Do Shiites believe that the Quran of Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been distorted? How can it be proven that the Quran has not been distorted?

The Shiite claim that the Quran has been distorted is completely baseless because the Shiites consider the Quran to be a complete divine book, immune to any change or distortion, and have complete trust in it.

Answer:

Short answer:

The Shiite claim that the Quran has been distorted is completely baseless and contradicts the Quranic, narrational, and rational evidence, and the views of the great Shiite scholars. The Shiites consider the Quran to be a complete divine book, immune to any change or distortion, and have complete trust in it. Such a belief is not only rooted in Shiite religious teachings, but is also consistent with Muslim consensus and the divine promise to preserve the Quran. Therefore, it is necessary for every fair-minded Muslim to avoid repeating this baseless suspicion and strengthen the unity of the Islamic Ummah on the basis of the Holy Quran.

Detailed Answer

For a long time, one of the suspicions that some opponents of the Shiite religion have raised is the claim that the Shiites believe in the distortion of the Holy Quran. This claim is made contrary to the fundamental teachings of the Shiites and the statements of the great scholars of this religion and is often the result of misunderstanding or selective narrations. The Imamiyya Shiites, as one of the largest Islamic sects, have always considered the Holy Quran to be a preserved divine book, immune to any change or distortion, and have presented solid evidence to prove this. This article attempts to show, using Quranic, narrational, and rational evidence and the views of Shiite scholars, that the Shiites do not believe in the distortion of the Quran and that the Quran that we now have in our hands is the same Quran that was revealed to the Prophet without any addition or omission.

Evidence for the Quran's immunity from distortion

The evidence for the Quran's immunity from distortion falls into two basic categories: rational and narrative evidence.

Rational Evidence

A. The Necessity of the Completeness of the Proof and the Immunity of the Quran from Distortion

Communicating divine commands and completing the proof are among the duties of the prophets, which the Quran also emphasizes, and the heavenly books complete the proof for people by conveying divine commands and prohibitions. The Quran, due to its universality and eternity and the finality of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family), must remain unchanged throughout all ages. The possibility of the Quran being distorted would undermine its authenticity and guidance, and by deleting part of the divine message, the Quran would no longer be a complete proof. In this case, the finality of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family) would be questioned, and a new prophet and book would be needed, which contradicts the principle of finality. Therefore, demonstrative reason dictates that the Quran’s immunity from any distortion is a prerequisite for its completion of the proof and guidance, along with the finality of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family).(1)

B. The Miracle of the Quran is Associated with the Incorruptibility of the Quran

The miracle of the Quran is proven by its consistency and is accepted by Muslims. Reason dictates that the miracle of the Quran is associated with its lack of distortion; because if distortion occurs in abundance, it means that people have been able to produce words identical to the Quran, in a way that is not recognizable. This causes the collapse of the challenge and negation of the miracle of the Quran, which is impossible; because so far no one has been able to produce words identical to the verses of the Quran; therefore, the miracle of the Quran requires its immunity from any distortion.(2)

Traditional evidence

A. The Quran

The strongest traditional evidence for the purity of divine revelation from distortion is the Wise Quran itself; which clearly indicates the Quran’s immunity from distortion, including the verse of preservation(3) which clearly shows that the Quran is protected from distortion and that God will defend it and that no power can change or distort it. Also, the verse of negation of falsehood(4) which considers the Quran to be free from any falsehood, including distortion, and introduces it as being free from any change or transformation; and also the verse of divine observation(5) which negates the possibility of any addition or omission in all stages of the Quran’s perception, memorization, dictation and transmission until the Quran reaches the people in all ages.(6)

B. Tradition

The second reason after the Quran among the narrated reasons for the Quran’s purity from distortion is the tradition; among the narrations that indicate the Quran’s purity from distortion is the Hadith of Al-Thaqalayn; This hadith guarantees the constant companionship of the Quran and the progeny until the Day of Judgment and considers adherence to them as a barrier to misguidance. Since a distorted book cannot be a guide, the immunity of the Quran from distortion until the Day of Judgment is a definite result of this narration. (7) Also, narrations of the presentation of the Quran, narrations of referring to the Quran during seditions, etc. are among the narrations that indicate this issue, and addressing all of them requires another opportunity. For further study in this field, refer to the book: Javadi Amoli, Abdullah, The Purity of the Quran from Tahrif, Qom-Iran, Israa Publishing, p. 101

Conclusion:

The claim that the Shia believe in the distortion of the Quran is not only baseless, but also contrary to the fundamental teachings of this school and the consensus of its scholars. Rational reasons, such as the necessity of the completion of the proof and the association of miracles with the immunity of the Quran, show that the Quran is immune from any distortion due to its universality and eternity. Also, narrations, including verses of the Quran, such as the verse of preservation, the verse of negation of falsehood, and the verse of divine observation, and narrations such as the Hadith of Thaqalain, clearly indicate the integrity of the Quran.

In addition, great Shiite scholars, including Sheikh Saduq, Sheikh Mufid, Sayyid Murtaza, Sheikh Tusi, Allama Tabataba'i, Imam Khomeini, and Ayatollah Khoei, have explicitly rejected any distortion of the Quran and considered it to be contrary to the continuity and authenticity of the Quran. This broad consensus shows that the belief in the immunity of the Quran from any change and distortion is one of the fundamental principles of the Shiite religion.

Footnotes

1. See: Javadi Amoli, Abdullah, The Purity of the Quran from Tahrif, Qom-Iran, Israa Publishing, p. 44

2. Ibid., p. 48

3. Surah Al-Hijr, verse 9

4. Surah Al-Fussilat, verses 41 and 42

5. Surah Al-Jinn, verses 26-28

6. See: Javadi Amoli, Abdullah, The Purity of the Quran from Distortion, Qom-Iran, Israa Publishing House, p. 49

7. See: Javadi Amoli, Abdullah, The Purity of the Qur