Revelation and Falsification

For all Muslims the Qur-+an is the word of God. In the first centuries of Islam, however, many individuals and groups, and some Shi-+is, believed that the generally accepted text of the Qur-+an is corrupt. The Shi-+is asserted that redactors had altered or deleted among other things all passages that supported the rights of -+Ali and his successors or that condemned his enemies. One of the fullest lists of these alleged changes and of other variant readings is to be found in the work of al-Sayyari (3rd/9th century), which is indeed among the earliest Shi-+i books to have survived. In many cases the alternative readings that al-Sayyari presents substantially contribute to our understanding of early Shi-+i doctrine and of the early and numerous debates about the Qur-+an in general.

Review:

The introduction of Revelation and Falsification is to be commended for the vast research and diversity of the sources consulted therein. It especially provides a good historical survey of the study of the Qur-+an by Western scholars. [...] In the notes the authors have shown their full command and outstanding expertise on Shi-+a and Sunni sources of tafsir (exegesis) together with their meticulous research. [...] All in all, Revelation and Falsification is a valuable contribution to the study of the Qur-+an and to creating a deeper understanding of the Shi-+a creed. Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour, in Journal of Shi-+a Islamic Studies, Spring 2010, Vol. III, No. 2. This is a formidable work, erudite as much as it is meticulous. Moreover, it is a real advancement in knowledge for it is a critical edition of a rare and early work of Shiite religious literature. [...] ...what matters is the quality of the edition - with its critical apparatus and the indexes - that will become an exemplar for critical editions in the field for years to come. Walid A. Saleh, in The Muslim World Book Review, 30:3, 2010. Magistralement editee par E. Kohlberg [...] et M.A. Amir-Moezzi [...], imprimee avec tous les soins qu'une grande maison d'edition peut apporter, cette edition critique du Kitab al-qira-+at [...] represente une importante contribution a la connaissance des controverses entre shi-+ites et sunnites a l'epoque medievale. J. Dean in Revue D'Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses 2011, 91.1, p. 104. This work [...] is of remarkable quality. The critical edition is extremely well cared for. [...] such a work is not simply useful but indeed necessary for any person who is interested in Qur-+anic exegesis. Michel Lagarde in Islamochristiana 37 (2011), p.327-328.