A Study of Certain Hadiths Related to Variations in Qiraat

Hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Masud (RA)

Imam Bukhari states:

حدثناابوالولید ﺛﻨﺎ شعبۃ: قال عبدالملک ﺑﻦ میسرة أخبرنی قال: ﺳﻤﻌﺖ النزال ﺑﻦ سبرة قال: ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﻋﺒﺪ1ﱣ یقول: ﺳﻤﻌﺖ رجلاًقرأ آیۃ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﻣﻦ رسول 1ﱣ ﺻﻠﯽ 1ﱣ علیہ وسلم ﺧﻼﻓﮩﺎ. فاخذت بیده ﻓﺎﺗﯿﺖ بہ رسول 1ﱣ ﺻﻠﯽ 1ﱣ علیہ وسلم فقال: ﮐﻼﮐﻤﺎ ﻣﺤﺴﻦ. قال شعبۃ: اظنہ قال: لاتختلفوافان ﻣﻦ کان ﻗﺒﻠﮑﻢ اختلفوا فہلکوا. Abu Al-Waleed narrated to us, Shubah narrated: Abdul Malik bin Maysarah informed me, he said: I heard Al-Nazzal bin Sabrah say: I heard Abdullah say: I heard a man reciting a verse in a manner different from the way I had heard it from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). So I took him by the hand and brought him to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), whereupon he said: “Both of you are correct.” Shubah said: I think he also said: “Do not differ, for those before you differed and were thus destroyed.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 523, Book of Disputes; p. 494, beginning of Book of Prophets; p. 757, end of Book of Virtues of the Quran – India edition)

Imam Bukhari has mentioned this hadith in three places in his Sahih. Imam Ahmad has also narrated it (Musnad Ahmad 1/393, 114, 214, 654).

Shubah narrated from Abdul Malik bin Maysarah Hilali Al-Kufi, who narrated from Nazzal Sabrah Al-Kufi, that Abdullah bin Masud (RA) told him that he once heard a man reciting a verse in a way that was different from the way he had heard it being recited by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and which the Messenger had taught him. He took the man by the hand and brought him to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and informed him of the matter. (The Prophet then listened to both of them reciting the verse.)

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Both of you are correct in your recitation.” Shubah stated: I mostly believe that Abdul Malik bin Maysarah said that afterwards the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Do not differ, for indeed those before you differed and were thus destroyed.”

Who was that man? His name is not mentioned in any narration.

In Musnad Ahmad, it is recorded that Shubah said: I also heard this hadith from Misar bin Kidam. I remember well that Misar included in it the statement of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): “la takhtalifu fa inna man kana min qablikum ikhtalafu fahalaku.” (Musnad 1/654)

However, this hadith indicates that it was the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) himself who led Ibn Masud (RA) and the other person—whose name is not mentioned—into disagreement. The way the Prophet (PBUH) taught that verse to Ibn Masud (PBUH) was contrary to the way he taught it to the other person, yet he said to both of them: “kilakuma muhsinun” (Both of you are correct).

Whereas, out of two differing statements, the one that is correct and revealed by Allah can only be one. What rational sense is there in putting Abdullah ibn Masud (RA) and that other individual into disagreement, and then advising them not to disagree?

And it is evident that there was no disagreement between Abdullah ibn Masud (RA) and that person regarding connecting or pausing (in the recitation), otherwise Ibn Masud (RA) would not have taken that person to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The same is the case among common Muslims; if one person recites “Alhamdu lillahi rabbil alamina al-rahman al-raheemi maliki yawmiddin” with connection (wasl) and another recites “Alhamdu lillahi rabbil alamin. Alrahman al-raheem. Maliki yawmiddin” with separation (fasl), it is not considered a disagreement, nor is any objection raised over it.

This hadith narrated by Shubah appears to be nothing but a fabricated tale invented by the Quran reciters of Kufah. A hadith regarding the difference in recitation (ikhtilaf al-qiraat) is also narrated from Abdullah ibn Masud (RA) through the chains of Abu Wail, Zar ibn Hubaysh, and Abd al-Rahman ibn Abis, which is absolutely fabricated and a slander against Ibn Masud (RA). All these narrations are found in Musnad Ahmad. (Bukhari ka Mutala Urdu, 2/55)

The Hadith regarding the difference in recitation of Surah Al-Furqan between Umar (RA) and Hisham bin Hakeem

Zuhri (RA) narrates:

حدثنی عروة بن الزبیر ان المسور بن مخرمۃ وعبد الرحمن بن عبدالقاری حدثاه أنہماسمعا عمربن الخطاب یقول: سمعت ہشام بن حکیم یقرء سورة الفرقان فی حیاة رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم فاستمعت لقرائتہ فاذاھو یقرء علی حروف کثیرة لم یقرئنیہا رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم فکدت أساوره فی الصلاة فتصبرت حتی سلم فلببتہ بردائھ، ﻓﻘﻠﺖ: من أقرئک ہذه السورة التی سمعتک تقرء؟ قال: اقرأنیہا رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم، فقلت: کذبت فان رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم اقرأنیہا علی غیرماقرأت فانطلقت بہ أقوده الی رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم فقلت: انی سمعت ھذایقرء بسورة الفرقان علی حروف لم تقرئنیہا فقال رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم: ’’اَرسِلہ. اقرأیاہشام‘‘ فقرأعلیہ القراء ة التی سمعتہ یقرء،فقال رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم: ’’کذلک انزلت‘‘، ثم قال اقرأیاعمر،فقرأت

القراءة التی اقرأنی فقال رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم: ’’کذلک انزلت، ان ھذالقرآن انزل علی سبعۃ احرف فاقروا ماتیسرمنہ‘‘. Urwah bin Al-Zubayr informed me that Al-Miswar bin Makhramah and Abdur Rahman bin Abd al-Qari informed him that they had heard Umar bin Al-Khattab say: I heard Hisham bin Hakeem reciting Surah Al-Furqan during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), so I listened attentively to his recitation, and to my surprise, he was reciting in several ways which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had not taught me. I was about to seize him while he was still in prayer, but I restrained myself until he had completed it. Then I grabbed him with his cloak and said: Who taught you this Surah which I heard you reciting? He replied: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) taught it to me. I said: You have lied, for the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) taught it to me in a manner different from what you recited. So, I took him to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), leading him along. I said to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): I heard this man reciting

Surah Al-Furqan in ways that you did not teach me. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Let him go. Recite, O Hisham.” So, he recited in the manner I had heard him recite, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Thus it was revealed.” Then he said: “Recite, O Umar.” So, I recited in the manner he had taught me, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Thus it was revealed. This Quran has been revealed in seven modes of recitation, so recite whatever is easy for you of it.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 623, Book of Disputes; p. 747, Book of Virtues of the Quran; p. 457, p. 5301, Book of the Recalcitrant and Apostate; p. 6211, Book of Monotheism)

Imam Bukhari has mentioned this hadith in five places with closely similar words.

Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri narrated that Urwah bin al-Zubayr reported to him, and from him, Miswar bin Makhramah and Abd al-Rahman bin Abd al-Qari related, both of whom heard this incident from Umar (RA).

Umar (RA) narrates: During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I heard Hisham bin Hakeem reciting Surah al-Furqan in prayer. He was reciting it in a loud voice. I listened attentively, and I heard him reciting several words differently from what the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had taught me, although it was the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) who had taught me Surah al-Furqan.

I got very angry (thinking that this person was altering the Quran; he was reciting it incorrectly), and I almost attacked him in prayer, but I restrained myself. When he finished the prayer with the salam, I took hold of his cloak around his neck and seized him, reprimanding him, and asked, “Who taught you this Surah?” He said, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH).”

Then I pulled him along and took him to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and informed him of the matter. He said, “Let him go. O Hisham, recite Surah al-Furqan.” Hisham recited it in the very same way as I had heard him recite earlier. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “This is correct; this Surah was revealed in this way.” Then he said, “O Umar, you recite.” So I recited it in the same way as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had taught me and the way I had memorized it. He said, “This also is correct; this Surah was revealed in this way.”

Indeed, this Quran has been revealed upon seven modes (ahruf), so recite whatever is easiest for you from them.

I will mention three points about this hadith.

First: This implies that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) himself caused both Umar (RA) and Hisham (RA) to fall into disagreement and misunderstanding (Allah forbid). When he recited Surah al-Furqan to Umar (RA), he did not inform him that such and such verses of the Surah could also be recited in such and such a manner. The Prophet (PBUH) kept Umar unaware of the variants (huruf) with which he had taught Hisham ibn Hakeem to recite. Had Umar known of those huruf, he would not have got angry at Hisham. Similarly, when he taught this Surah to Hisham, he did not inform him that certain verses could also be recited in another way. The Prophet (PBUH) kept Hisham unaware of the huruf with which he had taught Umar to recite, despite the fact that the huruf that he kept hidden from Umar (RA) were revealed by Allah. Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) concealed some of the divinely revealed huruf from both Umar and Hisham. Had it not been for the coincidental event in which Umar (RA) happened to hear Hisham reciting Surah al-Furqan, neither Umar nor Hisham would have come to know of those huruf.

The question is whether it can be expected from any rational Muslim that he would not consider this necessary conclusion to be false? Absolutely not. Every Muslim holds this belief, and it is indeed a fact, that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) conveyed to the people, without omitting anything, the verses revealed by Allah. Not a single letter or word was concealed. And any matter from which a false conclusion necessarily follows is, in reality, itself false. Therefore, the account that al-Zuhri has narrated about Umar and Hisham (RA) is absolutely incorrect and baseless.⁴

Second: It is well known that under the strict supervision of Abu Bakr (RA) and Umar (RA), the entire Quran was compiled into a single manuscript. So, where are those letters in Surah Al-Furqan which Umar (RA) was unaware of, or of which Hisham bin Hakeem (RA) had no knowledge?

One explanation given is that Hisham accepted Islam later, and due to the permission given to some Bedouins to recite a single word in differing dialects, he might have memorized some dialects other than Quraysh. However, the very words of this hadith include the statement from Hisham, in response to the objection from Umar (RA), where he says: “aqarra aniha rasul allah salla allah alayhi wa sallam” (The Messenger of Allah (PBUH), taught me to recite in this manner). Therefore, this explanation appears to be forced and unsupported.

Third: At the end of this hadith, Zuhri has mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “The Quran was revealed upon seven modes (ahruf).” The phrase “faqrau ma tayassara minhu” contains the pronoun minhu in the genitive case, which should actually refer back to sabatu ahrufin. Therefore, it ought to be minha and not minhu. However, “faqrau ma tayassara minhu” is a statement from Allah the Exalted, which is mentioned at the end of Surah al-Muzzammil. In that case, the genitive pronoun certainly refers back to the Quran. Zuhri, by inserting the statement of Allah the Exalted at the end of the hadith, attributed it to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as if it were his own statement. Zuhri assumed that this kind of fabrication (tadlis) would not be exposed to anyone.

In conclusion, this hadith is completely false. By placing undue trust in al-Zuhri and without engaging in careful analysis and reflection, Imam al-Bukhari has granted it the status of being authentic. Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasai, and Ahmad have also reported it. However, apart from al-Zuhri, no other person has narrated it from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. I believe that al-Zuhri did not hear this hadith from Urwah, nor did Urwah relate it. Some incoherent speaker falsely attributed it to Urwah and conveyed it to al-Zuhri. Al-Zuhri did not mention the name of that person. In the chain of narration, he only said “from Urwah,” as is found in the chain of narration in Imam Malik’s report. Other students of al-Zuhri mistakenly changed “from Urwah” to “‘Urwah informed me” or “‘Urwah narrated to me” (Sahih al-Bukhari p. 623, Indian edition).

In any case, the hadith is weak and not worthy of being used as evidence (Bukhari Ka Mutala, Urdu 2/45–85).

The Hadith Attributed to Ibn Abbas Regarding the Seven Ahruf

عن ابن شھاب عن عبید 1 ّٰ بن عبد1 ّٰ بن عتبہ بن مسعودعن ابن عباس ان رسول 1 ّٰ صلی 1 ّٰ علیہ وسلم

قال:’’اقرأنی جبریل علی حرف فلم أستزیده فیزیدنی حتی انتہی الی سبعۃ أحرف‘‘ Zuhri narrated from Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah bin Masud, who narrated from Abdullah bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Gabriel taught me the Quran on one mode (harf), but I continued to request him to allow me to recite it in more than one mode. (Gabriel said: Recite it on two modes. Then, upon my insistence, he allowed three, then four, then five, then six modes.) Finally, he granted permission to recite it on seven modes. (Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 744, Book of the Beginning of Creation, Mention of Angels, p. 372, Book of Prayer – Indian Edition, and Musnad Ahmad 1/362, 992)

This hadith is completely incorrect from beginning to end. None of its narrators even considered that:

1. Why did the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) desire to recite the Quran in more than one mode of reading? Why did he not remain content with the mode upon which Gabriel had first taught him the Quran?

2. It is easier for a reader to read a book in a single consistent manner than to read it in seven, six, five, four, three, or two different styles. For example, if someone reads once as “anamta alayhim”, then reads “namta”, and the third time “inamta”, the fourth time “unamta”, the fifth time “numta”, the sixth time “anumta”, and the seventh time “inamta”, this variation causes changes not only in pronunciation but also in meaning and interpretations.

This is a situation that leads to severe hardship, unnecessary burden, and confusion. It is evident that the Prophet (PBUH) could not have desired that his Ummah be afflicted with restriction and hardship, or be burdened with difficulty and affectation regarding the Quran.

3. Then let someone point out: in which verse, which sentence, or which word of the Noble Quran did the Messenger of Allah [PBUH] ever inform the Companions that this may be recited in this way and also in that way? Not only is such a statement absent from any authentic narration—it cannot be found even in a weak hadith. The Messenger of Allah [PBUH] taught the Quran to the Companions; innumerable Tabieen learned it from them, and from those Tabieen, countless individuals among the Atba al-Tabieen learned it in turn. In this manner, through uninterrupted continuity (tawatur) across every generation, the Quran—comprising all its verses and words—has been transmitted to us.

Until the time of Ameer al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the noble manuscripts (masaahif) were written without diacritical marks and vowel signs. Then, for the ease of all present and future Muslims, Ameer Hajjaj appointed seventy very trustworthy and reliable scholars to embellish the verses of the Quran with diacritical marks and vowel notations. That very same manuscript (mushaf) is recited, memorized, and printed throughout the world.

But woe to those enamored and fascinated by differing views—they made every effort to turn the Noble Quran itself into a target of disagreement. And to legitimize this disagreement, they fabricated marfu hadiths and composed narrations attributed to the noble Companions. Ignorant narrators who did not fear Allah transmitted these fabricated hadiths and narrations and spread them among Muslims. Due to simplicity and lack of insight, hadith scholars and authors included them in their books.

This hadith under discussion is, according to our research, one of those fabricated hadiths which al-Zuhri narrated from Ubaydullah, and he from Abdullah ibn Abbas. (See the Urdu version of Sahih al-Bukhari, 2/49.)