Kuhzayma: The Only Witness
Everything about the history according to the Hadith regarding how 9:128-129 was included in the Quran is highly suspicious. But for the sake of understanding their narrative, let's look at the history based on their claims.
The Hadith claims that no one compiled the Quran into a single book until after the prophet's death. This task started during Abu Bakr's reign after the Battle of Yamama in December 632. During the battle, a large number (~70) of the Quran memorizers (qurra) were killed. Because of this, Abu Bakr and Umar were concerned that the Quran may be lost, so they commissioned Zaid bin Thabit to lead the effort and compile all the verses into a single book.
Before accepting any verse, he was to have at least two witnesses.
Narrated Abdullah, he said: Abu Tahir narrated to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us and Ibn Abi al-Zinad informed me, from Hisham ibn Urwah, from his father, he said: When the killing of the Qur'an reciters became widespread on that day, Abu Bakr feared that the Qur'an might be lost. So he said to Umar ibn al-Khattab and Zaid ibn Thabit, "Sit at the door of the mosque, and if anyone comes to you with two witnesses about anything from the Book of Allah, write it down."
حدثنا عبد الله قال: حدثنا أبو الطاهر قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب وأخبرني ابن أبي الزناد، عن هشام بن عروة، عن أبيه قال: لما استحر القتل بالقراء يومئذ فرق أبو بكر على القرآن أن يضيع فقال لعمر بن الخطاب ولزيد بن ثابت اقعدوا على باب المسجد فمن جاءكما بشاهدين على شيء من كتاب الله فاكتباه.
According to their narrations, he accomplished this for every verse except for verses 128 and 129 of Sura 9, Bara'a, where it was only with one witness, Khuzaima ibn Thabit al-Ansari.
Narrated Zaid bin Thabit: Abu Bakr As-Siddiq sent for me when the people of Yamama had been killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet’s Companions who fought against Musailima). (I went to him) and found `Umar bin Al-Khattab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), “`Umar has come to me and said: “Casualties were heavy among the Qurra’ of the Qur’an (i.e. those who knew the Qur’an by heart) on the day of the Battle of Yamama, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur’an may be lost. Therefore I suggest, you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur’an be collected.” I said to `Umar, “How can you do something which Allah’s Apostle did not do?” `Umar said, “By Allah, that is a good project.” `Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allah opened my chest for it and I began to realize the good in the idea which `Umar had realized.” Then Abu Bakr said (to me). ‘You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). So you should search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur’an and collect it in one book.” By Allah If they had ordered me to shift one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur’an. Then I said to Abu Bakr, “How will you do something which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?” Abu Bakr replied, “By Allah, it is a good project.” Abu Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea until Allah opened my chest for what He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr and `Umar. So I started looking for the Qur’an and collecting it from (what was written on) palme stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, till I found the last Verse of Surat at-Tauba (Repentance) with Abi Khuzaima Al-Ansari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The Verse is: ‘Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty..(till the end of Surat-Baraa’ (at-Tauba) (9.128-129). Then the complete manuscripts (copy) of the Qur’an remained with Abu Bakr till he died, then with `Umar till the end of his life, and then with Hafsa, the daughter of `Umar.
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ السَّبَّاقِ، أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مَقْتَلَ أَهْلِ الْيَمَامَةِ فَإِذَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ عِنْدَهُ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ إِنَّ عُمَرَ أَتَانِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْقَتْلَ قَدِ اسْتَحَرَّ يَوْمَ الْيَمَامَةِ بِقُرَّاءِ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ يَسْتَحِرَّ الْقَتْلُ بِالْقُرَّاءِ بِالْمَوَاطِنِ، فَيَذْهَبَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ تَأْمُرَ بِجَمْعِ الْقُرْآنِ. قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ عُمَرُ هَذَا وَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ. فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عُمَرُ يُرَاجِعُنِي حَتَّى شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرِي لِذَلِكَ، وَرَأَيْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ الَّذِي رَأَى عُمَرُ. قَالَ زَيْدٌ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ شَابٌّ عَاقِلٌ لاَ نَتَّهِمُكَ، وَقَدْ كُنْتَ تَكْتُبُ الْوَحْىَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَتَبَّعِ الْقُرْآنَ فَاجْمَعْهُ فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ كَلَّفُونِي نَقْلَ جَبَلٍ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ مَا كَانَ أَثْقَلَ عَلَىَّ مِمَّا أَمَرَنِي مِنْ جَمْعِ الْقُرْآنِ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُونَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ هُوَ وَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُرَاجِعُنِي حَتَّى شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرِي لِلَّذِي شَرَحَ لَهُ صَدْرَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ فَتَتَبَّعْتُ الْقُرْآنَ أَجْمَعُهُ مِنَ الْعُسُبِ وَاللِّخَافِ وَصُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ حَتَّى وَجَدْتُ آخِرَ سُورَةِ التَّوْبَةِ مَعَ أَبِي خُزَيْمَةَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ لَمْ أَجِدْهَا مَعَ أَحَدٍ غَيْرَهُ {لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ} حَتَّى خَاتِمَةِ بَرَاءَةَ، فَكَانَتِ الصُّحُفُ عِنْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ عِنْدَ عُمَرَ حَيَاتَهُ ثُمَّ عِنْدَ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4986 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4986
So, when Zaid searched for the verses of the Quran, including what people knew by heart, he was able to find numerous witnesses and parchments validating the authenticity of every verse except 9:128-129 which was found with only a single companion of the prophet, Khuzeimah Ibn Thaabet Al-Ansaary.
If we accept this narrative, that verses 9:128 and 129 were only with Khuzeimah, this means that during the prophet’s life, not a single one of his companions could have honestly claimed to have memorized the whole Quran. This includes Abu Bakr (first caliph, d. 634), ‘Umar b. al-Khattab (second caliph, d. 656), ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan (third caliph, d. 656), ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (fourth caliph, d. 660), Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (d. 664), and Zaid b. Thabit (d. 665). Additionally, this means that none of the ~65 scribes the prophet had at his disposal had these two written down anywhere. How is this possible with the supposed thousands of companions who memorized the Quran, that not a single one aside from Khuzeimah had these two verses written or memorized?
Some claim other witnesses memorized these verses, and only Khuzeimah Ibn Thaabet Al-Ansaary had the parchment. However, the Hadith makes it clear that the search included the memory of the companions when it states, “from the men who knew it by heart.”
Also, as mentioned previously, Khuzayma ibn Thabit Dhu al-Ansari was an Ansari (resident of Medina), as his name implies. So how did an Ansari companion be the only one to witness these two Meccan verses?
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