Copyist Errors in the Quran?
Muhammad Mustafa Al-Azami, Professor Emeritus at King Saud University, writes that there are copyist errors in Quran manuscripts:
We must nevertheless take into consideration that there are over 250,000 manuscripts of the Qur’an scattered all over the globe. When comparing them it is always possible to find copying mistakes here and there; this is an example of human fallibility, and has been recognized as such by authors who have written extensively on the subject of “unintentional errors.” Such occurrences cannot be used to prove any corruption within the Quran (The History of The Qur’anic Text: From Revelation to Compilation: A Comparative Study with the Old and New Testaments [Leicester: UK Islamic Academy, 2003], 13). 1Later, Al-Azami writes something similar:
In my estimate there are over 250,000 copies of the Qur’an in manuscript form, complete or partial, from the first century of Hijra onwards. Errors are classified in academic circles into the dual categories of deliberate and unintentional, and in this vast collection of manuscripts it is a certainty that many copyists must have committed unintentional errors (Ibid. 151).
My point is not to denigrate the Quran, but to help Muslims understand that copyist errors in biblical manuscripts—the vast majority of which are similar to the unintentional copyist errors in the Quran—do not invalidate the Bible from being the Word of God.
Invite your Muslim friend to read the Gospels!
You may be interested in:
Proof Muslims are trying to corrupt Scripture: The Gospel of Barnabas
What every Muslim should know about the Bible
References
| 1. | ↥ | Later, Al-Azami writes something similar:
In my estimate there are over 250,000 copies of the Qur’an in manuscript form, complete or partial, from the first century of Hijra onwards. Errors are classified in academic circles into the dual categories of deliberate and unintentional, and in this vast collection of manuscripts it is a certainty that many copyists must have committed unintentional errors (Ibid. 151). |
I can bet that they are 100% un-intentional and that does not change the fact that the Quran is and will stay un-corrupted till the Judgment day and after. What I don’t understand is why the author is chasing a wild goose. They will never be able to prove there was any addition or subtraction from the word of Allah SWT. These are human errors and unintentional at that, not divine.
I’m not sure what you mean by “un-corrupted.” The addition and subtraction is that the Quran does not preserve what God revealed because it has omitted the books of Moses, Prophets, the Psalms, and the Gospels. Furthermore, many Muslims have also resorted to arguing that the Gospel of Barnabas was an authentic Gospel.
And can word of God have mathematical errors?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoeLlSE4t7I
Books like Gleason Archer’s Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties will answer these alleged “errors” such as Ezra 2:1 and Nehemiah 7:6. Also, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties
Preservation of the Noble Quran is a MIRACLE of Islam.The Rashidun Caliph
UTHMAN [ May Allah Bless him],compiled SIX IDENTICAL MASTERS and destroyed all
other written copies. The SIX identical Masters were distributed to various
locations in the Muslim lands of that time. Caliph Uthman’s compilation is the ONLY MASTER WHICH MUST BE TRUSTED as the ACCURATE QURAN till the Day of Judegement. The Quran that we read to day is the copy of Uthman’s Master Quran.
Any Quran other than Caliph UTHMAN’s compilation is INVALID and MUST NOT BE TRUSTED. Allah has promised the preservation of the Quran. See my documentary
“PRESERVATION OF THE HOLY QURAN” by ZAHIR AHMED
DVD available at http://www.islamicbookstore.com
ZAHIR AHMED
…so the Quran was written by uthman, not Muhammad.
So instead of the word of Allah, you have the word of uthman.
Congratulations.