Question:
Can you explain verse 82 in Sura al-Nisa’?
Answer:
Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barkatuh.
I pray you are well.
There Are No Mistakes in the Qur’an
The verse in question talks about the absence of any mistakes and internal contradictions in the Qur’an. This is something in which there is no doubt. The text of the Qur’an is perfectly preserved, and what it states has been proven to be true time and time again throughout history. Many other matters will come to light too.
Contradictions in the Hadith
Contradictions can be found in the hadith literature. However, this is understandable, and not a problem. The hadith were not all narrated verbatim: scholars who knew the language well sometimes narrated a hadith using a synonym.
Also, the hadiths were narrated over a period of time, and rulings were being revealed and amended over that period. This too led to conflicting narrations. Sometimes, the context of a hadith makes it seem like it conflicts with others, when, in reality, they do not.
Scholars have a methodology for addressing these issues, and there are many works that analyse seemingly conflicting narrations. If they can find and explain the reason, they do. Otherwise, the narration must have been abrogated.
I pray that helps. May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani