suras in the Qur’an. (The Fihrist p.61 footnotes 43-48) Abu Musa, of Basra, also had a text that was the same as ‘Ubai’s. (Suyuti, Itqan I, p. 65; Ibn Abi Dawud, Masahif, pages 180-181, also Noeldeke, Geschichte des Quran's, pages 33-38.)

‘Ubai bin Ka’b and Ibn Abbas also have this extra sura:

‘Ubai bin Ka’b and Ibn Abbas have this extra sura:

‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib had a copy of the Qur’an, which he himself collected. ‘Uthman’s copy has verses ‘Ali did not have, and vice versa. Among the verses not in ‘Uthman’s official copy are these.

"Am I not your Lord, and Muhammad is My Messenger, and Ali the prince of the believers?"

"... and his parents were believers, while he was an unbeliever."

"... and We have sent before thee, neither a Messenger, nor a Prophet, nor a speech-carrier."

"... and their mothers' husbands, and he is a father unto them ..."

"Surely man is in a loss, and in it he shall remain till the end of the age ..."

[www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

‘Ali had his own version of the Qur’an. al-Tabari vol.39 p.37

Omission of the verse of Al-Rajm (stoning) [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

There are some of the sixty places the Shiites believe have been distorted, according to the studies of Professor Muhammad Mallallaah. The phrases they consider as authentic, though not existent in the copies we have now, are enclosed between two brackets.

Abi Baseer reported, on the strength of Ubayy Abdillaah: "Whosoever obeys God and His Messenger (in the rule of the Imams) has won a mighty triumph." (Sura 33:71). The Shiites believes that Muhammad's Companions omitted "in the rule of the Imams."

Abu Baseer reported, on the strength of Ubayy Ibn Abdillaah: "So We shall let the unbelievers (who forsook the rule of the prince of the believers) taste a terrible chastisement, and recompense them with the worst of what they were working." (41:27). [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

Abu Hamza also reported: "Yet most men refuse (the rule of Ali) all but unbelief." (Sura 17:89).

[www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

‘Abdallah ibn Mas’ud was one of the four people Mohammed said to learn the Qur’an from. Yet Al-Nuri lists verses in Ibn Mas’ud’s version that are not in the Qur’an today.

"For surely God chose Adam, Noah, the house of Abraham, and the house of Muhammad above all beings."

"Did We not expand thy breast from thee and lifted from thee thy burden? Did We not exalt thy fame by Ali thy son-in-law?"

[www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

More than 1700 variant readings are attributed to Ibn Mas’ud alone according to Arthur Jeffery, Materials for the history of the text of the Quran, 1937.

[http://www.isaalmasih.net/bible-isa/history.html]

Sura 1 - Absent in Ibn Mas’ud version (The Fihrist p.57). Ibn Mas’ud was a personal secretary of Mohammed’s. Mohammed told other people to learn the Qur’an from Ibn Mas’ud and three others. (Bukhari vol.6 book 60 no.521 p.486-487)

Sura 1:5 hiyaka vs. iyaka [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Responses/Menj/bravo_r4bc.htm]

Sura 1:6 irshadna vs. ihdina [www.Answering-Islam.org]

Sura 2:10 yakdhibuuna (Hafs) vs. Sura 2:9 yukadhibuuna (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (vowels)

Sura 2:106: "And for whatever verse We abrogate or cast into oblivion, We bring a better or the like of it" did not originally have "or the like of it." [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

Sura 2:132 wawassaa (Hafs) vs. sura 2:131 wa’awsaa (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (consonant)

Sura 2:132 himu (Hafs) vs. Sura 131 hiimu (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (vowel)

Sura 2:140 taquluna (Hafs) vs. Sura 2:139 yaguluna (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (dots)

Sura 2:184 ta’aamu miskiinin (Hafs) vs. Sura 2:183 ta’aami masakiina (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (vowels)

Sura 2:208: Abu Yunus the freed slave of ‘Aisha transcribed a copy of the Qur’an for ‘Aisha. It was a little bit different in Sura 2:208. "Abu Yunus, the freed slave of ‘A’isha said: ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) ordered me to transcribe a copy of the Qur’an for her and said: When you reach this verse: ‘Guard the prayers and the middle prayer’ (2:28) inform me; so when I reached it, I informed her and she gave me dictation (like this): Guard the prayer and the middle prayer and the afternoon prayer, and stand up truly obedient to Allah. ‘A’isha (Allah be please with her) said: This is how I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)" Sunan Nasa’i vol.1 no.475 p.340

Sura 2:214 yaguula (Hafs) vs. Sura 2:212 yaguulu (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (vowel)

Sura 2:248 al-tubah vs. al-tabut [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Responses/Menj/bravo_r4bc.htm]

Sura 2:259 nunshizuhaa (Hafs) vs. Sura 2:258 nunshiruhaa (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (dots)

Sura 3:81 ataytukum (Hafs) vs. Sura 3:80 ataynakum (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (dots)

Sura 3:104 "refraining (different Arabic word) from what is wrong…" vs. refraining (nahun) from what is wrong, and who seek the aid of Allah in what befalls them…" (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.72

Sura 3:133 wasaari’uu (Hafs) vs. saari’uu (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (consonant)

Sura 4:168: Abi Hamza reported, on the strength of Abi Ja'far: Gabriel, peace be upon him, revealed this verse after this manner - "Surely the unbelievers, who have done evil (by depriving the house of Muhammad from their right), God will not forgive them, neither guide them on any road but the road to Gehenna, therein dwelling for ever and ever." [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

Sura 5:54 yartadda (Hafs) vs. Sura 5:56 yartadid (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (consonant and vowel)

Surah 5:63 Nineteen alternate readings have been identified, some of which change the actual meaning of the verse. 14 changes were caused by changing the vowel combinations. In the remaining 5 cases one or two consonants were added (Ibid, by A. Jeffery, pages 39, 129, 198, 216, 237).

Sura 6:160a (6:159a in Yusuf ‘Ali): "…sects, I am not of them in anything;" (in ‘Uthman’s time) vs. "…sects, thou hast No part in them in the least:" al-Tabari vol.15 p.181 and footnote 323.

Sura 8:73 "and great (kabir) corruption" vs. "and widespread (‘aird) corruption" (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.71

Sura 9:100 "gardens under which rivers flow" vs. "gardens from under which rivers flow" (added the Arabic word min. [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Responses/Menj/bravo_r4bc.htm]

Sura 9:105 Al-Husain Ibn Mubaah reported that a man recited in the presence of Ubayy Ibn Abdillaah "Say: ‘Work; and God will surely see your work, and His Messenger, and the believers.’" (9:105). For which Ubayy answered, "It is not so. it is rather ‘... and the trusted ones,’ which we are." [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

Sura 10:92 "And today we deliver you with your body…" vs. "Today we deliver you by making your strong …" (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.71

Sura 11:46 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3383 p.1116

Sura 12:23 due to vowels. Haita (people of Kufah and Basrah) or Hita (people of Medina and Syria. Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3411 p.1120

Sura 12:35 atta vs. hatta [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Responses/Menj/bravo_r4bc.htm]

Sura 18:76 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3384 p.1116

Sura 18:79 "there was behind them a king" vs. "there was in front of them a king" Ibn Shanabudh (The Fihrist p.71)

Sura 18:86 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3385 p.1116

Sura 18:86 due to vowels. Hamiya with a long ‘a’ for warm water, or hami’ah meaning musky [murky?] water. Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3408 p.1120

Sura 21:4,112 qala - He will say (Hafs) vs. "qul" - Say (Basra) [Abdullah’s Yusuf ‘Ali’s Translation of the Qur’an footnote 2666]

Sura 23:8 li-amanatihim [long 2nd a] (trust) vs. li-amanatihim [long 2nd and 3rd a] "trusts" [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Responses/Menj/bravo_r4bc.htm]

Sura 23:112 "Qala" - He will say (Hafs and Kufa) vs. "Qul" -Say (Basra) [Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali’s Translation of the Qur’an footnote 2948.]

Sura 24:1 (missing or an extra "r" faradnaha (and which we have ordained) vs. the majority farradnaha (which we have described in detail) Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3414 p.1121

Sura 24:35 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3387 p.1116

Sura 25:77 "You have lied" vs. "The unbelievers have lied" (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.71

Sura 28:48 sihraani (Hafs) vs. Sura 28:48 saahiraani (Warsh) (Answering Islam p.193) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (vowels)

Sura 33:6 "The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers..." Some manuscripts including ‘Ubai bin Ka’b also have " and he is a father to them..." (A. Yusuf Ali, The Holy Quran, 1975 edition, note 3674). [http://www.isaalmasih.net/bible-isa/history.html]

Sura 34:14 "the jinn perceived if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in abject (mahin) torment." vs. "the people (al-ins) perceived that the jinn, if they had known the unseen, would not have remained in a state (hawl) of painful (alim) torment." (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.71

Sura 34:23 due to vowels, but in one case a consonant. Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3392 p.1117

Sura 39:59. This quotes with a feminine pronoun for soul, while the well-known readings have a masculine pronoun. Abu Dawud vol.3:3979 footnote 3393 p.1117

Sura 42:1 Arabic letters "HMAS" vs. "HMSQ" in Ibn Mas’ud’s version. The Fihrist p.57

Sura 53:19:20 "Have ye seen Lat, and ‘Uzza, And another, the third (goddess), Manat? These are the exalted cranes (intermediaries) Whose intercession is to be hoped for." (original) vs. "Have ye seen Lat, and ‘Uzza, And another, the third (goddess), Manat? What! For you the male sex, And for him, the female? Behold, such would be Indeed a division Most unfair."

Sura 53:19 original turtaia (hoped for) vs. turtada (is accepted with approval) From Alfred Guillaume’s translation of Ibn Ishaq’s The Life of Mohammed p.166.

Al-Wahidi/Wakidi (died 207/823 A.D.) wrote Asbab al-Nozul.

Ibn Sa’ad/Sa’d (died 230/845 A.D.), was aware of al-Wahidi’s work, but he himself was a biographer who wrote a 15-volume Kitab al Tabaqat al Kabir.

Ibn Isaq/Ishaq (died 145/767 or 151/773 A.D.) was a Shafi’ite Sunni who later started his own short-lived school. He wrote Sirat Rasullallah (The Life of Allah’s Prophet)

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (died 923 A.D.) was a Shafi’ite Sunni who wrote a 38-volume Islamic History of the world until 915 A.D. He has been titled "the sheikh of commentators". He writes in volume 6 p.108-110,

Abu Ma’shar from Chorassan (787-885 A.H.)

Ibn Abi Hatim

Ibn al-Mundhir

Ibn Hajar from Asqalaan (773-852 A.H)

Ibn Mardauyah

Musa ibn ‘Uqba

Zamakhshari’s famous commentary, on Sura 22:52. (1070-1143 A.D.)

The first six are according to The Book of the Major Classes, translated by S. Moinul ‘Haq.

Sura 62:9 "hasten" vs. "pass on" Ibn Shanabudh (The Fihrist p.71)

Sura 65:1 of Ibn ‘Abbas Abu Dawud vol.2:2192 footnote 1520 p.591-592

Sura 74:30 ""tisa’ata ‘ashara" (19 angels) vs. "sab’ata ‘ashara" (17 angels) (Ibn Hisham, Kitab Seerat Rasooli Llah ed. Ferdinand Wuestenfeld, Goettingen 1860 reprint Frankfurt/Main 1961, II, 67, 4-16)

Sura 89:25-26 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3408 p.1119

Sura 89:86 Abu Dawud vol.3 footnote 3399 p.1118

Sura 91:15 wa-laa-yakhaafu (Hafs) vs. fa-laa-yakhaafu (Warsh) [http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Green/seven.htm] (consonant)

Sura 92:1 "bright, and what created the male and female." vs. "bright, and the male and the female." (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.71

Sura 98 once listed seventy persons from Kuraish, by their names and their fathers' names. It was also as long as Sura 2. [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

Sura 101:5 ‘ka-l-‘ihni-l-manfush’ vs. ‘ka-s-sufi-l-manfush (both words mean like carded wool) (Ibn Shanabudh) [The Fihrist p.71; http://www.Answering-Islam.org/Responses/Menj/bravo_r4bc.htm]

Sura 103 (all): "By the time, verily man is in loss, except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual enjoining of truth, and of patience and constancy." vs. "And the afternoon. We have created man for loss in which he will remain until the end of time, except for those who believe, enjoining one another to piety and committing each other to endurance." (Ibn Mas’ud) The Fihrist p.57

Sura 111:2 "he will perish" vs. "they have perished. (Ibn Shanabudh) The Fihrist p.71

Sura 113 - Absent in Ibn Mas’ud’s version (The Fihrist p.57). Ibn Mas’ud was a personal secretary of Mohammed’s. Mohammed told other people to learn the Qur’an from Ibn Mas’ud and three others. (Bukhari vol.6 no.521)

Sura 114 - Absent in Ibn Mas’ud’ version (The Fihrist p.57). Ibn Mas’ud was a personal secretary of Mohammed’s. Mohammed told other people to learn the Qur’an from Ibn Mas’ud and three others. (Bukhari vol.6 no.521). The omission of Suras 113 and 114 was not accidental. It is reported that Ibn Mas’ud said, "The two charm-Suras [113, 114] are not of the Book of God!" [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

"It is said that he [Ibn Shanabudh] confessed all of this [variation]. Then he was moved to repentance and used his handwriting in contrition, so that he wrote: ‘Thus saith Muhammed ibn Ahmad ibn Ayyub [Ibn Shanabudh]: I used to read expressions differeng from the version of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan…" [Since ‘Uthman threatened those who had different versions, this confession likely had an element of coercion in it.] The Fihrist p.72

The order of the Suras in ibn Mas’ud’s text is very different from ‘Uthman’s text too.

‘Ubai’s copy differs from other copies in that it combines Sura 105 and Sura 104, as well as Sura 93 and Sura 94, in one Sura. While in Othman's copy they are two separate Suras. [www.Answering-Islam.org/distortionInTheQuran.htm]

Ali, Maulawi Shr. The Holy Qur’an : Arabic Text and English Translation. Islam International Publications Limited. 1997 (This is published under the auspices of the Ahmadiyya Muslims)

Hasan, Prof. Ahmad. Sunan Abu Dawud : English Translation with Explanatory Notes. Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, Booksellers & Exporters 1984 (three volumes)

Jeffery, Arthur. Materials for the History of the Text of the Qur’an. Brill, Leiden 1937

The History of al-Tabari. Ihsan Abbas et al. editorial board. SUNY Press.

The Holy Qur-an : English translation of the meanings and Commentary. Translated by ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali. Revised and edited by The Presidency of Islamic Researches, IFTA, Call and Guidance. King Fahd Holy Qur-an Printing Complex. (no date)

Khan, Dr. Muhammad Muhsin (translator) The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic-English. Islamic University, Al-Medina Al-Munawwara AL MAKTABAT AL SALAFIAT AL MADINATO AL MONAWART. No date, No copyright.

Malik, Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam. English Translation of the Meaning of AL-QUR’AN : The Guidance for Mankind. Institute of Islamic Knowledge. 1997.

Sahih Muslim by Imam Muslim. Rendered into English by ‘Abdul Hamid Siddiqi. International Islamic Publishing House. (no date)

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