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Title: Critical Study of John Burton’s Objections on the Qur’ān Regarding Its Revelation in Seven Letters (Saba’ Ahruf)
Authors: Sajid U Rahman
Journal: Journal of World Religions and Interfaith Harmony
Publisher: Islamia University, Bahawalpur
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2022
Volume: 1
Issue: 1
Language: English
Almighty Allāh is the Creator of the mankind. When He Created Hazrat Ādam and sent him in this world, He said that He would send guidance from Himself and whoever would follow that guidance he would have neither fear nor grief on the Day of Judgment. So to fulfill this promise, Almighty Allāh sent almost one lac and twenty four thousand prophets and revealed to many of them His scriptures as He revealed Torah to Hazrat Mūsa (Moses), Zabūr to Hazrat Dawūd (David) and Injīl to Hazrat Īsa (Jesus), likewise, the Qur’ān is the last and final link in this series under which the first books have been revealed. Almighty Allāh revealed the Holy Qur’ān to His last and final Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) almost fifteen hundred years ago. The Qur’ān itself says that it is not a new thing; rather it is a continuation of the pre-existing direction. Orientalists have denied this fact and wrote many books to create doubts in the minds of the people regarding the Qur’ān and Islām. A famous orientalist John Burton has also written his book “The Collection of the Qur’ān” and objected on the Holy Qur’ān. He tried to prove that the Qur’ān is not the book of Allāh rather it has been written by Prophet Muhammad himself. John Burton has raised objections on the Holy Qur’ān on the base of difference of recitations of the Holy Qur’ān. He argues that differentiation in the recitation of the Qur’ān causes differentiation in the Islāmic rules. In this article, the reality and status of seven letters (Saba’ Ahruf) has been discussed and the justification of the revelation of the Qur’ān in seven letters has been proved with rational and textual arguments. Furthermore, the misconceptions of John Burton regarding Saba’ Ahruf have also been clarified with proofs in this article.
To critically analyze and refute John Burton's objections regarding the revelation of the Qur'an in seven letters (Saba' Ahruf), and to justify the revelation of the Qur'an in seven dialects.
This article employs a critical textual analysis approach, examining Hadith literature and scholarly interpretations to address the concept of Saba' Ahruf and refute the objections raised by John Burton.
graph TD
A["Identify John Burton's Objections on Saba' Ahruf"] --> B["Analyze Hadith and Quranic Texts on Saba' Ahruf"];
B --> C["Explain the concept and purpose of Saba' Ahruf"];
C --> D["Address and refute specific objections raised by Burton"];
D --> E["Discuss the Uthmanic compilation of the Qur'an"];
E --> F["Formulate conclusions and recommendations"];
The paper argues that John Burton's criticisms are based on a superficial understanding of Islamic texts and historical context. The article elaborates on the historical reasons for Saba' Ahruf, including the need for ease, the diverse linguistic landscape of Arabia, and the gradual nature of divine guidance. It also explains how the compilation of the Uthmanic codex addressed potential discrepancies arising from these variations.
The revelation of the Qur'an in seven letters (Saba' Ahruf) was a divine facility to ease recitation and understanding for early Muslims. The differences in these dialects were primarily verbal, not semantic, and served to accommodate various Arabic tribal dialects. John Burton's objections stem from a misunderstanding of this concept, misinterpreting explanatory notes, erroneous recitations, or abrogated verses as inherent flaws in the Qur'an.
The study concludes that John Burton's objections to the Qur'an's revelation in seven letters are unfounded. The concept of Saba' Ahruf was a mercy from Allah to facilitate the understanding and recitation of the Qur'an, and the differences were superficial, not contradictory in meaning. The compilation of the Qur'an under Uthman unified these variations into a single, authoritative text.
1. John Burton was born in 1929 and served as a professor of Arabic at The University of Edinburgh. (Confirmed by text)
2. John Burton's book "The Collection of the Qur'n" was published by Cambridge University Press in 1977 AD. (Confirmed by text)
3. The article cites Al-Baqara 2:185 as a Quranic verse supporting the intention of ease in divine rules. (Confirmed by text)
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