C. Muslim the Traditionalist 1 in the Kitabu’z zakat tells
us that, since 'Uthman’s revision of the Qur'an, some verses which once formed part of
the book are no longer found in it. He says, for example, that at Basrah, Abu Musa’ 'Ashari
said to 500 reciters of the Qur'an, "Verily we used to recite a Surah which, in
length and sharpness, we used to compare with an arrow. I have forgotten it, except that I
have preserved from it the words . . . And we used to recite a Surah which we used to
compare with one of the Subuhat, and I have forgotten it except that I have
preserved from it the words 'O ye who,' &c." In the Kitabu’r Riza,
Muslim quotes from 'Ayishah a tradition that the verse on Giving Suck was known at the
time of Muhammad's death; but it is no longer found in the Qur'an. In the Kitabu’l
Hudud, Muslim proves that the verse on Stoning once occurred in the Qur'an, and 'Umar
was so firmly convinced of this that, according to Abu Daud, he swore by God that he would
have caused it to be entered in that volume, had he not feared lest men should accuse him
of adding something to it. According to Ibn Majah (Abwabu’n Nikah), 'Ayishah
affirmed that two verses, one of which was this very verse on Stoning, met with a strange
fate. She says that they were duly revealed and written out, and that the manuscript was
placed under her bed; but