Papers by Farid al-Bahraini
A few years have passed since I first compiled the distortions by Ibn Bābawayh al-Qummī, famously... more A few years have passed since I first compiled the distortions by Ibn Bābawayh al-Qummī, famously known as al-Ṣadūq, with the intention of strengthening the conclusion of al-Majlisī after coming across a distortion: "This report is taken from al-Kāfī and it has suffered from strange alterations which cause mistrust towards al-Ṣadūq. It seems he only did this in accordance with the school of the people of justice." 1 So, I gathered forty of these reports, then published it in a short book called The Distortions of al-Ṣadūq. For a long period, I had no strong position towards al-Kulaynī, and wasn"t sure as to whether the reports that are ascribed to the scholars of ahlulbayt were his own doing or others. So, I went ahead and thoroughly studied the first half of Uṣūl al-Kāfī to determine whether he too was guilty of distorting reports. This short treatise is a continuation of the previous project which aims to display the evolution in the narrations attributed to ahlulbayt. This project would remain incomplete without examining the reports of he who was given the title of Thiqat al-Islām.
The history behind ʿUthmān's compilation of the Qurʾān can lead to confusion due to the survival ... more The history behind ʿUthmān's compilation of the Qurʾān can lead to confusion due to the survival of variants. As a result of their unfamiliarity with the fields of qirāʾāt and rasm almuṣḥaf, some even assume that ʿUthmān intended to eliminate all variants but one. This paper aims to clear the confusion by examining the nature of the regional variants of the ʿUthmānic maṣāḥif.
How can one be considered reliable as a reciter of the Qurʾān while being regarded as unreliable ... more How can one be considered reliable as a reciter of the Qurʾān while being regarded as unreliable in narrating ḥadīth? Surely, the way in which memories are stored is quite complex, but it is unimaginable for there to be a part of the brain for the Qurʾān and another for ḥadīth. Unfortunately, those who are not familiar with how narrator criticism works conclude that being "weak in ḥadīth and strong in Qurʾān" is irreconcilable, thus leading them to dismiss reciters considered to be weak in ḥadīth as unreliable in the Qurʾān. As a result, they have rejected centuries of scholarship to their facile understanding of the nature of ḍabṭ (accuracy). This paper will demonstrate the flaws in this reasoning and will prove the reliability of the seven eponymous reciters and their rāwīs. Acquiring the Recitations Before delving into the topic of the correct method of determining the reliability of the reciters, it is imperative to establish that recitations are acquired and not invented. The first generation of Muslims, the Companions, had narrated through multiple chains that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught seven aḥruf (modes/recitations). 1 Any combination of the seven would be considered a valid recitation. The Companions that were well-known for teaching the Qurʾān, like Zayd, Ubay, and Ibn Masʿūd, were each known for having their own respective recitation. The different recitations were accepted as equally valid by early authorities. Ibn Sīrīn (d. 110 AH) said, "Had I not feared that my recitation gets mixed up, I would have recited both the recitation of Ibn Masʿūd and the recitation of Ibn ʿAffān." 2 Saʿīd bin Jubayr (d. 95 AH), on the other hand, when leading the prayers during the month of Ramadan, would recite both recitations, the recitation of ʿUthmān on one night, and the recitation of Ibn Masʿūd on the other. 3 The eponymous reciters also often recited different variants interchangeably. Al-Kisāʾī used to say, "I don"t mind reading it as malik or mālik (Q. 1:4)." 4 Similarly, Ḥafṣ reported that ʿĀṣim recited both "al-birra" and "al-birru" (Q. 2:177). 5 The objective of a reciter was to recite the Qurʾān in the way he was taught, for the recitation was a sunnah. Ibn Mujāhid states that the consensus of both scholars and laymen is based on what has been reported from ʿOmar bin Al-Khaṭṭāb, Zayd bin Thābit, ʿUrwa bin al-Zubayr, Muḥammad bin al-Munkadir, ʿOmar bin ʿAbdil ʿAzīz, and ʿĀmir al-Shaʿbī, that the
Isnad tree of the hadith of Seven Aḥruf has been uploaded separately to make it easier to view.
... more Isnad tree of the hadith of Seven Aḥruf has been uploaded separately to make it easier to view.
Taken from: A Critique of Shady Nasser's Treatment of the Ḥadīth of Seven Aḥruf
The Insignificance of "Corrections in Early Qur`ān Manuscripts" a response to Daniel Alan Brubaker, 2020
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Papers by Farid al-Bahraini
Taken from: A Critique of Shady Nasser's Treatment of the Ḥadīth of Seven Aḥruf
Taken from: A Critique of Shady Nasser's Treatment of the Ḥadīth of Seven Aḥruf