The Integrity of the Qur'an
Sunni and Shi'i Historical Narratives
Will be published approx. on 31. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
280 pages
978-1-4744-6224-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book investigates Muslim narratives on Qur?anic distortion through a meticulous analysis of hadith. Using isnad-cum-matn analysis, Seyfeddin Kara discovers the historical origins of this disputed claim and illuminates the dynamic interplay between Sunni and Shi?i traditionists. He demonstrates that isnad-cum-matn analysis is not only an important tool for dating hadiths but also crucial for uncovering forgeries. By identifying the individuals responsible, he provides new explanations of forgery culture in early Muslim society. Kara illuminates debates over the textual integrity and evolution of the written Qur?anic text, offering insights into the enigmatic early history of Islam. By pushing the boundaries of isnad-cum-matn analysis, this book makes methodological advancements in the study of early Islamic history and contributes to its reconstruction on the question of the canonised Qur'an's integrity.
Reviews / Votes
In this technically complex book with its sophisticated methodology, Seyfeddin Kara persuasively argues that the Quran was compiled and fixed within two years of the Prophet Muhammad's death, and that narratives within certain small Sunni and Twelver Shii groups about the Quran's textual distortion are historically untenable. -- Tahera Qutbuddin, University of Oxford Professor Kara's book will become the work on the history of the codification of the Qur'an. It is an overdue study and offers new analysis of the data. This is the first study that takes into consideration not only Sunni sources but also Shiite sources. Kara's work will become the standard work on the history of the Qur'anic text.? -- Walid Saleh, University of TorontoMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
7 black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 155 mm
Width: 233 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
428 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4744-6224-2 (9781474462242)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Seyfeddin Kara is an Assistant Professor of Islamic Origins at University of Groningen. He is also a Marie Sklodawski Curie Global Fellow at Lund University and the University of Toronto. He holds a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Durham. Dr Kara's academic journey includes a prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie Global Fellowship, with research terms at the University of Toronto, the University of Lund, and the University of Goettingen. He has received grants from the European Union, Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and other funding bodies. Dr Kara has also taught at the University of Durham, UK, and served as an Assistant Professor at Hartford International University, US. His scholarly work encompasses research articles in journals such as the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, the Muslim World, and Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. Kara authored In Search of Ali ibn Abi Talib's Codex: History and Traditions of the Earliest Copy of the Qur?an (2018).
Content
Foreword
Introduction
?A?isha's Legal Debate on the Scope of Breastfeeding
The Litigation of the Two Men According to 'The Book of God'
The Prophet, the Jews and the Stoning Penalty
Caliph?Umar's Sermon About the 'Missing Stoning Verse'
Transition of the Distortion Narrative into Shi?i Reports
Distorting the Book of God
The Return of the Avenger (Al-Mahdi) and Teaching the Correct Quran
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
?A?isha's Legal Debate on the Scope of Breastfeeding
The Litigation of the Two Men According to 'The Book of God'
The Prophet, the Jews and the Stoning Penalty
Caliph?Umar's Sermon About the 'Missing Stoning Verse'
Transition of the Distortion Narrative into Shi?i Reports
Distorting the Book of God
The Return of the Avenger (Al-Mahdi) and Teaching the Correct Quran
Conclusion
Bibliography