Faslul Khitab

Sheikh M. al-Khatib's second allegation concerns the book called Faslul Khitab Fi Ithbati Tahrifi Kitabi Rabbil Arbab, by Mirza Husein at-Twabarsy.

On page 4 of his book, Sheikh M. al-Khatib states that in Faslul Khitab there is evidence that, according to Shia belief, there are "both additions to and omissions from" the Qur'an . On this claim please turn to page 9-13 of this book to see how several Shia ulamaa have rejected that theory. Please turn also to pages 31-39 of this book to see that Sunnis subscribe to this belief as well - and this can be seen in their main books which are relied upon as "the most authentic after the Qur'an"! If that is the case, why should it be blamed on Shias alone?

It is true, as Sheikh M. al-Khatib has stated, that the book in question was published in Iran in 1298H. But it is not true that it contains the evidence by "Shiite scholars in different eras"! The truth is that the mentioned book includes evidences from the Sunnis as well - and the latter in a bigger quantity!

However, what is important here is to know that, after the publication of that book, some of the Shia scholars wrote other books as rejoinders to it. Scholars such as Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Shahristani in his book, Risaalatu Hifdhil Kitabis Sharifi An Shubhatil Qawli Bit Tahrif, and Sheikh Mahmud at-Tahrani in his book, Kashful Irtiyabi. Wasn't Sheikh M. al-Khatib aware of this?

It should also be understood that before his death, the author of Faslul Khitab admitted that it was a mistake to have given his book that title. He said that it would have been better to have called it Faslul Khitab Fi Adami Tahrifil Kitab, because in it he proved that all the chapters and verses of the Holy Qur'an, which is available in the four corners of the world, "were a revelation from Allah, which were tampered with neither by alterations and changes nor by additions or omissions - since (the day) it was bound together to this day…"

But even if we are to accept that all that is contained in Faslul Khitab is from Shia transmissions, and even if we do not accept Sheikh at-Twabarsy's report that he admitted to his mistake, what will Sheikh M. al-Khatib tell us concerning those transmissions which are contained in Volume Two of al-Itqaan by Suyuti, and which are similar to the ones in Faslul Khitab? Because of that, is he or others who have similar views as his, prepared to judge the Sunnis in the same manner as he did the Shias? If not, then our readers will definitely want to know why.