QUESTION 1

QUESTION 1

The Qurʼān in our hands is of Kūfiyy (کوفی) manuscripts. But it seems due to the absence of points and vowel signs at the time of the advent of Islam, the present Qurʼān  is not probably the original one and is changed (because the Arabic script today has pointed texts and is fully vowelled). Is it true?

ANSWER

 There are several answers here:

A.  The science of graphology is so advanced that not only recognizes and translates the remaining works of Plato and Aristotle, but also it transcribes the cuneiform inscriptions and translates them to the language of the day. Collating and comparing them with other documents also show that they were transcribed and translated correctly. Therefore, this science can be used for transcribing the remaining Kūfiyy copies of the Quran.  

B.  At the outset the Holy Qurʼān was conveyed verbally and was being retained and transferred from generation to generation; but soon it was written in Kufic writing with no points and vowels. Of course, what was written by the scribes [one of them was Imam Ali (AS)], was read for the Prophet(S) and memorizers were also repeated to him so that no error occurs. The literate did not require any points or vowel signs; as today Persian and Arabic books are not written with vowel signs; for example if someone writes the word “موصوع” with no point instead of “موضوع”, it can be understood from the subject, text, and context that the word "موضوع" is meant.

C.  The Holy Qurʼān was not changed from primary writings of Syriac (سریانی) and Nabataeans (sources of Kūfiyy writing) to letters with points and vowel signs at once, rather because Islam and the Qurʼān were welcomed by non-Arabs only after a few decades, points and vowels became necessary. Therefore, early in the second half of the first century, that is when most reciters and memorizers of revelation era were living, the writing was changed. According to historical evidence, the first eminent memorizer and reciter of the Holy Qurʼān  who used points and vowel signs for the Qurʼān  to be legible and readable by non-Arab Muslims was “ʼAbul-ʼAswad Duʼilī” (ابوالاسود دئلی‌). He was one of Imam Ali’s (AS) disciples and followers and did this under his supervision.

D.  What is certain is that, at least until the year 260 AH, i.e. more than two centuries and a half after the Hijrah, the Imams (AS) were living among people and were accessible as well as many scholars, commentators, narrators, reciters, memorizers and scribes of the time whose existence was preventing any error in writing the Qurʼān .

If the Holy Quran had been written in different writings, we should have had different Qurʼān s (like the Torah and the Gospel), while the Quran has been just one since the advent of Islam. In addition, if the Qurʼān had been affected by people’s ideas, it should have had contradictions and errors while there is no contradiction or error in the Qurʼān.