Page:William Goldsack-The Qurān in Islām (1906).djvu/35

 26 In the famous book called Itqān, and written by Jalāl-ud-Dīn, it is stated that there once existed a verse in Sūra Akhrāb in which the punishment for adultery was laid down. This famous verse, which is known as ‘Ayat Al-Rajam’, is referred to frequently in the traditions, and there is not the slightest doubt that it once formed a part of the Qurān.. The passage in the Itqān referred to above runs thus,

"In it (Sūra Akhrāb) was Ayat Al-Rajam. He (Ibn-Kāb) said, ‘and what is Al-Rajam?’ He (Ibn-Jish) said, ‘If any married man or woman commit adultery, stone them’.” This verse is not found in the present copies of the Qurān; yet the evidence that it really formed a part of the original book is overwhelming. For instance, it is stated that ʿUmr knew it to be a genuine part of the Qurān, but as he was unable to find any Qurān reader to substantiate his opinion, he refused to incorporate it in the book. In the work Kitāb-fatah-al-Bari it is written,

“ʿUmr said, He had evidence that Ayat Al-Rajam was a part of the Qurān; but on his own unsupported testimony he did not (dare to) put it in the book.” These traditions show us that the present ideas of the marvellous power of memory said to be possessed by men (Hāfiz) of the prophet’s day need to be seriously modified; for here we have an undoubted verse of the Qurān for the authenticity of which not a single Hāfiz could be found to vouch. There is, however, more than one tradition which records the testimony of Ayesha, the favourite wife of the prophet, with reference to this verse. One tradition runs thus,