Question:

Does the author of Wasa’il-ush-Shi’ah confirm the incompleteness of the Qur’an?

Answer:

Muhammad Al-Hurr Al-Amili writes:

هر كسى كه تتبع أخبار وتحفص تواريخ وآثار نموده بعلم يقينى مى داند كه قرآن در غايت وأعلى درجه تواتر بوده وآلاف صحابه حفظ ونقل مى كردند آن را ودر عهد رسول خدا صلى الله عليه وآله مجموع ومؤلف بود

“Everyone who examines the reports and examines the historical events and looks at the traditions knows with unquestionable knowledge that the Qur’an was reported continuously (Mutawatir) in the highest level and that thousands of companions memorized and passed it on by heart and that it was already collected and written during the lifetime of the messenger (s.).” [Al-Fusul-ul-Muhimmah, page 244]

النقصان على تقدير ثبوته لا ينافي تواتر هذا الموجود وإنما الكلام في الحقيقة في أن هذه القدر الموجود الآن في القرطاس هل هو متواتر أم لا

“If one accepts the removal from the Qur’an as true, this does not exclude that the present one is narrated consecutively (Mutawatir) and the discourse is in truth only about whether the present size on paper exists consecutive (Mutawatir) or not.” [Tawatur-ul-Qur’an, page 38]

وقد تواترت الروايات بأنه لم يجمع القرآن كله إلا الأئمة عليهم السلام وأن من ادعى أنه جمعه كله فهو كاذب وورد النص الصحيح بأن القرآن الذي نزل على محمد صلى الله عليه وآله كان سبعة عشر ألف آية والموجود الأن نحو الثلث بإعتبار العدد ويحتمل كون تلك الآيات أطول من الآيات الموجودة ويكون الموجود منه هو العشر أو اقل وتواتر النص بأن المهدي عليه السلام إذا خرج يخرج القرآن بتمامه فينفر أكثر الناس منه ولا يقبله إلا القليل فكيف يقال: إن جميع المحرمات قد فصلت لنا في هذا القرآن الموجود

“The traditions were contsecutively (Mutawatir) reported that nobody collected the complete Qur’an except the Imams (a.) and that whoever claims to have collected it completely is a liar and it has been authentically (Sahih) reported that the Qur’an sent down to Muhammad (s.) was 17. 000 verses, but the present one is only a third in number and it is possible that these verses are longer than the present ones and the present one is a tenth or less and it has been transmitted consecutively (Mutawatir) that when Imam Al-Mahdi (a.) appears, he issues the complete Qur’an, whereupon the majority of people flee from him and do not accept it except for a few. So how can we say that all the prohibitions in this present Qur’an have been explained to us in detail?” [Al-Fawa’id-ut-Tusiyyah, page 483]

 وعن ميسر عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال لولا أن كتاب الله نقص منه ما خفي حقنا على ذي حجى ولو قام قائمنا فنطق صدقه القرآن. أقول هذه الأحاديث وأمثالها دالة على النص على الأئمة عليهم السلام وكذا التصريح بأسمائهم وقد تواترت الأخبار بأن القرآن نقص منه كثير وسقط منه آيات لما تكتب وبعضهم يحمل تلك الأخبار على أن ما نقص وسقط كان تأويلا نزل مع التنزيل وبعضهم على أنه وحي لا القرآن وعلى كل حال فهو حجة في النص وتلك الأخبار متواترة من طريق العامة والخاصة

“Muyassar reported that Abu Ja’far Al-Baqir (a.) said: “If there had not been any removal from the Book of God, then our right would have been hidden from no wise person and if our Rising one (Qa’im) had stood up to speak, then the Qur’an would have confirmed him.” I say that these traditions and those that resemble them are a proof of the appointment of the Imams (a.) and also of the clear proclamation of their names and of the already consecutive (Mutawatir) reports that much was removed from the Qur’an and many verses were taken out of it when they were written down. Some interpret these reports as saying that whatever was removed and erased was an interpretation that came down with the revelation and others interpret it as saying that it was a revelation but not a Qur’an but in any case it is a proof of the appointment and these reports are consecutive (Mutawatir) available through the paths of the general public as well as through those of our circles.” [Ithbat-ul-Hudat, page 206]