RESPONDING TO A CHRISTIAN REGARDING DIFFERENT QIRA’AHS (READINGS/RECITATIONS) OF SURAH HUD (S11) AYAH 81

Surah Hud (S11) Ayah 81:

Allah revealed in Surah Hud (S11) Ayah 81:

قَالُوا يَٰلُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُوٓا إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَكَ ۖ

The Angels said “O Lot! We are the messengers of your Lord, they shall by no means reach you. So, leave with your family during part of the night and let none of you turn back, except your wife.”

The Christian Claim

According to one recitation except “his wife (imra’atak)” is an exclusion from “leave with your family” and according to another recitation except “your wife (imra’atuk)” is an exclusion from “let none of you look back”.

The Confirmed Different Recitations Were Taught by The Prophet

The different recitations of the Quran are by revelation to the Prophet ﷺ. Sometimes one recitation will give a detail that another does not, however they will never contradict one another.

Abu Hayyan Al-Andulusiyy in Al-Bahr Al-Muhit

Abu Hayyan Al-Andulusiyy in his tafsir (exegesis of the Qur’an) called Al-Bahr Al-Muhit [Volume 6 Page 109] said:

وَقِيلَ فِي الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ مِنْ الْأَهْلِ إِشْكَالٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْمَعْنَى، إِذْ يَلْزَمُ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ سَرَى بِهَا، وَلَمَّا الْتَفَتَتْ كَانَتْ قَدْ سَرَتْ مَعَهُمْ قَطْعًا، وَزَالَ هَذَا الْإِشْكَالُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَمْ يَسْرِ بِهَا، وَلَكِنَّهَا لَمَّا تَبِعَتْهُمُ الْتَفَتَتْ»

It was said excluding his wife from his family has a problem from the perspective of the meaning (meaning, it was said: there is something inconsistent between the two recitations). Because to exclude his wife from his family would dictate that he did not go out with her. And when it was she did turn then it means she had definitely gone out with them. And the way to remove this lack of clarity is to say: he did not go out with her, but she followed them. (So, when she followed them she turned.)

AND ALLAH, EXALTED IS HE FROM HAVING ANY PARTNERS, KNOWS BEST.