The doubt posed by the Shia:
They claim Umar ibn al Khattab (d. 23 AH) distorted the Qur’an by reciting in al-Fatiha: “Ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn.” (صراط من أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين).
Reports and scholarly views:
Suyuti and others narrated this from Umar with authentic chains. Scholars explained it as either one of the seven ahruf (Maki ibn Abi Talib citing Ismail al Qadi) or as tafsir, (Ibn Kathir, also reported the recitation from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb).
Found in Shia sources:
Tafsir al-Qummi narrates Umar’s recitation from Jaʿfar al-Sadiq (d. 148 AH) aswell. At Tusi, At Tabarsi, and Mulla Sadra also report this recitation from Ahl al-Bayt and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr.
Conclusion:
This recitation of Surah Al Fatiha is authentically from Umar and also from Ahl al-Bayt in Shia sources. The ulama agree it is either a valid harf or tafsir, not tahrif, so criticising Umar for this means the Shia would also have to criticse Ahlul Bayt, making them the nawasib they try and make us out to be.
Al Suyuti said in al Durr al Manthur (1/81): Waki, Abu Ubayd, Saeed ibn Mansur, Abdur Rahman ibn Humaid, Ibn al Mundhir, Ibn Abi Dawud, and Ibn al Anbari both in al Masahif, from various chains, narrated from Umar ibn al Khattab that he used to recite: “Ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn” (صراط من أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين). (Abu Ubayd, p. 162, Saeed ibn Mansur (nos. 177, 179 – Tafsir), and Ibn Abi Dawud, p. 51.)
The scholars understood what has been narrated from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, in one of two ways:
- That it is one of the seven ahruf in which the Quran was revealed:
Maki ibn Abi Talib (d. 437AH) said: “Ismail al Qadi (d. 282 AH) said in his book al Qira’at that Umar ibn al Khattab recited: ‘ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn’ (غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين). He said: This is, and Allah knows best, part of what is meant by the report that the Quran was revealed upon seven ahruf” (Al Ibana an Ma’ani al Qira’at, p. 54).
One of the Shia scholars also said this:
Mahmoud al Sharifi said: “Some of these are narrations that show differences in qira’at, and they do not indicate a difference in the text of revelation and the original Quran, because the Quran is established by tawatur, and these qira’at have not been established by tawatur” (Usturat al Tahrif, p. 119).
- That it is from the category of tafsir, not an actual qira’ah:
Ibn Kathir said: “ And His saying, the Exalted: ghayri al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa lā al-ḍāllīn (غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين): the majority recited ghayri (غير) in the genitive case, as an adjective.
Al-Zamakhshari said: and it was also recited in the accusative case, as a circumstantial qualifier, and this is the recitation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Umar ibn al Khattab, and it was narrated from Ibn Kathir.
The one described by the circumstantial qualifier is the pronoun in ʿalayhim (عليهم), and the operative verb is anʿamta (أنعمت). The meaning is: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have blessed, from those previously described and mentioned,” meaning in Bi’r Hawr — and the correct view is what we have mentioned earlier.
Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam narrated in his book Fada’il al-Qur’an from Abu Muʿawiyah, from al-Aʿmash, from Ibrahim, from al-Aswad, from Umar ibn al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, that he used to recite: ghayri al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn (غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين). This chain is authentic.
Likewise, it was reported from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb that he recited it in the same way, and this is to be understood as having been done in the manner of tafsir.
This supports what we have said — that it was only brought for the sake of emphasising the negation, so that it would not be thought to be conjoined to alladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim (الذين أنعمت عليهم) ” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 1/140-141).
Second: This recitation has been narrated from Ahl al Bayt in the books of the Imamis:
Al Qummi said in his Tafsir: “My father narrated to me from Hammad from Hariz from Abu Abdullah that he recited: ‘Ihdinā al-ṣirāṭa al-mustaqīm ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa lā al-ḍāllīn’ (اهدنا الصراط المستقيم صراط من أنعمت عليهم وغير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين). He said: Those who have incurred anger are the Nawasib, and those who have gone astray are the Jews and the Christians. And from him from Ibn Abi Umayr from Ibn Udhayna from Abu Abdullah regarding His saying ‘ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn’ (غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين) — he said: Those who have incurred anger are the Nawasib, and those who have gone astray are the doubters and those who do not know the Imam” (Tafsir al Qummi, 1/55).
Some of their scholars have understood these narrations as being from the category of differences in qira’at:
In Tafsir al-Qummi: From his father, from Hammad, from Hariz, from Abu Abdullah (Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, d. 148 AH), that he recited: Ihdinā al-ṣirāṭa al-mustaqīm ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn (اهدنا الصراط المستقيم صراط من أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين). He said: “Those who have incurred anger are the Nawasib, and those who have gone astray are the Jews and the Christians.”
And from him, and from Ibn Abi Umayr (Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, d. 217 AH), from Ibn Udhayna (Abdullah ibn Udhayna, d. 183 AH), from Abu Abdullah (Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq, d. 148 AH) regarding His saying: ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn (غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين) — he said: “Those who have incurred anger are the Nawasib, and those who have gone astray are the doubters who do not know the Imam.”
Muhammad Asif Muhsini said: “I say: It is possible to interpret this as being from the differences in qira’at. And in the book al-Masahif by Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Abi Dawud ibn Sulayman ibn al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani, who died in the year 316, printed in Cairo, p. 50, with his connected chain from Aban ibn Imran who said:
“I said to Abdur Rahman ibn al-Aswad: You recite: Ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayra al-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa ghayra al-ḍāllīn (صراط من أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم وغير الضالين)?” And he narrated with his chain from al-Aswad and Alqama that they prayed behind Umar, and he recited in this way.
And in the same Kitab al-Masahif there are many narrations from the route of Ahl al-Sunnah indicating the occurrence of additions and omissions in the Quran, and that the masahif of the Companions differed.
Then, the two hadiths mentioned from Tafsir al-Qummi, despite their sound chains, are not reliable to us, because the attribution of the present Tafsir to its trustworthy author Ali ibn Ibrahim has not been established, and this will be discussed at the end of this encyclopaedia. In summary, this qira’ah has not been established from our sources, nor do we accept the narrations of Ahl al Sunnah in this matter” (Mu’jam al Ahadith al Mu’tabara, 2/384).
So it is possible that the narrations are from the category of differences in qira’at, which can also be said about what has been narrated from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him.
As for his criticism of Tafsir al Qummi and his denial of its authenticity, this is refuted by the statement of other Imami scholars affirming the authenticity of this book and that the present version is indeed his.
Al Tusi said: “Umar ibn al Khattab and Abdullah ibn al Zubayr recited ‘Ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim’ (صراط من أنعمت عليهم), and this has been narrated from Ahl al Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them” (Al Tibyan fi Tafsir al Quran, 1/43).
He also said: “It has been narrated from Ahl al Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them: ‘Ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim’ (صراط من أنعمت عليهم), and from Umar ibn al Khattab and Amr ibn al Zubayr” (Tafsir Jawami’ al Jam’i, 1/58).
Mulla Sadra said: “Umar ibn al Khattab and Amr ibn al Zubayr recited ‘Ṣirāṭa man anʿamta ʿalayhim’ (صراط من أنعمت عليهم), and this is narrated from the household of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and them” (Tafsir al Quran al Karim, 1/124).
Accordingly, any blame placed upon Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, for this recitation would equally apply to Ahl al Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them, because they followed him in this recitation.
