Question:

I seek your guidance regarding the issue mentioned below. I hope you will clarify it with detailed arguments. On one hand, it is said about the Holy Quran that it exists in the exact same form in which it was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). To the extent that not even a single dot, Zair (kasrah), or Zabar (fathah) has changed. But on the other hand, it is recorded in some authentic books that the recitation (Qira'at) of a specific verse is narrated in different ways, in which the difference of diacritical marks (I'rab) is common. In fact, in some places, even the difference in certain phrases has been mentioned.

If the first statement is correct, then the difference of Qira'at seems like an absurd thing, but in that case, the scholars' endorsement of the difference of Qira'at is incomprehensible. And if the second statement is accepted as correct, then the authenticity of the Quran seems to be compromised. You already know how much difference the variation in diacritical marks can make to the Arabic meanings. Here, I also deem it appropriate to state that I do not have even an iota of inclination towards the rejectors of Hadith (Munkireen-e-Hadith); rather, I am turning to you solely to understand the issue.

Answer:

This point is absolutely correct in its place that the Holy Quran exists today in the exact same form in which it was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and there has not been the slightest change in it. However, along with this, it is also absolutely correct that the difference of recitations (Qira'at) was and is present in the Quran. Those people who have not studied this issue systematically in a scholarly manner, look at it merely from a superficial perspective and casually judge that these two statements are mutually contradictory and that necessarily only one of them can be correct. That is to say, if the Quran has been correctly transmitted from the Prophet (peace be upon him), then the talk of differences in Qira'at is wrong, and if the difference of Qira'at is correct, then (God forbid) the Quran has not reached us in a correct manner...