What is the response of Ahlus-Sunnah (the Sunnis) to those who claim that the Quran is distorted?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah believe that  the Quran is whole, complete, and above corruption, change, addition or deletion. Belief that the Quran has been distorted means contesting the ever-fulfilled promise of Allaah, Who Says (what means): {Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.} [Quran 15:9]

To suppose that some or all of the Companions distorted the Quran also implicates Allaah The Almighty and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This is because Allaah The Almighty would not have granted the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, victory over disbelievers then let a bunch of hypocrites accompany him, socialize with him and be educated by him while they were treacherous and unable to keep the revelation whole, convey the message, or call to Islam. Is there any vilification more serious than this? Is there anything uglier than doubting the promise of Allaah The Almighty for bringing victory, supremacy and perfection to the religion?

How could the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, seek to guide all of humanity while he was unable to select a few supporters? What kind of victory would Allaah The Almighty grant him if he was keeping company with  and marrying the daughters of hypocrites and disbelievers who were plotting to alter the Quran?

Believing that the Companions, who collected the Quran and recorded it, could have added to it or deleted from it vilifies Islam as a whole because the Companions were conveyers of the religion.

Thus, Ahl- us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah argue that anyone who claims there is a distortion of the Quran or who gives a statement that misguides Muslims is a disbeliever. Ahl-us-Sunnah wrote about this matter in the chapters on apostasy in books of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and mentioned the ruling on this issue in the context of refuting atheists and deviant sects. In ‘Aqeedah (creed) books, Ahl-us-Sunnah pointed out the sublimity of the Noble Quran. There are also contemporary theses whose authors refute the allegations and doubts of other sects who claim this.

Expressing the view of Ahl-us-Sunnah in this respect, Al-Qaadhi ‘Iyaadh said that Muslims unanimously agree that the whole of the Quran, in all its copies, beginning with chapter Al-Faatihah and ending with An-Naas, is entirely the words of Allaah; thus any deletion, addition or alteration is considered apostasy. 

Ibn Qudaamah said that there is no disagreement among Muslims on this subject -- anyone who belies a chapter, verse, word or a letter of the Quran is considered a disbeliever.

Moreover, Al-Qaadhi Abu Ya‘laa said that the Quran has never undergone alteration, replacement, deletion or addition, contrary to the belief of Raafidhah.

Indeed Al-Qaadhi Abu Ya‘laa said that the Quran was collated during the time of the Companions, who agreed unanimously on its authenticity. Had it been altered, some of the Companions would have been quoted to have criticized the integrity of its compilation, especially since it was unusual to conceal such matters. Had  ‘Ali known that it was changed, he would have restored the original parts if the Quran and have declared doing so.  However, he did not do this -- he recited the Quran and acted upon it, which proves that the Quran was not altered.

It should be noted that some weak-minded people believe that abrogation in the Quran is a kind of distortion, and they tried, due to being ignorant and biased, to criticize Ahlus-Sunnah for that. Abrogation is mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition), and it never occurred except through the command of Allaah The Almighty or the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Anyone who claims that the books of the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) contain authentic narrations acknowledging that the Quran was subject to distortion is a liar.

Anyone who claims that some Sunni scholars spoke about distortion or alteration of the Quran is also mistaken in two respects. First, it is not a question of narrations being sound or weak, rather the problem lies in the declarations from some misleading religious figures that the Quran is distorted or was replaced or altered. Second, if such narrations did occur among Ahlus-Sunnah, they were instantly denied and those who believed in the claim of distortion based on them were considered apostates. However, this has not been done by deviant sects who vilify the Quran. Instead, they establish such narrations, adopt their content and never dare to stigmatize those who believe in them with apostasy.

Allaah Knows best.