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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Study of Sunni and Shii Traditions Concerning Tahrif [of Holy Quran] Part 3 Conclusion Having mentioned the Imami belief in the purity of the Quranic text and absence of any tahrif in it, it is necessary to point out certain issues. Some Sunni writers - mistakenly or willfully - have made confusion between the various Shii sects and have been unable to identify the differences present in their beliefs.

They do not differentiate between the Ghulat and the other sects, and this leads them to ascribe the beliefs of one of them to the other. Therefore, Dr. Hafni Dawud says concerning Ahmad Amin, the Egyptian writer, "He has failed to differentiate between the Imamiyyah and the Mu'allihah (those who attribute divinity to the Imams)....

Further he has not been able to make an exact differentiation between the moderates among them (the Shiah) and the fanatics who vehemently attack the beliefs of others."57 He also says, "The Imamiyyah and the Zaydiyyah among Shii sects are moderates and differ completely from such extremist sects as the Kaysaniyyah, the Mu'allihah and the Hululiyyah.58 This mix-up may be the result of these authors' lack of knowledge of Shii Imami beliefs, or perhaps they have overlooked these differences because their sole purpose was to attack the Imamiyyah, but it is some­thing which does not befit any healthy mind.

It is not valid to attribute some issues which were a part of the beliefs of the Ghulat to the Imami Shiis, and the issue of tahrif is one of them.

The profession of this belief by the Ghulat, such as al-Sayyari, Ahmad ibn Al Kuffi and others, and their narration of some traditions concerning it, bears out that it is a part of Ghali beliefs and its ascription to the Imamiyyah is incorrect?"59 The vast majority of these traditions have been narrated by those who are accused of ghul­uww or forgery in Shii works on rijal.

These days we come across some clerics in some places as in India and Pakistan who are commonly known to belong to the Imamiyyah yet incline towards Ghali, beliefs. They have written some books on doctrine from which their acceptance of tahrif is understood. Similarly, some of their other beliefs also show their inclination towards the Ghurat.

This is, however, something to which the most eminent of Shii scholars, whose names have been mentioned, do not subscribe, and the Imamiyyah decline to share the burden of the beliefs of such persons.