Part 3: Sahaba’s Testimonies –Verses Missing from The Quran

Part 3: Sahaba's Testimonies - Verses Missing from The Quran

After Uthman burned the other manuscripts and distributed his version, many assumed the Quran was now complete. But some of the Prophet's closest companions remembered verses and passages that no longer appeared in the mushaf.

Ayesha (one of Prophet SAW wives) recalled verses about stoning and adult * that disappeared after the Prophet's death. Umar (caliph) warned people not to deny the verse of rajm, insisting it was revealed even though it no longer appeared in the present day Quran. Abu Musa al-Ashari (RA) remembered Surah al-Ahzab as long as Surah al-Baqarah, while today it is only seventy-three verses. And Ubayy ibn Kab (RA), one of the Prophet's best reciters, kept two surahs in his mushaf that were left out of Uthman's version.

Together, these reports show that respected Sahaba disagreed with the Uthmani version. Their memories suggest missing material, pointing us back to the bigger issue: Allah promised to protect His Zikr—was that different from the Quran we hold today?

Abu Musa al-Ashari’s Testimony – The Missing Verses of Surah Ahzab

Abu Musa al-Ashari (RA), a respected companion and Quran reciter, openly declared that Surah al-Ahzab was once much longer than the version we read today. He said:

“We used to recite a Surah which resembled in length and severity to Surah al-Bara'ah (Surah al-Tawbah), but I have forgotten it, except one verse of it: 'If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would still seek a third, and nothing fills the belly of Adam's son except dust.'”

In another narration, Abu Musa said:

“In the lifetime of the Prophet SAW, Surah al-Ahzab was recited as long as Surah al-Baqarah. But when Uthman compiled the Quran, I could not find except what is there now.”

Surah al-Baqarah has 286 verses, while the current Surah al-Ahzab has only 73 verses. According to Abu Musa, more than 200 verses were missing.

Sources:

Musnad Ahmad

Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi

Mustadrak al-Hakim

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

This testimony strongly suggests that parts of revelation once memorized and recited by Sahaba did not survive in the Uthmani mushaf.

Ubayy ibn Kab’s Testimony – Extra Surahs in His Mushaf

Ubayy ibn Kab (RA), one of the most trusted reciters of the Quran and personally praised by the Prophet SAW, had a mushaf that contained two additional surahs not found in today's Quran. These were known as Surah al-Khal and Surah al-Hafd. He used to recite them in his prayers and taught them to his students.

The text of these surahs has been preserved in some narrations. For example, Surah al-Hafd included words like:

“O Allah! We seek Your help, we ask for Your forgiveness, we praise You and do not disbelieve in You. We part from and abandon those who disobey You.”

Later, in Uthman version, these surahs were not included. But historical sources confirm that Ubayy considered them part of revelation.

Sources :

Musnad Ahmad

Al-Suyuti, al-Itqan fi 'Uloom al-Qur'an

Ibn Nadim, al-Fihrist

Ubayy's testimony shows that even the Prophet's best reciters did not agree with the Uthmani compilation. His mushaf was different, and his version of the Quran had material that others did not recognize.

Umar ibn al-Khattab Testimony – The Missing Verse of Stoning

Umar ibn al-Khattab the second Caliph, made a striking very statement about a verse that is not found in the present Quran. According to him, there was once an ayah revealed about the punishment of stoning (rajm) for married people.

He said in a khutbah:

“Allah sent down the verse of stoning, and we recited it, and we understood it. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) implemented stoning, and we stoned after him. I fear that in time people will say, 'We do not find the verse of stoning in the Book of Allah,'

But this verse is not present in the Uthmani mushaf. Umar openly admitted this.

Sources :

Sahih al-Bukhari

Sahih Muslim

Musnad Ahmad

Ayesha and the Verse Eaten by a Goat

Ayesha narrated that a verse regarding raḍaa ten times was revealed, and later this was reduced to five times. the written verse was kept on a parchment in her house. However, a goat (bakri) entered and ate the parchment. Because of this incident, the verse was not included in the final compiled mushaf.

Sources:

Sunan Ibn Majah

Musnad Ahmad

al-Durr al-Manthur.

Conclusion

From the accounts of Abu Musa al-Ashari, Ubayy ibn Kab, Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Ayesha, we see that early companions openly discussed verses they remembered, recited, or practiced but which did not appear in the final Uthmanic version. These highlight reports that the process of Quran preservation was deeply human, shaped by memory, and people choices.

This raises an important point: Allah promised the protection of His “Zikr” (Message/Reminder), not specifically the written Quran. What survived in the Mushaf is part of that divine message, but the historical narrations show there differences were in recitation, memory, and textual preservation.

What's Next in the Series?

In the next part, we will shift focus to Imam Ali (AS) — known as one of the greatest masters of the Quran. We will explore:

His unparalleled knowledge of the Quran's verses and meanings.

His own compiled mushaf and how it differed from Uthman's version.

Part 2 – Zikr and Quran from Sunni Books: The harsh Reality

Part 1: Allah’s Promise – Did He Take Responsibility for the Quran?