Category: al-Qur’an

Praise be to Allah.This is a false and incorrectstatement made by those who try to find faults with
Islam so as to put people off this religion. It is sufficient to know that
Allaah has guaranteed to preserve the Qur’aan, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily,
We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur’aan) and surely,
We will guard it (from corruption).” [al-Hijr 15:9]
 Moreover, the fact that the transmission
of the Qur’aan by memory and in writing was mutawaatir – narrated by
groups to groups [to such anextent
that so many people could not conceivably have agreed upon a lie] – is
well known to anyone who has the slightest acquaintance with Islamic
knowledge, especially knowledge of recitations and reciters.
 There are still many people nowadays who
have learned the Qur’aan orally, with isnaads directly going back to the
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
 One of the miracles of Allaah’s
protection of the Qur’aan is the fact that those who try to tamper with
it are always found out.
 The point is, everything that was
revealed to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
was written down in front of him straight away, and some of the Sahaabah
had masaahif (written copies
of the Qur’aan). After the death of the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), thefirst khaleefah, Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with
him) gathered the Qur’aan inwritten
and kept it. Then the third khaleefah, ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may
Allaah be pleased with him) compiled it in mus-hafs that were based on the
mus-haf compiled by Abu Bakr, in addition to what had been memorized.
When
we realize that the Qur’aan was written down and compiled by the
Sahaabah, and ‘Uthmaan sent copies of the Mus-haf during his reign to
all the main centres of Islam, so that it would be a reference for them,
and there were no disputes concerning them, then how can we say that there
is no written trace of the Qur’aan in the seventh century? Moreover,
there are several ancient manuscripts of the Qur’aan in libraries and
museums which bear visible testimony to the fact that nothing has been
changed in the Book of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And
verily, it is an honourable well‑fortified respected Book (because
it is Allaah’s Speech, and He has protected it from corruption).
Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down
by the All‑Wise, Worthy of all
praise (Allaah).” [Fussilat 41:41-42]

And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Types of Tankis
Reading later parts of the Quran before earlier parts is called Tankis (inversion). There are different types of Tankis:
·        Tankis al-Huruf (inversion of letters)
·        Tankis al-Kalimat (inversion of words)
·        Tankis al-Ayat (inversion of verses)
·        Tankis al-Suwar (inversion of Surahs)
What is Tankis al-Huruf (inversion of letters)?
Tankis al-Huruf (inversion of letters) means putting a later letter before a previous letter in one word, for example, instead of Rabb one reads Barr
Undoubtedly this is haram, and invalidates a person’s prayer, because it changes the Quran from the way in which it was spoken by Allah, and usually alters the meaning in a drastic manner. ((Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymin, 3/110)
What is Tankis al-Kalimat (inversion of words)?
Tankis al-Kalimat (inversion of words) means putting a later word before a previous word, for example, instead of Qul huwa Allahu ahad, one reads Ahad Allah huwa qul!
This also is undoubtedly haram, because it changes the Quran from the way in which it was spoken by Allah. (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/110)
What is Tankis al-Ayat (inversion of verses)?
Tankis al-Aayat (inversion of verses) means reciting a later ayah before a previous ayah, for example, reciting min sharr il-waswas il-khannas before ilah il-nas!
Concerning this, al-Qadi ‘Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“There is no dispute concerning the order of the verses in each Surah. This is something which is tawqifi, i.e., based on revelation [and is not open to ijtihad], and the order is that which now appears in the Mus-haf, and this is how the ummah transmitted it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” (Sharh al-Nawawi, 6/62. This was also the view of Ibn al-’Arabi, as stated in al-Fath, 2/257)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin said:
Tankis al-ayat (inverting verses) is also haram according to the most correct view, because the order of the verses is tawqifi (something which is based on revelation [and not open to ijtihad]). The meaning of tawqifi is that it was dictated by the order of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/110)
What is Tankis al-Suwar (inversion of Surahs)?
Tankis al-Suwar (inversion of Surahs) means, reciting later Surahs before earlier ones, for example, reciting Al ‘Imran before al-Baqarah.
Ruling on Tankis al-Suwar
Those scholars who say that the order of Surahs is not tawqifi do not see anything wrong with this.
Those who think that it is tawqifi or that the consensus of the Companions on the order of Surahs is evidence, do not think that it is permissible.
The correct view is that the order of Surahs is not tawqifi; it is the result of ijtihad on the part of some of the Companions.
There was no ijma` (consensus) among the Companions on the order of Surahs; the order in the Mus-haf of ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud for example is different from that in the Mus-hafs of others.
In the Sunnah there is evidence that supports the view that it is permissible:
Hudhayfah said: I prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) one night, and he started to recite al-Baqarah. I thought he would do ruku’ when he reached one hundred ayas, but he kept going. I thought he would complete it in one rak`ah, but he kept going. I thought, he would do ruku’ now, but he started to recite al-Nisa, and he recited all of it, then he started to recite Al Imran and recited all of it. (Narrated by Muslim, 772).
The evidence in this hadith is that he recited al-Nisa then Al Imran.
Al-Nawawi said:
“Al-Qadi ‘Iyad said: this contains evidence for those who say that the order of Surahs is the result of ijtihad on the part of the Muslims when they wrote down the Mus-haf. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not dictate the order of Surahs; he entrusted this task to his ummah after his death. This is the view of Malik and the majority of the scholars, and was the view favoured by al-Qadi Abu Bakr al-Baqillani. Ibn al-Baqillani said: it is the more correct of the two views, although both are possible.
He said: what we say is that the order of Surahs is not binding when writing, praying, studying, teaching or learning. There is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concerning that which would make it forbidden to differ from it. Hence the order of Surahs in the various Mus-hafs differed, before the Mus-haf of ‘Uthman.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the ummah after him in all ages regarded it as permissible to differ from the order of Surahs in prayer , and when studying and teaching.
He said: with regard to the view of those scholars who say that (the order of Surahs) was set by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and that he put them in the same order as appears in the Mus-haf of ‘Uthman and that the different orders came about before they heard of his ruling and his final review of the Quran with Jibril they interpret the fact that he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited al-Nisa first and then Al Imran as meaning that this happened before the final ruling was dictated, and these two Surahs appear in this order in the Mus-haf of Ubayy.
He said: there is no dispute concerning the fact that a person who is praying may recite in the second rak`ah a Surah which comes before the Surah which he recited in the first rak`ah; but it is makruh to do this in one rak`ah, or when reciting Quran outside of prayer.
He said: but some of them permitted this.
The prohibition of the Salaf against reading the Quran backwards is interpreted as referring to those who read from the end of a Surah to the beginning.
He said: there is no dispute concerning the fact that the order of verses in each Surah is based on revelation from Allah and is as it now appears in the Mus-haf and as it was transmitted by the ummah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” (End of the comments of al-Qadi ‘Iyad). And Allah knows best.” (Sharh Muslim, 6/61, 62)
Al-Sindi said:
The phrase [in the hadith of Hudhayfah] then he started to recite Al ‘Imran means that it is not obligatory to follow the order of Surahs when reciting. (Sharh al-Nasai, 3/226)
·        It was reported from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man from among the Ansar used to lead them in prayer in the mosque of Quba. Every time he led them in prayer, he would start his recitation with Qul huwa Allahu ahad, then when he finished it, he would recite another Surah. He did that in every rak`ah. His companions spoke with him and said, You always start with this Surah, then you do not think it is enough and you recite another. Either you should recite this Surah alone, or you should leave it and recite another. He said, I am not going to stop reciting it. If you like, I will lead you in prayer as I have been doing, and if you do not like it, I will leave you. They felt that he was one of the best of them, and they did not want anyone else to lead them in prayer. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to them, they told him about this. He said, O So and So, what is stopping you from doing what your companions tell you? What makes you keep on reciting this Surah in every rak`ah? He said, I love it. He said, Your love for it will grant you admittance to Paradise. (Narrated by al-Bukhari mu’allaqan, and by al-Tirmidhi with an isnad similar to that of al-Bukhari, 2901).
The evidence in this report is the fact that the man recited Surat al-Ikhlas in his prayer before any other Surah that comes before it (in the Mus-haf), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved of that.
·        This is the action of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Imam al-Bukhari said:
“Al-Ahnaf recited al-Kahf in the first rak`ah and Yusuf or Yunus in the second, and he said that he had prayed Fajr with ‘Umar and he had done the same.” (Bab al-Jam’ bayna Suratayn fil-Rak`ah, in Kitab al-Adhan)
With regard to the latter part of your question, we say:
It is permissible to recite verses 50-60 of al-Baqarah in the first rak`ah, then to recite verses 1-20 of al-Baqarah in the second rak`ah, because then the meaning of the passage will be complete.
But reciting verses 10-20 means that one is cutting off the meaning, so it is better not to do this. Perhaps you mentioned the numbers only by way of example and you did not mean these particular verses.
For more, please see these answers: 20043 , 69915 , 171060 , and 7198 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.In my opinion the action mentioned is not permissible, and I do not recall anything of this kind being reported from the Salaf. A person will only be rewarded for what he himself reads or listens to in order to benefit from it. But if another person reads and he does not listen, the reward for that will go to the person who read it. These people are not considered to have completed the whole Quran; but if each person has read a juz’ he will be rewarded for that. But they should not do this; either one person should read and the others listen, or each person should read by himself without making a connection between his reading and that of the others.

Praise be to Allah.Hanging plaques and cloths containing verses of the Quran in homes , schools, social clubs and places of business, involves a number of reservations and prohibitions according to Islam, such as the following:

In most cases, hanging such things on the wall is done for purposes of decoration and adornment, as the verses etc. are written in calligraphy and colorful brocade. This is an inappropriate use of the Quran, as it was revealed to guide people and to be read regularly. The Quran was not revealed to decorate walls, but to guide mankind.
Some people hang up such things for blessing – which is a form of worship. The blessing as described in Islam comes from reading or reciting the Quran, not from hanging it up or placing it on shelves or turning it into artwork and three-dimensional images.
This is contrary to the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Rightly-Guided Khalifas (al-Khulafa al-Rashidun), may Allah be pleased with them, who never did such a thing. The best way is to follow them, not to introduce innovations in religion. History tells us that in places such as Andalusia, Turkey, etc., the adornment of houses and mosques with ornate carvings of verses only happened at times when the Muslims were weak and humiliated.
Hanging up such pictures or plaques could lead to shirk, because some people think that these things are amulets that will protect the house and its people from evil and disease. This is shirk and is haram, because the One Who really offers protection is Allah, may He be glorified, and one of the means of gaining His protection is sincere recitation of the Quran and du’as taught in the Quran and Sunnah.
There is the risk that the Quran may be used, in such cases, as a means of promoting one’s business or increasing one’s earnings. The Quran should be protected from being used for such purposes. It is well-known that the production and sale of these pictures and plaques involves a great deal of extravagance and wasting money.
Many of these plaques are painted with real gold, which makes using them and hanging them up even more haram.
Many of these plaques involve a kind of carelessness, because the letters are twisted into complex designs that are of no benefit to anyone because they are barely legible. Sometimes words are fashioned into the shape of a bird or a man prostrating, and similarly forbidden pictures of animate beings.
Verses and surahs of the Quran are exposed to misuse and abuse by this practice. For example, when moving house, they are piled up with the rest of the furniture and belongings, and other objects may be placed on top of them. This also happens when they are taken down so that the wall may be painted or cleaned.
Some Muslims whose observance of Islam is lacking put these plaques and pictures up so that they can feel that they are doing something religious, in order to reduce their feelings of guilt in spite of the fact that this practice does not help them in any way.

All in all, we must close the doors of evil and follow the leaders of guidance of the early centuries of Islam, whose people the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) testified were the best of the Muslims in faith and practice. If someone were to say, We are not going to abuse it or make it a decoration or exaggerate about it, we only want to remind people (about their religion) in our gatherings, our response would be: if we look at real life, will we find that this is what actually happens? Do people really remember Allah? Do they even read these verses when they raise their heads?
What really happens is the opposite: people go against the words hanging over their heads, they still tell lies, engage in gossip, make fun of others and do and say evil things. Even if we assume that there are some who do benefit from these plaques etc., the fact is that they are very few, and this does not change the Islamic ruling on the matter.
The Muslims must turn to the Book of Allah, read it and recite it, and act in accordance with it. We ask Allah to make the Quran a light of guidance for us, and a means of removing our grief and anxiety. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
For more, please see these answers: 39185 , 13648 and 170060 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.If one is reciting Quran in situations other than in prayer, then reading from the Mushaf is better, because it is more accurate and helps one to remember better. But if reciting from memory is easier and helps one to concentrate more and have better presence of mind (khushoo’), then one should recite from memory.
In prayer, however, it is better to recite from memory, because if a person recites from the Mushaf, he will be doing repeated actions such as holding the Mushaf, putting it down, turning its pages and looking at the letters. By doing so he will miss out on putting his right hand over his left hand on his chest when standing during the prayer, or spreading out his arms during rukoo’ and sujood, if he puts the Mushaf under his arm. Hence we think that it is preferable for a person who is praying to recite from memory rather than from the Mushaf.
We see some people when they pray behind the imaam, carrying the Mushaf and following the imaam’s recitation. This is something which should not be done, for the reasons we have referred to above, and because they do not need to do anything except follow the imaam.
However, if the imaam does not have such a good memory, and he says to one of the members of the congregation, “Pray behind me, and follow me (my recitation) in the Mushaf, and if I make a mistake, correct me,” then there is nothing wrong with this.

Praise be to Allah.The Quran is the word of Allah that was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and is recited as an act of worship.  
This definition of the Quran is comprehensive.  
Our saying “the word of Allah” excludes the words of human beings or others. 
Our saying “revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)” excludes anything that was revealed to anyone else, such as the Injeel (Gospel), Tawraat (Torah) and Zaboor (Psalms). 
Our saying “it is recited as an act of worship” excludes the hadeeth qudsi (ahaadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) narrated words from Allah which are not part of the Quran). 
It brings light and gives certainty, it is the strong rope, it is the path of the righteous. It tells us of those who came before us, Prophets and righteous people, and how those who disobeyed them tasted the punishment of Allah and were humiliated. It contains verses which speak of the miracles of Allah and His power in this great universe. It tells us of the origins of human beings who are created from “despised water” (semen). It contains the basic principles of faith which must be embraced by every humble heart. It contains the rules of sharee’ah which tells us what is permissible and what is forbidden; what is true and what is false. It tells us of the Resurrection and the fate of human beings, either in the Fire in which they will burn and be among those who are humiliated, or in Paradise with its gardens, springs, plants and places of security. 
In it there is healing for men’s hearts, light and illumination for the blind. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing but loss” [al-Isra’ 17:82]
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on this verse: 
Here Allah tells us about His Book, which He revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and which is the Quran which “Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise” [Fussilat 42:41- interpretation of the meaning], that it is “a healing and a mercy to those who believe” – i.e., it takes away the diseases in the heart such as doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, deviation and misguidance; the Quran heals all of that. And it is also a mercy which brings about faith, wisdom and the pursuit of and desire for goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and follow it; for such it will be a healing and a mercy. But as for the kaafir and those who wrong themselves thereby, their hearing the Quran only makes them further away (from truth) and increases them in kufr. The problem comes from the kaafir, not from the Quran. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Quran) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)” [Fussilat 41:44]
“And whenever there comes down a Soorah, some of them (hypocrites) say: ‘Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?’ As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoice.
But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die while they are disbelievers”
[al-Tawbah 9:124-125]
Qutaadah said, concerning the phrase “And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe”: when the believer hears it he benefits from it, memorizes it and understands it. “and it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing but loss” means, they do not benefit from it, memorize it or understand it. Allah has made this Quran a healing and a mercy for the believers.”(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/60). 
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Quran, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that which is in your breasts, — a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers” [Yoonus 10:57] 
“And if We had sent this as a Quran in a foreign language (other than Arabic), they would have said: ‘Why are not its verses explained in detail (in our language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger) an Arab?’ Say: ‘It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Quran) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)’” [Fussilat 41:44]
In it is guidance for mankind, away from misguidance and to the truth. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“This is the Book (the Quran), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon [the pious” [al-Baqarah 2:2] 
“And thus We have revealed to you (O Muhammad) a Quran in Arabic that you may warn the Mother of the Towns (Makkah) and all around it, and warn (them) of the Day of Assembling of which there is no doubt, when a party will be in Paradise (those who believed in Allah and followed what Allah’s Messenger brought them) and a party in the blazing Fire (Hell) (those who disbelieved in Allah and followed not what Allah’s Messenger brought them)” [al-Shoora 42:9] 
“And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh (a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Quran) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e. Allah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism).
The path of Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all matters at the end go to Allah (for decision)” [al-Shoora 42:52-53]
It contains innumerable benefits, so everyone who seeks happiness in this world and in the Hereafter must refer to it for judgement and follow its commands.  
Imam Ibn Hazm said:
Because the proof and the miracles indicate that the Quran is the covenant of Allah with us, we must believe in it and act in accordance with it. It has come down to us through generations of Muslims narrating it to those who came after them, which leaves no room for doubt that the Quran is the one which is written in the Mus-hafs which we find everywhere. We have to follow its teachings, for it is our reference-point, because we read in it the words (interpretation of the meaning): 
“There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered” [al-An’aam 6:38]
Whatever commands and prohibitions are in the Quran, we must adhere to them.”(Al-Ihkaam, 1/92)
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.This symbol “~” is used to indicate places where a Madd
(elongation) that is longer than the regular elongation is required. It is used in places
where the Madd is compulsory (Madd laazim), as in the word “At-Taammah “, where
the elongation is six harakaat or counts. One harakah is equal to the time taken to curl
or stretch one finger. This symbol is also used for al-Madd al-Muttasal (where a long
vowel is followed by a hamzah in one word), such as “sawaa’un ‘alaynaa “, where
the Madd is between four and six harakaat. And it is used for al-Madd al-Munfassal, (where
one word ends with a long vowel and is immediately followed by a word that starts with a
hamzah), as in the phrase “fee aadhaaninaa waqar “, where the Madd is four or
five harakaat.
This symbol does not have any effect on the meanings of the words; it is only used to
indicate some kinds of Madds or elongations, as explained above. The Madd which is longer
than the regular elongation (two harakaat) does not change the meaning when you do it. But
we have to follow the Sunnah of recitation, and the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to elongate some vowels in his recitation. And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.With regard to Soorat al-Wilaayah, some of the Shi’ah scholars and imams have stated that it exists. Any of them who denies that does so by way of taqiyah (dissimulation). One of those who clearly stated that it exists is Mirza Hussein Muhammad Taqiy al-Noori al-Tubrusi (d. 1320 AH). He wrote a book in which he claimed that the Quran had been distorted and that the Sahaabah has concealed some parts of it, including Soorat al-Wilaayah. The Raafidis honoured him after his death by burying him in al-Najaf. This book by al-Tubrusi was published in Iran in 1298 AH, and when it was published there was a great deal of controversy because they wanted the doubts about the validity of the Quran, which were known only to their leaders, to remain scattered throughout hundreds of their major books, and they did not want that to be compiled in one book. At the beginning of his book he said:  
“This is a good and noble book entitled Fasl al-khitaab fi ithbaat tahreef Kitaab Rabb il-Arbaab (Decisive comment on the distortion of the Book of the Lord of Lords)… He mentioned aayahs and soorahs which he claims that the Sahaabah concealed, including ‘Soorat al-Wilaayah,’” the text of which, according to them, and as quoted in this book, is: 
“O you who believe, believe in the Prophet and the Wali [i.e., ‘Ali] whom We have sent to guide you to the straight path, a Prophet and a Wali who are part of one another, and I am the All-Knowing, All-Aware…”  
And they have another soorah which they call Soorat al-Noorayn: “O you who believe, believe in the two lights (al-noorayn) which We have sent down to you to recite to you My Verses and to warn you of the punishment of a great Day. They are part of one another and I am the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Those who fulfil the covenant with Allah and His Messenger mentioned in the verses (of the Quran), the Gardens of delight will be theirs, but those who disbelieve after they believed by breaking their covenant and disobeying the command of the Prophet, they will be thrown into Hell. They have wronged themselves and gone against the wasiyyah of the Prophet (i.e., the appointment of ‘Ali as khaleefah), and they will be given to drink of boiling water…” and other such nonsense. 
Prof. Muhammad ‘Ali Sa’oodi – who was one of the greatest experts of the Ministry of Justice in Egypt – examined an Iranian mus-haf kept by the Orientalist Bryan and he obtained a copy of this soorah; above the lines of Arabic script there is written the translation in the Iranian language. 
As it was mentioned by al-Tubrusi in his book, Fasl al-khitaab fi ithbaat tahreef Kitaab Rabb il-Arbaab, it is also mentioned in their book Dabastan Madhaahib, which is in Farsi, written by Muhsin Faani al-Kashmiri. This book has been printed numerous times in Iran, and this false soorah was quoted from it by the Orientalist Noeldeke in his book The History of Qur’anic Manuscripts, 2/120, and was published by the French Asian newspaper in 1842 (p. 431-439). 
It was also mentioned by Mirza Habibullaah al-Haashimi al-Kho’i in his book Manhaaj al-Baraa’ah fi Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah (2/217); and by Muhammad Baaqir al-Majlisi in his book Tadhkirat al-A’immah (p. 19, 20) in Farsi, (published by) Manshoorat Mawlana, Iran. 
See also al-Khutoot al-‘Areedah li’l-Asas allati qaama ‘alayha deen al-Shi’ah by Muhibb al-Deen al-Khateeb. 
This claim of theirs is a denial of the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)”
[al-Hijr 15:9]
Hence the Muslims are unanimously agreed that anyone who claims that anything in the Quran has been altered or changed is a kaafir. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: 
The same applies to those among them who claim that some verses of the Quran have been taken away or concealed, or who claim to have some esoteric interpretations that exempt him from having to do the actions prescribed in sharee’ah etc., who are called al-Qaraamitah and al-Baatiniyyah, and who include al-Tanaasukhiyyah [names of esoteric sects]. There is no dispute that they are kaafirs. 
Al-Saarim al-Maslool, 3/1108-1110. 
Ibn Hazm said: 
The view that the Quran has been altered is blatant kufr and is a rejection of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said. 
Al-Fasl fi’l-Ahwa’ wa’-Milal wa’l-Nihal, 4/139. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Order of verses in one Surah
The fact there is scholarly consensus, and many texts stating the order of verses in one Surah, that is very well known. The consensus was reported by many scholars, including Al-Zarkashi in al-Burhan and Abu Ja’far, who said: “The order of the verses in their Surahs came about because this is how it was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and there is no dispute among the Muslims with regard to this matter.”
The texts regarding this matter include the following:

The report narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasai, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim from Ibn `Abbas, who said: “I said to ‘Uthman, ‘What made you put al-Anfal which is one of the Mathani, next to Bara-ah [al-Tawbah], which is one of the Mi’in? Why did you not put the line Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim in between them when you put it at the beginning of the rest of al-Sab’ al-Tiwal [the long seven Surahs]?” ‘Uthman said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to receive revelation of Surahs with many verses. When they were revealed, he would call his scribes and tell them, ‘Put these verses in the Surah where such-and-such is mentioned.’ Al-Anfal was one of the first Surahs to be revealed in Madinah, and Bara-ah (al-Tawbah) was one of the last parts of the Quran to be revealed. Its stories were similar to the stories mentioned in al-Anfal, so it was thought that it was part of it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was taken [i.e., died] without explaining whether it was indeed part of it, so they were put next to one another, and the line Bismillahir Rahman ir’Rahim was not written between them, and it [al-Tawbah] was put among the Sab’ al-Tiwal [seven long Surahs].” (Al-Hakim said: its isnad is sahih, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Al-Mustadrak, 2/330)
Ahmad narrated in al-Musnad (4/218) with a hasan isnad from ‘Uthman ibn Abi’l-‘As that he said: “I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he fixed his gaze on something, then lowered his gaze until he was almost looking at the ground, then he gazed at something. He said, ‘Jibril (peace be upon him) came to me and told me to put this verse in this place in this Surah: “Verily, Allâh enjoins Al-‘Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allâh Alone Islâmic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsân [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allâh, totally for Allâh’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allâh has ordered you to give them, e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help), and forbids Al-Fahshâ (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited by Islâmic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed.” [al-Nahl 16:90 – interpretation of the meaning].’”
Al-Bukhari narrated in al-Sahih (no. 4536) that Ibn Abi Malikah said: “Ibn al-Zubayr said: ‘I said to ‘Uthman, “This verse that is in al-Baqarah (interpretation of the meaning), ‘And those of you who die and leave wives behind them … And those of you who die and leave behind wives should bequeath for their wives a year’s maintenance and residence without turning them out’ [al-Baqarah 2:234-240] has been abrogated by the other, so why are you writing it down?” He said, “Leave it as it is, my nephew, I will not change anything from its place.”’”
Muslim narrated (no. 1617) that ‘Umar said: “I did not ask the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about anything more than I asked him about al-Kalalah [those who die leaving neither ascendants nor descendents as heirs], until he poked me in the chest with his finger and said, “Is not ayat al-sayf at the end of Surat al-Nisa enough for you?”
There are also the hadiths about the verses at the end of Surat al-Baqarah.
Muslim narrated (no. 809) from Abu al-Darda that whoever memorizes the first ten verses of Surat al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal; according to another version, whoever recites the last ten verses will be protected.

The Prophet’s recitation of various Surahs in the presence of his Companions indicates that the order of their verses is something that was instituted and commanded by him, and that the Companions did not put the verses in a different order from that in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite them. The reports to that effect reach the level of Mutawatir.
Al-Qadi Abu Bakr said in al-Intisar: 
“The order of the verses is something that is obligatory and binding. Jibril used to say (to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)), ‘Put such and such an verse in such and such a place.’”
He also said:
 “What we think is that all of the Quran which Allah revealed and commanded that it should be written down, and which was not abrogated after being revealed, is that which is contained between the covers of the Mus-haf of ‘Uthman, and that there is nothing lacking or added to it. Its order is the same as that commanded by Allah, may He be exalted, and instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Nobody has moved any verse backwards or forwards. The Ummah learned from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the order of the verses of each Surah properly, just as they learned from him the correct pronunciation and recitation.”
Al-Baghawi said in Sharh al-Sunnah: 
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to instruct his Companions and teach them what was revealed to him of the Quran in the order in which it appears in our Mus-hafs now, the order which Jibril taught him. When each verse was revealed, Jibril would tell him, this verse is to be written after such and such a verse in Surah such and such. Thus it is clear that the efforts of the Companions were limited solely to gathering the Quran in one place, not to arranging its order. The Quran is written on al-Lawh al-Mahfuz in this order, then Allah sent it down in its entirety to the first heaven, whence it was revealed in stages as it was needed, and the order in which it was revealed is not the order in which it is recited.”
Order of Surahs in the Quran
With regard to the order of Surahs, was this also instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or was this the ijtihad of the Companions? With regard to this question, there were differences among the scholars. The majority of scholars, including Malik and al-Qadi Abu Bakr, according to one of his two opinions, favoured the second opinion.
Ibn Faris said: 
“There were two aspects to the compilation of the Quran. One was putting the Surahs in a certain order, such as putting al-Sab’ al-Tiwal (the seven long Surahs) first, and following them with the Mi’in, which is what the Companions did. The second aspect is the compilation of the verses within the Surahs. This was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who recited them as he was told to by Jibreel, on the command of his Lord. On this basis, the Salaf differed as to the order in which the Surahs should appear. Some of them put them in order of revelation, which was the mus-haf of ‘Ali, which started with Iqra (al-‘Alaq), then al-Muddaththir, then Nun (al-Qalam), then al-Muzzammil, and so on. The Mus-haf of Ibn Mas’ud started with al-Baqarah, then al-Nisa, then Al ‘Imran, with other major differences. The Mus-haf of Ubayy was similar.”
Al-Karmani said in al-Burhan: the order of the Surahs as it is now is the same as that in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz which is with Allah. This is the order in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to review the Surahs of the Quran he had received so far with Jibril each year. In the year in which he died, he reviewed it with him twice, and the last verses to be revealed were (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah…’ [al-Baqarah 2:281]. Jibril commanded the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to put this between the verses dealing with riba and those dealing with loans.”
Al-Zarkashi said in al-Burhan: “The difference between the two views is one of wording. Those who support the second view say that it was taught to them so that they could learn the reasons of Revelation and the sequence of the words. Hence Malik said that they compiled the Quran according to what they had heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as well as saying that the order of the Surahs was the product of their ijtihad. He said that the dispute boils down to one question which is: was this a verbal instruction of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or were they merely referring to what he used to do, which would give them room for ijtihad.”
Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Madkhil: “At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Surahs and verses of the Quran were in this order, except for al-Anfal and Bara-ah (al-Tawbah), as we see from the hadith of ‘Uthman referred to above.”
Ibn ‘Atiyah said: “The order of many of the Surahs was known during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), such as the seven long Surahs, those that begin with Ha’-Mim, and al-Mufassal. With regard to the others, it may be the case that it was left for the Ummah to determine their order after he died.”
Abu Ja’far said: “The reports support most of what Ibn ‘Atiyah said, and a little is left which is open to debate, such as the hadith, ‘Recite the two shining ones, al-Baqarah and Al ‘Imran.’” (Reported by Muslim, no. 804)
Al-Bukhari narrated (no. 4739) that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Bani Israil (al-Isra), al-Kahf, Maryam, Ta-Ha and al-Anbiya, these are among the earliest and most beautiful Surahs and they are my treasures,” (meaning, these are among the earliest I recited).
Abu Ja’far al-Nahhas al-Mukhtar said that the Surahs were compiled in this order from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) because of the hadith of Wathilah, “In place of the Tawrat I was given the seven long Surahs.” He said: “This hadith indicates that the order of the Quran was taken from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Ibn Hajar said, “the fact that the Surahs, or most of them, are in a given order does not contradict the idea that this was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). What proves that this was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the report narrated by Ahmad and Abu Dawud from Aws ibn Hudhayfah, who said: ‘We asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the morning, “How did you write down the Quran in chapters?” They said, “We wrote it down in chapters of six Surahs, five Surahs, seven Surahs, nine Surahs, eleven Surahs and thirteen Surahs, and the chapter of al-Mufassal, from Qaf until the end. This indicates that the order of the Surahs – as it appears in the Mus-haf now – existed at the time of the Messenger of Allah, or it is possible that what was known in order at that time was Hizb al-Mufassal specifically, which is not the case with the rest.”
(See al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran by al-Suyuti, 1/62-65)
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
1 – The proof that the copies of the Holy Qur’aan that we
have before us is not just one or two pieces of evidence, rather it is
proven by a vast amount of evidence that no fair-minded person can study
without becoming convinced that it is exactly as Allaah revealed it to
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

2 – There have been generations coming one after another,
reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it, memorizing it and writing it
down. They have not omitted a single letter, and no one can change even the
vowel point of a single letter. Writing is just one means of preserving it;
basically it is preserved in their hearts. 

3 – The Qur’aan has not come down to us on its own, such that
the so-called alterations could be made. Rather the interpretation of its
verses, the meanings of its words, the reasons for its revelation, the
grammar of its words and the commentary on its rulings have all been
transmitted. When such care has been given to this Book, how could sinful
hands find a way to distort even one letter of it, or add a word, or take
away a verse? 

4 – The Qur’aan speaks of matters of the unseen, in the
future, which Allaah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) to show him that they came from Allaah. If
a human being wants to write a book, he can describe an event or express a
point of view, but if any human being were to speak about matters of the
unseen, in this field he can only base that on speculation and lies. But the
Qur’aan told of the defeat of the Romans by the Persians, at the time when
there was no means of communication to inform the Arabs of this event. The
same verses also foretold that they (the Persians) would be defeated after a
certain number of years. If what the Qur’aan said was not accurate, then the
kaafirs would have had a great opportunity to criticize the Qur’aan. 

5 – If you read any verse of the Qur’aan, then you go to
America or Asia or the jungles of Africa, or to the deserts of Arabia or any
place where there are Muslims, you will find that all of them have the exact
same verse, memorized by heart or in their books; not a single letter of it
will have been altered.  

So what is the importance of this unknown manuscript in Yemen
which we have not seen, and in which some ignorant may have altered, in
recent times, one verse or one word? 

Does this argument carry any weight when properly researched
and discussed? Especially when the people claim to be fair-minded and
objective in their research.  

What would be their response if we went to one of their most
trusted books by a well-known author, a book of which there are many copies
in the world, all of them exactly the same, and we claimed that there was a
copy of this book in some country or other in which there was extra material
and alterations, and it was different from what is in their copies? Would
they pay any attention? 

Their answer would be the same as ours. 

6 – The manuscript copies which are in the Muslims’
possession cannot be proven to be authentic in this simplistic manner, for
we have experts who know the history of calligraphy and we have principles
and guidelines through which we may determine whether a manuscript is
genuine, such as the names and signatures of the people who heard it and
read it.  

We do not think that these features are present in this
so-called copy of the Qur’aan in Yemen or in others. 

7 – We are happy to conclude our answer with this true story
that happened in Baghdad during the ‘Abbasid era, when a Jew wanted to find
out how true are the books attributed by their followers to God, namely the
Torah among the Jews, the Gospel among the Christians and the Qur’aan among
the Muslims. 

He went to the Torah and added and took away a few minor
things that were not very obvious, then he gave it to a scribe from among
the Jews and asked him to make copies of it. It did not take long before
these copies were placed in the synagogues of the Jews and were in
circulation among their major scholars. 

Then he went to the Gospel and added and took away a few
things as he had done with the Torah, and he gave it to their scribes and
asked them to make copies of it. It was not long before it was being read in
their churches and was in circulation among their scholars. 

Then he went to the Qur’aan and added and took away a few
things as he had done with the Torah and the Gospel. Then he gave it to a
Muslim scribe to make copies of it. 

When he went back to get his copy, the scribe threw it in his
face and told him that this was not the Qur’aan of the Muslims! 

From this experiment the man came to know that the Qur’aan is
the true Book of Allaah and that all other books were the works of human
beings. 

If the scribes of the Muslims could tell that this copy had
been tampered with, then how could it go into circulation among the Muslim
scholars undetected? 

If the questioner wants to repeat this ancient experiment
nowadays, all she has to do is to do the same as that Jewish man did, who
later became Muslim; she can add and take away things from these three books
and see what happens as a result. 

But we do not tell her to show her copy of the Qur’aan to a
scribe, rather we tell her to show it to Muslim children, and they will tell
her where the mistakes are in her copy! 

Some Muslim states have printed Mus-hafs in which there were
mistakes, and young children found them before the grown-ups did!

 And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.