Daʿwā Taḥrīf al-Qurʾān al-Karīm: Taḥawwulāt al-Khiṭāb al-Imāmī min al-Naqd al-Dākhilī ilā Ilqāʾ al-Lawm

Abstract

This study examines the development of Imami discourse on the claim of Qur’anic distortion, beginning with early scholars such as al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, al-Majlisī, and al-Ṭabarsī, whose approaches to argumentation ranged from internal textual criticism and isnād analysis to balancing the Qur’an with transmitted reports, alongside invoking historical evidence for its preservation and compilation. These scholars showed a clear awareness of the challenges posed by the distortion claim and sought to affirm the central authority of the Qur’an within the Imami tradition, though they differed in how boldly they critiqued the relevant narrations—al-Ḥurr tending toward caution, while al-Ṭabarsī was more explicit. In contrast, some later scholars appear to have reduced their reliance on internal critique, instead attributing the issue to external factors such as Sunni discourse, the social conditions of the Shiʿa, or by drawing comparisons between distortion and the concept of abrogation in Sunni thought; this shift manifested in various ways, including assigning responsibility to Sunni narratives, tracing certain reports back to Sunni sources, offering sociological explanations, or reframing the discussion in comparative terms. Overall, the findings point to a gradual evolution in methods of critique among early scholars and a diversification in patterns of attribution among later ones, while underscoring the persistent concern across both phases with upholding the authority of the Qur’an and maintaining a clear relationship between the Qur’anic text and Imami narrations.