From: ekrem@vlsivie.tuwien.ac.at (Ekrem Saban)
Subject: RE: The Writing Down of the Koran
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.40    
Originator: Mughal@Iago.Caltech.Edu (Asim Mughal -Moderator)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 21:23:00 GMT

In article <9203272255.AA11461@emx.utexas.edu> blais@emx.utexas.edu (Donald E. Blais) writes:

   In article <1992Mar15.202305.9414@cco.caltech.edu> bes@cco.caltech.edu (Behnam Sadeghi) writes:
   >The historical records are clear enough to indicate that nothing was
   >added to the Qur'an during its collection and arrangement.  However,
   >there were variant _arrangements_ of the revealed verses.  For example, the
   >close relative and companion of the Prophet, Ali ibn-Abu Talib,
   >had collected all the verses of the Qur'an in the written form.  But
   >his _arrangement_ of the verses was different from the arrangement
   >used by Uthman.
   >
   >Sincerely,
   >
   >Behnam Sadeghi

   Not all scholars are in agreement with this view.  This is a sensitive
   and controversial topic.  A basic resource for its investigation is...

   Jeffery, Arthur
   Materials for the History of the Text of the Qur'an: the Old Codices.
      The Kitab al-masahif of Ibn Abi Dawud, together with a collection
      of the variant readings from the codices of Ibn Mas`ud, Ubai, `Ali,
      Ibn `Abbas, Anas, Abu Musa and other early Qur'anic authorities
      which present a type of text anterior to that of the canonical text
      of `Uthman.
   Lib of Congress: BP 131.5 J4 1963

I was just about to delete your answer when I saw that you wrote what
I want to ask: who knows about different readings of the holy Qur-aan?
I saw a reference in M. Y. Ali's commentary, who says that in the
verse

33:
 6. The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they
 have on themselves, and his wives are (as) their mothers;
 and the possessors of relationship have the better claim in
 the ordinance of Allah to inheritance, one with respect to
 another, than (other) believers, and (than) those who have
 fled (their homes), except that you do some good to your
 friends; this is written in the Book.

Ubai Ibn-i Kab (RA) and others (?) read this verses as 

 6. The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they
 have on themselves, and he is their father, and his wives are (as)
their mothers; ....

Of course, here is the meaning of "father" in spiritual terms, as you
can read in the same sura

 40. Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is
 the Apostle of Allah and the Last of the prophets; and Allah
 is cognizant of all things.

i.e., he is the last of the prophets, and as prophets have been always
men (acc. to Qur-aan), there can't be any prophet after him.

So, again, who knows about different readings more? I would like to
know:

1) How many differences excist between the standard version and the
readings? Differences like 'seen' instead of 'sad' are important to me
if they change the semantics.

2) What was/is the opinion of scholars on this subject?

Please mail to me or follow to s.r.i.

Thanks in advance and assalaamu ~alaikum,
--

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