Lecture Notes: Jay Smith on Quran Preservation Debate
Date: June 8, 2022
Introduction
- Speaker: Jay Smith
- Occasion: June 8, 2022—2-year anniversary of an interview between Yasir Qadhi and Muhammad Hijab
- Platforms: Fander Films, David Wood's YouTube, and Hatun Tash's channel
- Relevance: Discussion centers on critical issues related to the Quran's preservation
Key Figures
- Dr. Yasir Qadhi: Leading authority on the Quran
- Muhammad Hijab: Noted Muslim apologist and YouTuber
- Hatun Tash: Researcher with 30 different Quranic manuscripts
Central Claims
- Quran Versions: 30 official Qurans, with varying wordings leading to different meanings and even doctrines.
- Example: Hafs and Warsh, the two most popular versions, have 5,000 differing words.
- Hatun Tash and her team have found 93,000 differences among 30 Quran versions.
Quran Preservation Debate
Historical Claims on Quran
- Traditional Muslim Claim: Quran is preserved perfectly word for word, letter for letter.
- Key Quranic Verses: Chapter 10:15, Chapter 18:27, Chapter 15:9 claim divine preservation.
- Positions by Yasir Qadhi: Advocates that no word or letter has ever been changed.
Issues with Preservation Claims
- Timeline: Hafs and Asim, Qur'an transmitters, lived over a century after Muhammad.
- Multiple Quran Versions: Identified differences among versions conflict with the claim of complete preservation.
- Qadhi's Crisis of Knowledge: Encountered conflicting information at Yale University in 1995, causing a crisis in understanding but not faith.
- Critiques about Muslims respecting a 'red line' on questioning the Quran.
- Scholarly Views: Western academics raise unanswered questions, moving beyond traditional 'red lines'.
Key Points from the Interview Excerpts
- Opening Question: Muhammad Hijab asks Qadhi about Quran preservation—whether it’s preserved from Allah as traditional claims state.
- Qadhi’s Initial Response: Diverts to general theological stance that the Quran is preserved absolutely but avoids specifics.
- Advanced Student Confession: Qadhi mentions that even advanced scholars don't have a full understanding and that he faced a crisis in knowledge at Yale.
- Forbidden Discussion: Asserts that detailed discussions on Quranic differences should be confined to knowledgeable circles, not the general public.
- Western Academic Pressure: Western academics have 'leaps and bounds' advanced in their critical study, pointing out unaddressed contradictions.
Standard Islamic Narrative Holes
- Admittance by Qadhi: Confirms that the standard Islamic narrative (SIN) has significant 'holes' and cannot answer all standard criticisms.
- Implications: The acknowledgment has led some Muslims to leave Islam, expressing disillusionment after the interview.
Public & Scholarly Reaction
- Deletion of Interview: Original interview was removed from both Yasir Qadhi's and Muhammad Hijab’s YouTube channels after receiving intense backlash.
- Academic Papers and Lectures: Qadhi refrains from public lectures on Quranic preservation despite insisting on having a 'workable theory'.
Conclusion
- Ongoing Exposure: Jay Smith commits to revisiting and discussing this topic annually on June 8 to illustrate the complications in Quranic preservation claims.
- Call to Action: Encourages critical examination and dialogue on Quranic preservation, suggesting it lacks the claimed divine protection.
References
- Continues with examples from Al Fadi's researches.
- Confirms Quran has not been preserved through various differences.
Summary
Jay Smith reflects on the Quran preservation debate triggered by prominent Muslim scholars Yasir Qadhi and Muhammad Hijab. He analyzes the inconsistencies and textual changes in Quranic manuscripts, pointing out the conflicts with claims of perfect preservation. Smith highlights the reaction among the Muslim community and vows to keep discussing this topic to challenge traditional narratives.