Salam titus
Was there not an "official" version of the Quran until many years after Muhammad's death? In fact once Uthman had a committee come up with an official version he ordered "unofficial" copies burnt while he was Kalif. How could this be if there has never been any corruption or changes made by man?
It is a strange thing that many nonmuslims try to prove that Quran is not authentic. Without understanding why the copies were burnt, they allege that these copies were burnt so that text of Quran disappears in history. Any neutral person can judge that a person who is sencere to his religion won't just burn his religious scriptures for no good reason. Let me explain; Quran was revealed in seven dialects. Not versions. Dialects. The problem is, the English language does not have any dialects so it is difficult for you to understand the difference. But anyway I'll give you a few examples regarding dialects. In the arabic language the word "Hatta" (meaning until) was pronounces "atta" in a different dialect. Same word, same meaning, different pronounciation. Some Arabs used to have a dialect which originated from Yemen, where they would add "an" at the end of a noun. Take for instance the popular word of today "Taliban", as in the Taliban in Afghanistan. "Taliban" is the same as the Arabic word "Talib" which means "Student". Again, same meaning, different pronounciation. But why did God reveal Quran in 7 dialects? Why not 1? The reason is that Prophet Muhammad pbuh wanted all the Arabs to accept and understand Quran. So he asked angel Gabriel to reveal Quran in other dialects as well.
BUKHARI Volume 6, Book 61, Number 513:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas:
Allah's Apostle said, "Gabriel recited the Qur'an to me in one way. Then I requested him (to read it in another way), and continued asking him to recite it in other ways, and he recited it in several ways till he ultimately recited it in seven different ways."
Coming to the Question, why did the Caliph Usman burn the other dialects of the Quran and retained only 1 i.e the Qurashi dialect? Well, Islam at that time was spreading very fast. The nonarab Muslims were also, like you, having a hard time understanding the concept of dialects. If one group of nonarab recites Quran in a particular dialect and the other group recites it in another dialect, they will have differences between them. They would call each other wrong, since they do not understand dialects. So to avoid differences, Only one dialect of Quran was retained. The answer of your question is actually in the following hadith
Sahih Bukhari [Volume 6, No. 510, pages 478-479]
Narrated Anas bin Malik: Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to 'Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan.
Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur'an, so he said to 'Uthmfin, 'O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Qur'an), as Jews and the Christians did before'. So 'Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, 'Send us the manuscripts of the Qur'an so that we may compile the Qur'anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you'. Hafsa sent it to 'Uthman. 'Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, Sa'id bin Al-'As and 'Abdur Rahman bin Hari-bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. 'Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, 'In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Qur'an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish as the Qur'an was revealed in their tongue'. They did so, and when they had written many copies, 'Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. 'Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur'anic materials whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.
Isn't it a good idea to keep just one dialect? Nowadays, if you campare a Quran bought from streets of Sudan to the one bought from a mall in Malaysia, they will be identical.
Some nonmuslims allege that these different dialects of the Quran had contradictions, which is why they were burnt. Suppose I agree, then let us examine the following hadith.
BUKHARI Volume 6, Book 61, Number 514
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:
I heard Hisham bin Hakim reciting Surat Al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited in several different ways which Allah's Apostle had not taught me. I was about to jump over him during his prayer, but I controlled my temper, and when he had completed his prayer, I put his upper garment around his neck and seized him by it and said, "Who taught you this Sura which I heard you reciting?" He replied, "Allah's Apostle taught it to me." I said, "You have told a lie, for Allah's Apostle has taught it to me in a different way from yours." So I dragged him to Allah's Apostle and said (to Allah's Apostle), "I heard this person reciting Surat Al-Furqan in a way which you haven't taught me!" On that Allah's Apostle said, "Release him, (O 'Umar!) Recite, O Hisham!" Then he recited in the same way as I heard him reciting. Then Allah's Apostle said, "It was revealed in this way," and added, "Recite, O 'Umar!" I recited it as he had taught me. Allah's Apostle then said, "It was revealed in this way.
This Qur'an has been revealed to be recited in seven different ways, so recite of it whichever (way) is easier for you (or read as much of it as may be easy for you)."
If these 7 dialects in which Quran was revealed had contradictions, wouldn't Prophet Muhammad pbuh have corrected them? I have quoted 2 hadiths regarding this topic, and both suggest that Prophet Muhammad pbuh was alive while these different versions existed. Shouldn't he have corrected if these versions were contradictory?
I hope that I have answered your question. As for the authenticity of the Quran, I do not need to give an argument on that. You can find dozens on internet, by Muslims as well as nonmuslims. Let me just quote Quran
"We [Allah] have, without doubt, sent down the Message [The Noble Quran]; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption). (The Noble Quran, 15:9)"
Using this argument one could also claim that Scientology is just as valid as Islam since their main document has not been altered by anyone
Scientology is a comparitively recent religion (founded in 1953) so it has not stood the test of time as Quran has. But even if I agree with you, we can use other methods to prove that Quran is the word of God.
1) It may be due to the prescientific knowledge given in the Quran.
www.quranmiracles.com
2) It may be because of historical miracles of the Quran
http://miraclesof thequran/historical_index.html
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3) It may be due to the mathematical miracles
http://miraclesof thequran/mathematical_index.html
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4) It may be because it was predicted by many religious scriptures.
http://www.ilovezakirnaik.com/muhamm...ised/index.htm
5) It may be because it gives us a perfect way of life at an individual and helps us to attain inner peace. A practicing Muslim never feels fear regarding the future or grief regarding past.
002.038 قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
002.038 We said: "Get ye down all from here; and if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from me,
whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Al-Qur'an, 002.038 (Al-Baqara [The Cow])
Text Copied from DivineIslam's Qur'an Viewer software v2.910
6) It may be because it gives us a set of ideal rules and regulations which when applied can give an ideal society. We can prove that by giving the example of Hazrat Umer, who on the application of Quran created a prosperous society.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reforms_of_Umar's_era
7) Mostly People believe in Islam because it is simple and its principles are in accordance with our inner ethical code (such as equality, justice etc). Its fundamental concepts such as oneness of God, Judgement day appeals to our thinking.
8) Also Quran is the greatest literary miracle of the Arabic language. At the height of poetry, Quran came and it gave a challenge
002.023 وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
002.023 And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.
002.024 فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَلَنْ تَفْعَلُوا فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ
002.024 But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith.
Al-Qur'an, 002.023-024 (Al-Baqara [The Cow])
Text Copied from DivineIslam's Qur'an Viewer software v2.910
All the Arab literary figures were given a challenge not to produce a whole book like Quran but to produce a single Surah like Quran. The smallest Surah of Quran consists of 3 sentences. But the pagans were unable to do so.
Here are a few reasons I have in my head right now. There may be more.
Peace