58 OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE GENUINESS OF

C. Muslim the Traditionalist 1 in the Kitabu’z zakat tells us that, since 'Uthman’s revision of the Qur'an, some verses which once formed part of the book are no longer found in it. He says, for example, that at Basrah, Abu Musa’ 'Ashari said to 500 reciters of the Qur'an, "Verily we used to recite a Surah which, in length and sharpness, we used to compare with an arrow. I have forgotten it, except that I have preserved from it the words . . . And we used to recite a Surah which we used to compare with one of the Subuhat, and I have forgotten it except that I have preserved from it the words 'O ye who,' &c." In the Kitabu’r Riza, Muslim quotes from 'Ayishah a tradition that the verse on Giving Suck was known at the time of Muhammad's death; but it is no longer found in the Qur'an. In the Kitabu’l Hudud, Muslim proves that the verse on Stoning once occurred in the Qur'an, and 'Umar was so firmly convinced of this that, according to Abu Daud, he swore by God that he would have caused it to be entered in that volume, had he not feared lest men should accuse him of adding something to it. According to Ibn Majah (Abwabu’n Nikah), 'Ayishah affirmed that two verses, one of which was this very verse on Stoning, met with a strange fate. She says that they were duly revealed and written out, and that the manuscript was placed under her bed; but 

1 From the Epiphany of June 6, 1901, and from the Mizanu'l Haqq.
THE BIBLE AS IT NOW EXISTS 59

that when Muhammad died and all his wives and friends were busy in consequence, some tame animal (probably a goat) came in and ate it, and so these verses perished! Again, the Shi'ite accuse 'Uthman of intentionally eliminating from the Qur'an all passages relating to 'Ali 1. The 'Ainu’l Hayat affirms that Surah XXXIII., Al Ahzab, was originally longer than Surah II., Al Baqarah, but was afterwards corrupted by the omission of many verses. It is not we Christians who say these things, but some of you Muslims.

31. M. Such statements are unworthy of credit, for they rest upon unreliable traditions.

C. It is too difficult a task for me to decide between your traditions ( احاديث ), which are reliable, which doubtful, and which false 2. But fortunately the text of the Bible does not rest upon tradition but upon MS. authority.]

32. M. Produce the original MSS. of your Torah and Injil, written by the hands of Moses and Jesus upon whom they descended, and we shall

1 In the Dabistan i Mazahib a whole additional Surah of the Qur'an is given in the original Arabic. It is called the Surah An Nurain. Many Shi'ites assent that it formed part of the Qur'an as recited by Gabriel to Muhammad, and that it was omitted by 'Ali's opponents. Most Muslims, of whatever sect, however, deny the authenticity of this Surah, and it is never published as part of the Qur'an. See the whole matter discussed in the Rev. Canon Sell's article on the "Recension of the Qur'an" in his "Essay on Islam."
2 Those contained in the collections of Muslim and Bukhari are never discredited by the Sunnis.