The Difference between the Maṣāḥif of the Cities (What They are and Their Relationship with the Ottoman Maṣāḥif)

The difference between the Maṣāḥif of the cities, which is often limited to 44 Quranic verses, has been noticed for a long time and demanded a clear explanation. Most of the Muslim scholars introduce the mentioned verses among the readings that the third caliph believed to be heavenly; but since it was not possible to reflect two heavenly readings with one written form in these particular passages, it’s writers were forced to distribute them in Ottoman Maṣāḥif. Examining how this distribution shows that Syrian and Iraqi Maṣāḥif have always been in conflict with each other and in none of those 44 verses have they been common. This is despite the fact that the writing of the Ottoman Maṣāḥif took place with the aim of unifying the Maṣāḥif and due to the growing difference in reading between the Syrians and the Iraqis. The inconsistency between this goal and the manner of its distribution can weaken the relationship of the mentioned differences with the Ottoman Maṣāḥif and their heavenly nature and strengthen the humanity of some of them. While the way they are distributed in the Maṣāḥif of the cities can also show which written form is correct and agrees with the oral revelation of God's word and which written form is wrong and against it.