Would Sunni Takfir Logic Condemn Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Aisha

According to Sunni Takfiri Logic, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Aisha Would Also Be Kafir

If extremist Sunni polemicists say:

“Whoever believes the Qur’an is incomplete or distorted is kafir, and Shias are kafir because Shia books contain tahrif-looking narrations,”

then the same rule must be applied to Sunni books first.

Because Sunni books contain deletion-looking and distortion-looking reports connected to Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Aisha.

Now look at what your own books narrate about Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Aisha.

1. Abu Bakr

Narration 1:

Arabic:

إن القتل قد استحر يوم اليمامة بقراء القرآن، وإني أخشى أن يستحر القتل بالقراء بالمواطن، فيذهب كثير من القرآن، وإني أرى أن تأمر بجمع القرآن.

English:

“Killing became severe among the reciters of Qur’an on the day of Yamamah, and I fear that killing may become severe among the reciters in other places, so much of the Qur’an may go away. Therefore, I think you should order the Qur’an to be collected.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Bab Jam‘ al-Qur’an.

Comment:

The wording says:

فيذهب كثير من القرآن

“Much of the Qur’an may go away.”

Narration 2:

Arabic:

قال أبو بكر: إنك رجل شاب عاقل لا نتهمك، وقد كنت تكتب الوحي لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فتتبع القرآن فاجمعه.

English:

“Abu Bakr said: You are a young, intelligent man, and we do not accuse you. You used to write revelation for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so follow up the Qur’an and collect it.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Bab Jam‘ al-Qur’an.

Comment:

Abu Bakr ordered Zayd to collect the Qur’an after the fear that Qur’an could be lost through the deaths of reciters.

Narration 3:

Arabic:

فتتبعت القرآن أجمعه من العسب واللخاف وصدور الرجال.

English:

“I followed up the Qur’an, collecting it from palm branches, stone slabs, and the hearts of men.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Bab Jam‘ al-Qur’an.

Comment:

The report says Zayd had to follow up and collect the Qur’an from written materials and memories.

Narration 4:

Arabic:

حتى وجدت آخر سورة التوبة مع أبي خزيمة الأنصاري، لم أجدها مع أحد غيره.

English:

“Until I found the end of Surah al-Tawbah with Abu Khuzaymah al-Ansari; I did not find it with anyone else.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Bab Jam‘ al-Qur’an.

Comment:

The wording says:

لم أجدها مع أحد غيره

“I did not find it with anyone else.”

2. Umar

Narration 1:

Arabic:

فكان مما أنزل عليه آية الرجم، قرأناها ووعيناها وعقلناها.

English:

“Among what was revealed to him was the verse of stoning. We recited it, understood it, and memorized it.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, report of Umar ibn al-Khattab regarding the rajm verse.

Comment:

Umar says the rajm verse was revealed and recited, but its wording is not in today’s mushaf.

Narration 2:

Arabic:

لولا أن يقول الناس: زاد عمر في كتاب الله، لكتبتها: الشيخ والشيخة إذا زنيا فارجموهما ألبتة.

English:

“If people would not say, ‘Umar added into the Book of Allah,’ I would have written it: ‘The elderly man and elderly woman, if they commit adultery, stone them absolutely.’”

Reference:

Reported in Sunni sources regarding the rajm verse, including Muwatta Malik, al-Istidhkar, and al-Suyuti’s al-Durr al-Manthur.

Comment:

The wording says:

زاد عمر في كتاب الله

“Umar added into the Book of Allah.”

Narration 3:

Arabic:

إياكم أن تهلكوا عن آية الرجم، أن يقول قائل: لا نجد حدين في كتاب الله.

English:

“Beware of being destroyed regarding the verse of stoning, lest someone says: We do not find two punishments in the Book of Allah.”

Reference:

Muwatta Malik / al-Istidhkar, report from Umar regarding the rajm verse.

Comment:

Umar speaks about a “verse” whose wording is not found in the present mushaf.

Narration 4:

Arabic:

وإن عمر أتى بآية الرجم فلم يكتبها لأنه كان وحده.

English:

“Umar brought the verse of stoning, but it was not written because he was alone.”

Reference:

Al-Suyuti, al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an, section on collecting the Qur’an.

Comment:

A verse was brought but was not written because Umar was alone.

Narration 5:

Arabic:

قلت لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما نزلت آية الرجم: اكتبها يا رسول الله. قال: لا أستطيع ذلك.

English:

“I said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when the verse of stoning was revealed: Write it, O Messenger of Allah. He said: I cannot do that.”

Reference:

Al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, Tafsir Surah al-Ahzab, from Ibn al-Durays.

Comment:

This is another rajm-related report about a revealed verse not written in the present mushaf.

Narration 6:

Arabic:

الشيخ والشيخة إذا زنيا فارجموهما ألبتة.

English:

“The elderly man and elderly woman, if they commit adultery, stone them absolutely.”

Reference:

Reported in Sunni rajm-verse narrations from Umar.

Comment:

This wording is not in the present Qur’an.

Narration 7:

Arabic:

ألا وإنا كنا نقرأ: لا ترغبوا عن آبائكم، فإنه كفر بكم أن ترغبوا عن آبائكم.

English:

“Indeed, we used to recite: Do not turn away from your fathers, for it is disbelief for you to turn away from your fathers.”

Reference:

Reported in Sunni sources in Umar’s khutbah reports, with similar meaning in Sahih al-Bukhari / Sahih Muslim discussions.

Comment:

The wording “we used to recite” is important, while this wording is not in the present mushaf.

3. Uthman

Narration 1:

Arabic:

فظننت أنها منها، فقبض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولم يبين لنا أنها منها، فمن ثم قرنت بينهما، ولم أكتب بينهما سطر بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.

English:

“So I thought it was part of it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ died and did not clarify to us whether it was from it. Therefore I joined them together and did not write between them the line ‘Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.’”

Reference:

Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Tafsir Surah al-Tawbah, hadith 3086.

Comment:

Uthman says the Prophet did not clarify whether Bara’ah was from Anfal, so he joined them and did not write Bismillah.

Narration 2:

Arabic:

فقرنت بينهما، ولم أكتب بينهما سطر بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.

English:

“So I joined them together, and I did not write between them the line ‘Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.’”

Reference:

Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Tafsir Surah al-Tawbah, hadith 3086.

Comment:

A decision about surah placement and Bismillah is attributed to Uthman.

Narration 3:

Arabic:

وأرسل إلى كل أفق بمصحف مما نسخوا، وأمر بما سواه من القرآن في كل صحيفة أو مصحف أن يحرق.

English:

“He sent to every region a mushaf from what they copied, and ordered that whatever else of the Qur’an was in every sheet or mushaf be burned.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Uthmanic collection report.

Comment:

The wording says:

بما سواه من القرآن

“Whatever else of the Qur’an.”

Narration 4:

Arabic:

يا أمير المؤمنين، أدرك هذه الأمة قبل أن يختلفوا في الكتاب اختلاف اليهود والنصارى.

English:

“O Commander of the believers, save this Ummah before they differ in the Book as the Jews and Christians differed.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Uthmanic collection report.

Comment:

Hudhayfah feared Muslims would differ in the Book like Jews and Christians.

Narration 5:

Arabic:

إذا اختلفتم أنتم وزيد بن ثابت في شيء من القرآن فاكتبوه بلسان قريش، فإنما نزل بلسانهم.

English:

“If you and Zayd ibn Thabit disagree about anything from the Qur’an, then write it in the dialect of Quraysh, for it was revealed in their tongue.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fada’il al-Qur’an, Uthmanic collection report.

Comment:

The wording says:

في شيء من القرآن

“in something from the Qur’an.”

Narration 6:

Arabic:

فقدت آية من الأحزاب حين نسخنا المصحف، قد كنت أسمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقرأ بها.

English:

“I lost an ayah from al-Ahzab when we copied the mushaf. I used to hear the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite it.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Uthmanic collection report.

Comment:

The wording says:

فقدت آية

“I lost an ayah.”

Narration 7:

Arabic:

فالتمسناها فوجدناها مع خزيمة بن ثابت الأنصاري.

English:

“We searched for it and found it with Khuzaymah ibn Thabit al-Ansari.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Uthmanic collection report.

Comment:

A “lost then found” ayah report.

Narration 8:

Arabic:

فألحقناها في سورتها في المصحف.

English:

“So we attached it in its surah in the mushaf.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Uthmanic collection report.

Comment:

The report says the found ayah was attached into its surah in the mushaf.

4. Aisha

Narration 1:

Arabic:

كان فيما أنزل من القرآن عشر رضعات معلومات يحرمن.

English:

“Among what was revealed of the Qur’an was ten known sucklings making marriage unlawful.”

Reference:

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Rada‘, hadith of Aisha.

Comment:

This wording is not in the present Qur’an.

Narration 2:

Arabic:

ثم نسخن بخمس معلومات.

English:

“Then they were abrogated by five known sucklings.”

Reference:

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Rada‘, hadith of Aisha.

Comment:

The five-suckling wording is also not in the present Qur’an.

Narration 3:

Arabic:

فتوفي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهن مما يقرأ من القرآن.

English:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ died while they were among what was recited of the Qur’an.”

Reference:

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Rada‘, hadith of Aisha.

Comment:

The wording says they were still being recited as Qur’an near the Prophet’s death.

Narration 4:

Arabic:

لقد نزلت آية الرجم ورضاعة الكبير عشرا، ولقد كان في صحيفة تحت سريري.

English:

“The verse of stoning and ten sucklings were revealed, and they were on a sheet under my bed.”

Reference:

Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Nikah, report of Aisha.

Comment:

Rajm and suckling were on a sheet, while this wording is not in the present mushaf.

Narration 5:

Arabic:

فلما مات رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وتشاغلنا بموته دخل داجن فأكلها.

English:

“When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died and we were occupied with his death, a domestic animal entered and ate it.”

Reference:

Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Nikah, report of Aisha.

Comment:

The report says the sheet was eaten by a domestic animal.

Narration 6:

Arabic:

حافظوا على الصلوات والصلاة الوسطى وصلاة العصر وقوموا لله قانتين.

English:

“Guard the prayers and the middle prayer and the Asr prayer, and stand before Allah devoutly.”

Reference:

Sahih Muslim, report of Aisha regarding Qur’an 2:238.

Comment:

The present Qur’an does not contain:

وصلاة العصر

Narration 7:

Arabic:

كانت سورة الأحزاب تقرأ في زمان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم مائتي آية.

English:

“Surah al-Ahzab used to be recited in the time of the Prophet ﷺ as 200 verses.”

Reference:

Al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, Tafsir Surah al-Ahzab, report from Aisha.

Comment:

Present Surah al-Ahzab has 73 verses.

Narration 8:

Arabic:

فلما كتب عثمان المصاحف لم يقدر منها إلا على ما هو الآن.

English:

“When Uthman wrote the masahif, he could not find from it except what exists now.”

Reference:

Al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, Tafsir Surah al-Ahzab, report from Aisha.

Comment:

The wording says:

لم يقدر منها إلا على ما هو الآن

“He could not find from it except what exists now.”

Narration 9:

Arabic:

إن الله وملائكته يصلون على النبي يا أيها الذين آمنوا صلوا عليه وسلموا تسليما وعلى الذين يصلون في الصفوف الأول.

English:

“Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet; O believers, send blessings upon him and salute him — and upon those who pray in the first rows.”

Reference:

Reported from Humaydah bint Abi Yunus regarding the mushaf of Aisha; cited in Sunni Qur’an collection discussions.

Comment:

The present Qur’an does not contain:

وعلى الذين يصلون في الصفوف الأول

Narration 10:

Arabic:

كان في مصحف عائشة: إن يدعون من دونه إلا أوثانا.

English:

“In Aisha’s mushaf it was: ‘They call upon none besides Him except idols.’”

Reference:

Reported in Sunni tafsir sources from Aisha’s mushaf regarding Qur’an 4:117.

Comment:

The present Qur’an reads:

إن يدعون من دونه إلا إناثا

Narration 11:

Arabic:

يا ابن أخي، هذا عمل الكتاب، أخطؤوا في الكتاب.

English:

“O my nephew, this is the work of the scribes; they made mistakes in the Book.”

Reference:

Reported from Aisha in Sunni sources regarding “إن هذان لساحران,” “والمقيمين الصلاة,” and “الصابئون”; discussed by al-Suyuti and Islamweb.

Comment:

This is a mistake-looking report attributed to Aisha in Sunni literature.

Now apply Sunni fatwas on Abu bakr , Umar , Uthman and Aisha.

Fatwa 1

Arabic:

فالقول بتحريف القرآن أو نقصانه أو الزيادة عليه ولو بحرف واحد قول باطل.

English:

“To say that the Qur’an has been distorted, diminished, or increased, even by one letter, is a false statement.”

Reference:

Islamweb, Fatwa: حكم القول بتحريف القرآن أو نقصانه أو زيادته.

Fatwa 2

Arabic:

وأجمع أهل الإسلام على أن القول بتحريف القرآن كفر مخرج من ملة الإسلام.

English:

“The people of Islam have agreed that saying the Qur’an is distorted is kufr that expels from the religion of Islam.”

Reference:

Islamweb, Fatwa: حكم القول بتحريف القرآن أو نقصانه أو زيادته.

Fatwa 3

Arabic:

من ادعى وجود التحريف في القرآن فهو كافر.

English:

“Whoever claims the existence of distortion in the Qur’an is a kafir.”

Reference:

Islamweb, Fatwa: القول بتحريف القرآن كفر أكبر.

Fatwa 4

Arabic:

وكذلك من زعم منهم أن القرآن نقص منه آيات وكتمت... وهؤلاء لا خلاف في كفرهم.

English:

“Likewise, whoever claims that verses were omitted from the Qur’an and hidden... there is no disagreement regarding their kufr.”

Reference:

Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Sarim al-Maslul, 3/1108–1110.

Fatwa 5

Arabic:

القول بأن بين اللوحين تبديلا: كفر صحيح وتكذيب لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.

English:

“To say that there is alteration between the two covers is true kufr and a denial of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

Reference:

Ibn Hazm, al-Fisal fi al-Ahwa’ wa al-Milal, 4/139.

Fatwa 6

Arabic:

من أنكر القرآن، أو بعض القرآن؛ فهو كافر بإجماع المسلمين.

English:

“Whoever denies the Qur’an, or part of the Qur’an, is kafir by consensus of the Muslims.”

Reference:

Ibn Baz, Fatwa: حكم من أنكر آية قرآنية أو حديثاً نبوياً.

Fatwa 7

Arabic:

أجمع المسلمون على أن المعوذتين والفاتحة وسائر السور المكتوبة في المصحف قرآن، وأن من جحد شيئا منه كفر.

English:

“Muslims have agreed that the two Mu‘awwidhatayn, al-Fatihah, and all the surahs written in the mushaf are Qur’an, and whoever denies anything from it has disbelieved.”

Reference:

Al-Nawawi, al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab.

Fatwa 8

Arabic:

وكذلك إن جحد نبيا، أو آية من كتاب الله تعالى... فلا بد في إسلامه من الإقرار بما جحده.

English:

“Likewise, if he denied a prophet, or an ayah from the Book of Allah... then for his Islam to be valid, he must affirm what he denied.”

Reference:

Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, Kitab al-Murtadd.

Fatwa 9

Arabic:

ولا خلاف بين المسلمين في أن من جحد من القرآن سورة أو آية أو كلمة أو حرفا متفقا عليه أنه كافر.

English:

“There is no disagreement among Muslims that whoever denies from the Qur’an a surah, an ayah, a word, or an agreed-upon letter is a kafir.”

Reference:

Sunni creed discussions; quoted in explanations of Ibn Qudamah’s Lum‘at al-I‘tiqad.