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Narrated Al-Bara:

There was revealed: 'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.' (4.95)

The Prophet said, "Call Zaid for me and let him bring the board, the inkpot and the scapula bone (or the scapula bone and the ink pot)."' Then he said, "Write: 'Not equal are those Believers who sit...", and at that time 'Amr bin Um Maktum, the blind man was sitting behind the Prophet. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is your order for me (as regards the above Verse) as I am a blind man?" So, instead of the above Verse, the following Verse was revealed:

'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc.) and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah.' (4.95) (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 61, Number 512)

Question, Did Muhammad add something to it or was it re-revealed? Can someone clarify?

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  • Can you include a source to this hadith, preferably an online link
    – Sohaeb
    Commented Aug 10, 2014 at 10:16
  • the hadith is authentic. usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/hadith/bukhari/061-sbt.php
    – user2724
    Commented Aug 10, 2014 at 16:00
  • Prophet(pbuh) never fabricated(did not add anything). Whatever is there under the heading Qur'an is from the creator. Commented Mar 12, 2015 at 8:45

2 Answers 2

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The prophet (peace be upon him) didn't add anything to the verse. It was re-revealed and the previous version of the verse was abrogated. Allah says in the Qur'an:

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا ۗ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things? [Quran 2:106]

The story of the re-revelation is recorded in the following hadith:

Narrated Sahl bin Sad As-Sa'idi:

I saw Marwan bin Al-Hakam sitting in the Mosque. So I came forward and sat by his side. He told us that Zaid bin Thabit had told him that Allah's Apostle had dictated to him the Divine Verse:

"Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and lives.' (4.95)

Zaid said, "Ibn-Maktum came to the Prophet while he was dictating to me that very Verse. On that Ibn Um Maktum said, "O Allah's Apostle! If I had power, I would surely take part in Jihad." He was a blind man. So Allah sent down revelation to His Apostle while his thigh was on mine and it became so heavy for me that I feared that my thigh would be broken. Then that state of the Prophet was over after Allah revealed "...except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc.) (4.95)

Sahih al-Bukhari

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  • The link to the hadith is dead now.
    – Pavel
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 14:13
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You answered your own question:

There was revealed: 'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.' (4.95)

The Prophet said, "Call Zaid for me and let him bring the board, the inkpot and the scapula bone (or the scapula bone and the ink pot)."' Then he said, "Write: 'Not equal are those Believers who sit...", and at that time 'Amr bin Um Maktum, the blind man was sitting behind the Prophet. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is your order for me (as regards the above Verse) as I am a blind man?" So, instead of the above Verse, the following Verse was revealed:

'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc.) and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah.' (4.95) (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 61, Number 512)

"In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities." Wikipedia.

In this supernatural entity is obviously Allah Almighty for Muslims.

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  • If Yah's absolute (Qur'an, sura 112 (Al-Ikhlas), ayat 1-4), then changing verses must be by a non-absolute being, like Gabriel. Commented Sep 13, 2017 at 16:39

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