Has the Quran been changed in any way?

[Bohm_Bawerk]

Has the Quran been changed in any way? And another thing, who is the authority (assuming there is one) in interpreting the Quran?

 

[rkrispies]

Not sure about the authority part, but I seem to remember reading something a number of years ago about a very early copy of the Koran being found. Islamic tradition says the Koran has not been changed at all (I think), but there were differences between the modern Koran and the manuscript. Don’t quote me as an authority on the subject, though.

 

[jakasaki]

There was a find during a dig many years ago and a 8th or 9th century koran found buried in Yemen and it differs from the koran being used today.

 

[jakasaki]

BTW - weren’t you the one a few weeks back who wanted links to the koran on line in English…??

 

[Mungling]

Islamic tradition would say that that the Qu’ran has not been altered in anyway. Conversely, I have heard that when the Qu’ran was written there were a number of different recitations in existence. As I understand it the effort to find what the angel Gabriel actually gave to Mohammed was quite rigorous. I suppose it could be argued that Qu’ran in use today may not have been what was given to Mohammed due to the likely failure of that process.

Edit: With regards to the second part of your question there is no authority in Islam to correctly interpret scripture. Islam is extremely decentralized so there is no equivalent to the Magisterium. I once asked this question to a few Muslims and I was told that the Qu’ran is written in such a way that no interpretation is really needed. The Qu’ran is straightforward and there is no real need to interpret. That being said there are scholars who will attempt to commentate on the Qu’ran (Tafsir). If you have a question about a certain aspect of Islam you can go and talk to a scholar and they will give you there opinion about the issue based upon their interpretation of scripture. Basically, think of it as talking to a wise (but in no way infallible) teacher.

Take all of this with a grain of salt, and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. But this is what I have been taught.

 

[Dempsey1919]

The Quran that exists today is not necessary the Quran that the early Muslims had.

After Muhammad’s death, there were many versions of the Quran. The differences in the manuscripts was causing problems in the Islamic world. To solve the problems, the third Caliph, Uthman, ordered a team of scholars to compile a standardised version of the Quran. When the edited version was completed, Uthman distributed copies to the major Muslim cities. Uthman decreed that all other versions of the Quran were to be burned.

The Quran that exists today is the version produced by Uthman. None of the other versions survived because they were destroyed.

 

[CEM5]

Has the Quran been changed in any way? And another thing, who is the authority (assuming there is one) in interpreting the Quran?

Has the Quran been changed in any way? And another thing, who is the authority (assuming there is one) in interpreting the Quran?

hi Bohm Bawerk,
When Mohammed was 40, the "angel"Jibraiel (Gabriel) allegedly appeared to him and over the course of approximately 25 years (more or less) the “angel” recited the words of God to him, of which Mohammed memorized, and later was written down by Scribes, (really the Ṣaḥābah’s – which entails more than being a ‘scribe’) he being illiterate.

It is believed by Muslims that this is THE final and complete word of God (Allah), and has precidence over “The Book” as the Bible was called, (Christians and Jews being called “people of the book” by Mohammed).

The strange thing is, is that the Quran is rife with contradictions within itself, and does perpetrate violence against non-believers who will not “submit”. The word “islam” literally means “submission to God” – however, it is submission to the One God that they believe in - not the God of Christianity or Judaism.

Early on it was the “head of state” - the successors of Muhammed called Caliphs – who safe guarded the Quran and taught from this book. Over time there have been rival Caliphs in differing parts of the Islam world, and in some parts we know them as Imans,which each being the authority over that community or region. As history has recorded, some countries did not accept the authority of the Caliphs, and were ruled instead by Sultans or other rulers and I would proffer that this is why there are opposing interpretations of the Quran and many different sects of Muslims today - to the extent that Muslims war violently even among themselves not considering some sects as “true” Muslims. In 1924 the “office of the Caliph” was officially dissolved by the Republic of Turkey.

Early on the teachings were quite unanimous in declaring that in the Muslim world there was to be only one ruler - having more would cause divisions and separate the Muslims. Well, this has happened!

Al-Mawardi says: (Al-ahkam Al-Sultaniyah page 9)

It is forbidden for the Ummah (Muslim world) to have two leaders at the same time.

Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (Al-Nawawi) says: (Mughni Al-Muhtaj, volume 4, page 132)

It is forbidden to give an oath to two leaders or more, even in different parts of the world and even if they are far apart.

Ahmad al-Qalqashandi says: (Subul Al-Asha, volume 9, page 277)

It is forbidden to appoint two leaders at the same time.

and there are more quotes as well but I think that should suffice.

As the Muslim empire expanded, the Caliph, in the middle of the 7th century, decided to create one Book compiled of all the various verses, and ordered all the other compositions to be brought to Medina, where they were either burned or boiled for their destruction, thus leaving the one book for all to use. This version is the one used to this day.

Muslims will claim that it has never been changed: it is the same version as the original used 1400 years ago. Because all the differing originals have been destroyed we will never have conclusive proof, but I surmise it has been changed, since even their own history records that there were at least 4 different versions around, thus the new, one, compilation that is still used today and the destruction of the others.

I find it interesting that the way this book, and thus this religion, became established is similar to that of the Mormons. Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith were approached by angels; both were illiterate men; both dictated their recitations to scribes/friends which became the basis for their new “holy” books; both believed in and practriced polygamy (JS even adultery); both deny the Trinity of God; both claim that they are the final prophets of God; and other similarities.

I know that these “angels” who appeared to them were demons. In Galations we are warned
Galatians 1:8 NRSA

But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!

and…

2 Corinthians 11:14 NRSA

And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

In conclusion, even Mohammed told his wife when he first saw this “angel” that it was Satan and he was so afraid. Nevertheless, his wife convinced him otherwise, and just as Eve convinced Adam, so too did Mohammed finally accept his wife’s words and disregard his first correct instinct, and deceive himself into believing that this was a messenger from God.

blessings,
CEM