The Verse on the State of Martyrs

by

Bassam Zawadi

 

Note: FIRST READ THIS ARTICLE (*)

 

The hadith commenting on the alleged "Missing verse" from the Quran is:

Saheeh Bukhari

Volume 004, Book 052, Hadith Number 299.

Narated By Anas : The people of the tribes of Ril, Dhakwan, 'Usiya and Bani Lihyan came to the Prophet and claimed that they had embraced Islam, and they requested him to support them with some men to fight their own people. The Prophet supported them with seventy men from the Ansar whom we used to call Al-Qurra'(i.e. Scholars) who (out of piety) used to cut wood during the day and pray all the night. So, those people took the (seventy) men till they reached a place called Bi'r-Ma'ana where they betrayed and martyred them. So, the Prophet invoked evil on the tribe of Ril, Dhakwan and Bani Lihyan for one month in the prayer.

Narrated Qatada: Anas told us that they (i.e. Muslims) used to recite a Qur'anic Verse concerning those martyrs which was: "O Allah! Let our people be informed on our behalf that we have met our Lord Who has got pleased with us and made us pleased." Then the Verse was cancelled.

Volume 5, Book 59, Number 416:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

(The tribes of) Ril, Dhakwan, 'Usaiya and Bani Lihyan asked Allah's Apostle to provide them with some men to support them against their enemy. He therefore provided them with seventy men from the Ansar whom we used to call Al-Qurra' in their lifetime. They used to collect wood by daytime and pray at night. When they were at the well of Ma'una, the infidels killed them by betraying them. When this news reached the Prophet , he said Al-Qunut for one month In the morning prayer, invoking evil upon some of the 'Arab tribes, upon Ril, Dhakwan, 'Usaiya and Bani Libyan. We used to read a verse of the Qur'an revealed in their connection, but later the verse was cancelled. It was: "convey to our people on our behalf the information that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us, and has made us pleased." (Anas bin Malik added:) Allah's Prophet said Qunut for one month in the morning prayer, invoking evil upon some of the 'Arab tribes (namely), Ril, Dhakwan, Usaiya, and Bani Libyan. (Anas added:) Those seventy Ansari men were killed at the well of Mauna.

Volume 005, Book 059, Hadith Number 421.

Narated By Anas bin Malik  : The Prophet invoked evil upon those (people) who killed his companions at Bir Mauna for 30 days (in the morning prayer). He invoked evil upon (tribes of) Ril, Lihyan and Usaiya who disobeyed Allah and His Apostle. Allah revealed a Qur'anic Verse to His Prophet regarding those who had been killed, i.e. the Muslims killed at Bir Ma'una, and we recited the Verse till later it was cancelled. (The Verse was:) 'Inform our people that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us, and we are pleased with Him."

Imam Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani says in Fathul Bari:

  ‏أي نسخت تلاوته                                                                                                                                      

Its recitation has been abrogated.

ورواه أحمد عن غندر عن شعبة بلفظ " ثم نسخ ذلك "                                                                                            

And it is narrated on the authority of Ahmed, on the authority of Ghandar that Sha'abah reported in his version "then it was abrogated" (Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, Fathul Bari, Kitab: Al Maghaazi, Bab: Ghazwat Al Rajee' wa Ra'al wa Zhakwaan wa Ba'ir Ma'awna wa hadith A'adal wal Qaaraah, Commentary on Hadith no. 3781, Source) 

As we can see, this is a verse whose recitation has been abrogated and was never meant to be permanently part of the textual Quran here on earth.

 

Return to Qur'anic Variants 

Return to Homepage