Umar Khattab is a man that should not need introduction as he was the second Caliph of Islam. He was also a memoriser of the Quran and he was so highly thought of by Muhammad that he said: “If there was to have a Prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab.” (Tirmhidi 3686: Classed Hasan by Tirmhidi and Sahih by Al-Hakim and Dhahabi). However this individual along with Ibn Abbas, Abu Darda, Aisha, Ibn Umar, , nd Mujahid Ibn Jabr were testifiers to the corruption of the Quran.

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Umars testimony: A mistake in 62:9

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In the Uthmanic Quran for chapter 62 verse 9, we read the following:

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يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know.

Quran 62:9

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However Umar disagreed, saying that the word hasten (فاسعوا) is incorrect. Rather the correct word is ‘go (فامضوا). From As-Suyutis Tafsir Manthur:

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أخرج أبو عبيد في فضائله وسعيد بن منصور وابن أبي شيبة وابن المنذر وابن الأنباري في المصاحف عن خرشة بن الحر قال: رأى معي عمر بن الخطاب لوحاً مكتوباً فيه { إذا نودي للصلاة من يوم الجمعة فاسعوا إلى ذكر الله } فقال: من أملى عليك هذا؟ قلت: أبيّ بن كعب. قال: إن أبياً أقرؤنا للمنسوخ قرأها ” فامضوا إلى ذكر الله “.

Abu Ubaid narrated in his al-Fadhael and Sayd bin Mansur, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn al-Anbari in the Masahif from Kharsha bin al-Hur that he said: ‘Umar bin al-Khattab saw me carrying a tablet written in it ‘{when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten (فاسعوا) to the remembrance of Allah}. He (Umar) asked: ‘Who dictated this to you?’ I replied: ‘Ubai bin Ka’b’. He said: ‘Ubai recited the abrogated (part), he (Umar) recited it ‘go (فامضوا) to the remembrance of Allahʼ

Tafsir Manthur 62:9

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Commenting on the authenticity of the narration, ibn Hajar states in Fath Al-Bari, 8/642:

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وأخرجه سعيد بن منصور فبين الواسطة بين إبراهيم وعمر وأنه خرشة بن الحر فصح السماء Narrated by Sayd bin Mansur and he clarified the medium [narrator] between the [narrator] Ibrahim and Umar who is Kharsha ibn al Hurr therefore the chain is Sahih”

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Islamqa also accepts this hadith:

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With regard to ‘Umar’s recitation of the verse in Soorat al-Jumu‘ah as “Famdu ila dhikr Allah”, this was narrated from him by Imam al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh in an affirmative mu‘allaq report. It was also narrated by Imam Ibn Jareer at-Tabari with a saheeh isnaad. It is not in accordance with the format of the ‘Uthmaani Mus-haf, and it is not one of the seven modes of recitation. Some of the scholars are of the view that it is to be regarded as another way of reciting the verse. Others are of the view that it is an explanatory recitation, and that what he meant was to explain the meaning of the word “Fas‘aw” in the verse, and that it does not mean walking rapidly. Something similar to this was found in the Mus-hafs of some of the Sahaabah.

Islamqa Fatwa 178209

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The text of the report indicates none of this at all, but I still find scholarly excuses for evidence of corruption amusing.