Is the credibility of the Quran affected by one of the scribes of the Revelation being a Christian?

Answered by Shaykh Anas Al-Musa

Question

I heard that one of the scribes of the Revelation who used to write the Revelation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a Christian. Does this affect the credibility of the Quran?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Yes, one of the scribes of the revelation for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was a man who was initially a Christian. He converted to Islam but later reverted to Christianity. He used to alter what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) dictated to him.

Mockingly, he claimed, “Muhammad only knows what I write for him.” Allah the Almighty exposed his treachery for betraying the trust the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) placed in him. Upon his death, the earth expelled his body multiple times after they buried him.

Narrations of the Story

This incident is narrated by Imam Abu Dawud Al-Tayalisi and others from Anas ibn Malik: “A man who used to write for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would write ‘All-Hearing, All-Knowing’ when dictated ‘All-Hearing, All-Seeing’, and vice versa. After having learned al-Baqarah and Ali Imran, he became a Christian again and claimed, ‘I used to write whatever I wanted for Muhammad.’ He died and was buried, but the earth expelled his body. They buried him again, but the earth expelled him once more. Anas reported that Abu Talha said: ‘I saw him thrown on the surface of the earth.’”

In another narration by Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, and others from Anas ibn Malik: “A man was a Christian, then converted to Islam, learned al-Baqarah and Ali Imran, and wrote for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He reverted to Christianity and boasted, ‘Muhammad knows nothing except what I wrote for him.’ Allah caused him to die, and after being buried, the earth expelled his body. People thought it was the act of Muhammad and his companions because he fled from them. They dug deeper and buried him, but the earth expelled him again. Then they realized it was not the work of humans, so they left his body.”

This incident does not imply that the Quran was altered. Rather, it remains preserved for several reasons:

The Quran is Preserved in the Hearts

The primary basis for the Quran’s authenticity is its memorization in people’s hearts, not just in written form. Even if we imagine the absence of the written Quran, it would not affect its transmission, as it was etched in the hearts of many Companions known for their quick memorization and sharp minds. Their hearts were their scriptures, and their minds were the records of their lineages, histories, poetry, and glories.

The Plethora of Companions Who Memorized the Quran

The existence of this deceitful scribe does not impact the preservation of the Quran, considering the plethora of people who memorized the Quran among the Muhajirun and Ansar during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), including the four Rightly Guided Caliphs, Talha, Saad, Ibn Masud, Hudayfah, Salem the freed slave of Abu Hudayfah, Abu Hurayra, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Amr ibn Al-As, his son Abdullah, Muawiyah, Ibn Al-Zubayr, Abdullah ibn al-Sa’ib, Aisha, Hafsa, Umm Salamah, and others from the Muhajirun.

Those from among the Ansar who memorized the Quran during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) include Ubay ibn Ka’b, Muadh ibn Jabal, Zayb ibn Thabit, Abu al-Darda, Mujammi’ ibn Haritha, Anas ibn Malik, and Abu Zaud, about whom Anas said when he was asked about him, “He is one of my uncles.” May Allah be pleased with them all.

It is said that some of these only completed their memorization of the Quran after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In any case, the number of companions who memorized the Quran, whether during his life or after his death, is in the thousands. This is supported by the fact that the recorded casualties of those who memorized the Quran in the battles of Bi’r Ma’una and Yamama were 140 and, by some accounts, 700.

The Mass Transmission of the Quran from Generation to Generation

Thousands of people in the generation after the companions then went on to memorize the Quran directly from them, and thus it was passed down from generation to generation through memorization, diligence, and precision until this day without any additions, omissions, alterations, or distortions. This is the manifestation of Allah’s words: “It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.” [Quran, 15:9]

A Distinct Source of Pride for Muslims

Imam Ibn al-Jazari writes, emphasizing that the standard for the Quran’s transmission is memorization, “The transmission of the Quran was dependant on memorization of the hearts and minds, not on the preservation of manuscripts and books. This is the greatest distinction from Allah for this nation.” He also said, “By choosing a select few from whomever He wanted to memorize the Quran, Allah established leading trustworthy figures who dedicated themselves to transmitting the Quran correctly and exhausted themselves in perfecting it. They learned it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) letter by letter, never leaving out a single syllable or consonant. They never had any doubt or delusion regarding it. Some memorized it completely, while others memorized it in part, and that was all during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” [al-Nashr fil-Qira’at al-’Ashr]

The Quran will Never Be Lost

Imam Muslim reports a hadith qudsi narrated by ‘Iyad ibn Himar al-Mujashi’i to emphasize this fact: Allah says, “I only sent you to test you and test others with you. I sent down with you a book that water cannot wipe away, which you will read while asleep and awake.” (Muslim) Allah informs us that the Quran does not require to be preserved a scroll that may be washed away with water. It is read in all states, as one description of his nation is, “Their scripture is in their hearts.” This is in contrast to the People of the Book who only preserve their scriptures in manuscripts and can only read them by looking at them, never by heart. The Quran, on the other hand, is read by heart in any state, and so someone who memorized it does not need to look at any paper that was written with ink which is subject to fading or deterioration if washed. [Subhi al-Salih, Mabahith fi Ulum al-Quran; Nur al-Din Itr, Ulum al-Quran; Shirbini, Kitabat A’da’ al-Islam wa Munaqashatuha]

A Noble Team of Scribes

This deceitful man was not the only scribe of the Prophet. Others included Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit, Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, Abdullah ibn Saad ibn Abi Sarh, Uthman ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Khalid ibn Sa’id, Hanzalah ibn al-Rabi’, al-Alaa ibn al-Hadrami, Aban ibn Sa’id, and others.

No Trace of Treachery

Allah exposed this man, and his story became well-known. If he wrote and altered anything, what he altered perished with him, leaving the true Quran agreed upon by all the Prophet’s companions who memorized and wrote it.

If this traitor’s actions had any impact on the Quran’s credibility, it would have been a significant argument for the Prophet’s enemies and those against the Quran. They spared no effort to defame the Quran, which God challenged them to replicate.

The Wretched Fate of Islam’s Enemies

6. The earth expelling this traitor is an extraordinary occurrence, signaling that his actions were lies since the dead do not normally experience this. It signifies that God avenges His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) against those who slander and mock him, and manifests His religion. He exposes the lies of a liar when people are unable to implement a legal punishment on him. [al-Sarim al-Maslul fil-Rad ala Shatim al-Rasul]

The Liar’s Name is Not Known

Note: The name of this liar is not known, except for one narration by Muslim from Anas in which it was explicitly stated that he is from Banu Najjar.

Conclusion 

The standard for the Quran is that which is heard and memorized in the hearts, not what is written. The written version is merely an additional measure to preserve the memorized one. The efforts to record the Quran in written form were only a secondary measure for accuracy to that which was memorized and preserved in the hearts, not as an independent source. (Tayyar, al-Muharrar fi Ulum al-Quran)

This punishment and disgrace befalling the deceitful traitor is a warning to those who think they can alter God’s words. Allah (Most High) has pledged to preserve the Quran, as He says: “It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.” [Quran, 15:9]

May Allah send peace and blessings upon our master and Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.