On Saturday (March 29), former Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi informed that he has created a new Islamic Holy book, after omitting 26 verses from the Quran. He has argued that the 26 verses promote terrorism and has requested PM Modi to authorise the use of his ‘new Quran’ in all madrasas and Muslim institutes in the country.

It must be mentioned that Rizvi had earlier filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court of India, seeking the removal of the said 26 verses of the Quran. In his PIL, Rizvi stated that these verses are allegedly used by Islamist Terrorist Groups as justification for attacks on non-believers and civilians. However, his petition was dismissed for supposedly being “absolutely frivolous” and fined ₹50,000.

Here is a comprehensive list of the verses, removed by Waseem Rizvi for the ‘new Quran.’ It must be mentioned that the English translation from Arabic of the Quranic verses has been done by Saheeh International and has been sourced from the Islamic website quran.com. In Arabic, the word ‘Surah’ or ‘sura’ is considered equivalent to a chapter in the Quran.

Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah) - Verse 191:

And kill them [in battle] wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah1 is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Ḥarām until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.

Surah 3 (Ali ‘Imran) - Verse 151:

We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah of which He had not sent down [any] authority.1 And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers.

Surah 4 (An-Nisa)

Verse 56: Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses – We will drive them into a fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.

Verse 89: They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away [i.e., refuse], then seize them and kill them [for their betrayal] wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper,

Verse 101: And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer,1 [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you.2 Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy.

Surah 5 (Al-Ma’idah)

Verse 14: And from those who say, “We are Christians” We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded.1 So We caused among them2 animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And Allah is going to inform them about what they used to do.

Verse 51: O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

Verse 57: O you who have believed, take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allah, if you should [truly] be believers.

Surah 8 (Al-Anfal)

Verse 65: O Prophet, urge the believers to battle. If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one hundred [who are steadfast], they will overcome a thousand of those who have disbelieved because they are a people who do not understand.

Verse 69: So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and good, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Surah 9 (At-Tawbah)

Verse 5: And when the inviolable months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakāh, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Verse 14: Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts [i.e., desires] of a believing people.

Verse 23: O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

Verse 28: O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Ḥarām after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise.

Verse 29: Fight against those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth [i.e., Islām] from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah1 willingly while they are humbled.

Verse 37: Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it1 lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah2 and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people

Verse 58: And among them are some who criticize you concerning the [distribution of] charities. If they are given from them, they approve; but if they are not given from them, at once they become angry.

Verse 111: Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. [It is] a true promise [binding] upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’ān. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment.

Verse 123: O you who have believed, fight against those adjacent to you of the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness. And know that Allah is with the righteous.

Surah 21 (Al-Anbya) - Verse 98:

Indeed, you [disbelievers] and what you worship other than Allah are the firewood of Hell. You will be coming to [enter] it.

Surah 32 (As-Sajdah) - Verse 22:

And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.

Surah 33 (Al-Ahzab) - Verse 61:

Accursed wherever they are found, [being] seized and massacred completely.

Surah 41 (Fussilat)

Verse 27: But We will surely cause those who disbelieve to taste a severe punishment, and We will surely recompense them for the worst of what they had been doing.

Verse 28: That is the recompense of the enemies of Allah – the Fire. For them therein is the home of eternity as recompense for what they, of Our verses, were rejecting.

Surah 48 (Al-Fath) - Verse 20:

Allah has promised you much booty that you will take [in the future] and has hastened for you this [victory] and withheld the hands of people from you – that it may be a sign for the believers and [that] He may guide you to a straight path.

Surah 66 (At-Tahrim) - Verse 9:

O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.

Waseem Rizvi bats for removal of 26 verses from the Quran

The former Shia Central Waqf Board Chairman had emphasized that due to the extreme interpretations of the 26 verses of the Holy book, Islam was identified with militancy, fundamentalism, extremism, and terrorism. He has been the subject of several FIRs and death threats. The National Commission for Minorities also demanded an unconditional apology from Waseem Rizvi. On March 20, hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Jama Masjid in the National Capital to protest against him. 

In his own words, Waseem Rizvi added, “These verses are like poison in the raw mind of young children in the name of the message of Allah, which leads him to a radical mindset and from his early age when they become young, they hate people of other religions because of their mindset, and many youths get involved with terrorist organizations in some way under this mentality, the wrong messages of Allah Has been filled in the name of Islam.”