What is your opinion of the book *Al-Musahaf* by Ibn Abi Dawud and the narrations contained in it?
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The questioner : What is the opinion of the Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) regarding the book *Al-Musahaf* by Ibn Abi Dawud and the narrations contained in it, given that some people say that this book serves the Shi'ah and the Orientalists in their attacks on the Qur'an?
The Shaykh : The truth is that I have not been able to study the book *Al-Musahaf* by Ibn Abi Dawud completely, although I am aware that I have examined a copy of the manuscript. However, as you know from experience, reading manuscripts from beginning to end is not an easy matter. Then we learned, indeed we learned long ago, that it was printed in Europe, and we recently learned that this printed edition was photographed, so I obtained a copy of this photograph. But until now, I have not had the time to read it. This is the answer from one perspective. From another perspective, it is possible that some of the people of the sects, or some Muslims, or some of the disbelievers and polytheists, can exploit not only the book *Al-Musahaf*, which is the work of a human being who makes mistakes and hits the mark, but those people all together exploit the very Mushaf, which is the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), from its beginning to its end. Therefore, in our capacity as Muslims—and I do not say "as Muslims" as some of the moderns say, but in our capacity as Muslims—we should not pay attention to such issues that are raised, namely that this book contains narrations that the Rafidah Shi'ah exploit, and that the disbelieving sinners exploit. Because this door of exploitation cannot be closed absolutely. It is sufficient for you to know that the Christians, even to this day, use verses such as those in which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says He breathed into Jesus (peace be upon him) of His Spirit, as evidence to prove the divinity of Jesus (peace be upon him). So, do we remove these texts that these disbelievers exploit? No, rather we leave them. And as for what is other than the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), we apply the principles and scientific rules to it: we accept what is authentic and reject what is not authentic. It is not our concern after that that these disbelievers exploited it in a bad way, because they exploit the speech of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
I want from this answer that we focus on ourselves and not on the issues of others, because the issues of these people do not end, until they are poured into the speech of Allah, Lord of the worlds (Blessed and Exalted is He).
The Shaykh : The truth is that I have not been able to study the book *Al-Musahaf* by Ibn Abi Dawud completely, although I am aware that I have examined a copy of the manuscript. However, as you know from experience, reading manuscripts from beginning to end is not an easy matter. Then we learned, indeed we learned long ago, that it was printed in Europe, and we recently learned that this printed edition was photographed, so I obtained a copy of this photograph. But until now, I have not had the time to read it. This is the answer from one perspective. From another perspective, it is possible that some of the people of the sects, or some Muslims, or some of the disbelievers and polytheists, can exploit not only the book *Al-Musahaf*, which is the work of a human being who makes mistakes and hits the mark, but those people all together exploit the very Mushaf, which is the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), from its beginning to its end. Therefore, in our capacity as Muslims—and I do not say "as Muslims" as some of the moderns say, but in our capacity as Muslims—we should not pay attention to such issues that are raised, namely that this book contains narrations that the Rafidah Shi'ah exploit, and that the disbelieving sinners exploit. Because this door of exploitation cannot be closed absolutely. It is sufficient for you to know that the Christians, even to this day, use verses such as those in which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says He breathed into Jesus (peace be upon him) of His Spirit, as evidence to prove the divinity of Jesus (peace be upon him). So, do we remove these texts that these disbelievers exploit? No, rather we leave them. And as for what is other than the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), we apply the principles and scientific rules to it: we accept what is authentic and reject what is not authentic. It is not our concern after that that these disbelievers exploited it in a bad way, because they exploit the speech of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
I want from this answer that we focus on ourselves and not on the issues of others, because the issues of these people do not end, until they are poured into the speech of Allah, Lord of the worlds (Blessed and Exalted is He).