"Is Your Quran Different?" and "Who Leads After the Prophet?"

The Quran question: Some people ask: do the Shia have a different Quran? The answer is in the Quran itself. Allah promised: "Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian." (15:9) That promise cannot fail — so the Quran is complete. Today, Shia and Sunni Muslims read the very same Quran, word for word. — to be checked.

What is the Mushaf of Fatima? Another question follows: what about the Mushaf of Fatima? It is not a different Quran. It is a separate book of sayings given to Fatima (sa) after the Prophet (SAW) passed away — and Shia scholars are clear that it contains no verses of the Quran. Confusing the two books is a simple mistake, and a calm answer clears it up. — to be checked.

The leadership question: After the Prophet (SAW), who should lead the Muslims? The Quran commands obedience to Allah, the Messenger, and "those in authority" among you (4:59) — and such unconditional obedience can only be given to those protected from error. The Quran also speaks of the purified Ahlul Bayt (as) (33:33). The Prophet (SAW) said: hold on to the Quran and to my Ahlul Bayt (Sahih Muslim 2408). At Ghadeer Khumm he declared Ali (as) his Mawla (Tirmidhi 3713) — and the prophecy of twelve successors (Bukhari 7222, Muslim 1821) matches the Twelve Imams (as). — to be checked.

Example

The same map: Two travellers argue about the road. First check: are they using the same map? If the map is the same, the argument is about the road — not the map. So with the Quran: once both sides agree the book is the same, the real discussion can begin — about leadership, not about the book.

Answer the question, not the tone: If someone asks harshly, answer gently. A calm answer is heard; a harsh answer starts a fight — and the question is forgotten.

Key Terms

• Tahreef (تحریف) — changing or corrupting a holy book, which the Quran says cannot happen to itself
• Ulil-Amr (اولو الامر) — "those in authority", whom the Quran (4:59) commands Muslims to obey
• Thaqalayn (ثقلین) — the Two Weighty Things: the Quran and the Ahlul Bayt (as)

Quran or Hadith

Quran 15:9 — "Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian." — to be checked.

This single verse settles the Quran question for every Muslim, Sunni and Shia alike. Shia scholarship has always rested on this verse.