Zayd
ibn Thabit and the Glorious
Qur’an
by Mohamad
K. Yusuff
Introduction: In any systematic
study of the history of Islam covering the past 1,420 years A.H., an objective
reader of history will encounter varied classes of eminent Muslim men and women
scattered across the vast geography of the then Islamic empire. The
intellectual contributions of these scholars, jurists, and theologians toward
the promotion of Islam as a faith and a way of life have been well documented
over time.
However,
within the narrower field of study, dealing exclusively with the textual
history of the Sacred Qur’an, from revelation to compilation, no single
individual—man or woman (in my view), has personally contributed more to, (or
has played a more dominant role in), the compilation of the Qur’anic
manuscript (gathered together under two covers) than Zayd
ibn Thabit, the Prophet’s
junior companion from Madina. The sacred
Text we hold and touch today can be truly called “the Qur’an of Zayd ibn Thabit.” Simply put, Zayd is
to the Qur’an what Imam al Bukhari is to the
Prophetic Sunnah.
Two
men … two books! Excluding the Prophet himself, Zayd
ibn Thabit and Imam
al Bukhari undoubtedly can be considered the two
most important men in all of Islam for their extraordinary and exclusive
contribution in compiling Islam’s Sacred Scripture. In the January 2004 issue
of the Voice of Islam, we presented in these pages a brief biography of Imam
al Bukhari, the historian/compiler of the
famous Hadith Text, commonly known as Sahih
al Bukhari. We have also published (in
five installments) the historic Development of Hadith Literature.
Purpose: From a layman’s perspective, I will
attempt to do the same with Zayd ibn Thabit, who, according
to tradition, was commissioned to lead the project to bring the glorious Qur’an
into book form for the first time in recorded history, under the auspices of
the first three orthodox caliphs. My primary objective here is to briefly
outline the historic record behind Zayd’s critical
work in gathering the “written materials of Qur’anic
verses” and assembling them under two
covers, shortly after the death of the Prophet in 632 C.E. In short, this paper
will attempt to show that the scholarly career of Zayd
mirrors the development of the written Qur’an.
Ignored by Modern
Historians: Before I begin, however, it is relevant to
note that very little ink has been consumed on the biography of Zayd ibn Thabit
in the English language, despite his dominant contribution to the existence of
the written Qur’an we have today. Evidence of this can be seen from Zayd’s absence from the standard encyclopedias and other
biographical works, prepared by modern Muslim and non-Muslim writers and
historians. For example, no reference is made about Zayd
in any of the books in this small sample:
- The New Encyclopedia of Islam (as revised) by Cyril Glasse
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glasse
- Hundred Great Muslims
by Jamil K. Ahmad
- Intellectual Achievements of Muslims by Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed
- Dictionary of Islam
by Thomas P. Hughes
- Popular Dictionary of Islam by Ian Richard Netton
- A Concise Encyclopedia of Islam by Gordon D. Newby
- The Oxford History of Islam, edited by John L. Esposito
Phases
of Historic Development: Traditional sunni
orthodoxy holds the view that the Revelation of the Noble Qur’an took place in two
separate and distinct sequences.
First
Sequence: In
this account, the Qur’an was revealed in its entirety in the fasting
month of Ramadan, on the night of layl
al qadr (Night of Power); that is, in
one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of Ramadan. In this
narration, Allah caused the primordial Qur’an to descend (all at once)
from the “Guarded Tablet,” al lawh al mahfuz, to the lowest heaven, al bayt al `izzah, the House
of Honor (or Power). The following verses are cited to support this
construction:
- “… but it is a Glorious Qur’an (inscribed)
on a guarded tablet.”
[85:21-22]
- “Haa Mim. By the Clear Book, verily I revealed it in a
Blessed night.” [44:1-3]
- “Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Power.” [97:1]
- “The month of Ramadan in which I revealed the Qur’an as
a
guidance to mankind…” [2:185]
- “…and thy Lord is most Bounteous, Who teaches by the
pen, teaches man that which he knew not.” [96:3-5]
- “…
this
is indeed a Qur’an most honorable, in a book well-guarded. [56:77-78]
Second
Sequence: In
this phase of the Revelation, passages from the pre-existing Tablet (in the
lower heaven) was transmitted in parts and at intervals, from Jibril to Prophet Muhammad, in a process that spanned the
Messenger’s entire 23-year ministry. The Qur’an confirms: “And (it is) a
Qur’an which We
have divided (into parts from time to time) in order that you (Muhammad) may
recite it to the people at intervals; We have revealed it by stages.” [Al
Israa’/17:106]
This
article deals with the Second Sequence. In this context, historical records
show that the compilation of the noble Qur’an can be divided into three distinct
phases:
- During the Messenger’s prophetic mission
(610 – 632 C.E.)
- In the Caliphate of Abu Bakr (Suhuf) (632 – 634 C.E.)
- In the Caliphate of `Uthman ibn `Affan (Mushaf) (644 – 656 C.E.)
The
Qur’an on the Qur’an: The
Message of the Glorious Qur'an (Speech of Allah) was transmitted verbatim,
from Allah via Archangel Gabriel to the
Messenger. The Qur’an explains this divine procedure:
- “It
is not possible for any human being that Allah should speak to him unless
(it be) by revelation, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a
messenger, so He inspires him with what He wills …” [42:51]
- “And
this (Qur’an) is a Revelation from the Lord of the worlds, which the
trustworthy Angel (Jibril) has brought down;
upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be a warner in plain Arabic
language.” [26:192-195]
- “Whoever
is an enemy of Jibril (let him perish), for
indeed he has brought this (Qur’an) down to your heart, by Allah’s
permission ….” [2:97]
- “No falsehood can approach it
from before or behind it; it is sent down from One full of Wisdom, Worthy
of all praise.” [41:42]
- “And
he does not speak of his own desires; rather it is only an inspiration
sent down to him. He was taught by one Mighty in Power.” [53:3-5]
- “Those
who disbelieve ask: Why is not the Qur’an revealed at once? Thus (it is
sent down in parts) so that We may
strengthen your heart, and We have revealed it to you, gradually, in
stages.” [25:32]
- “We
have without doubt sent down the Message; and We
will assuredly guard it (from corruption.) [15:9]
- “It
is not a narrative which could be forged, but a verification of what is
before it and a distinct explanation of all things…” [12:111]
These
verses clearly explain the transmission process of the Qur'anic
messages, by messenger and by inspiration--a methodology by which
the revelation would be protected and could not be forged! Allah imprinted the
revealed messages (via angel Jibril) in the Prophet's
memory; the Prophet then repeated the verses to his scribes/secretaries, who
recorded them on a variety of written materials. The Prophet then taught the
Verses to his Companions, many of whom memorized the on-going Revelation.
Essentially, this was the standardized procedure in the 23-year transmission of
the Qur'an. There was no deviation or modification to this standard.
The Unlettered (Unscriptured)
Prophet: The noble Qur’an refers to the Messenger on
occasions as the ‘unlettered (ummi) prophet’;
that is, one who can neither ‘read’ nor ‘write’, and one who had no knowledge
of previous Scriptures, according to traditional interpretation. Referring to
the prophecy of Muhammad in the Torah and the Gospel, Surah Al-A`raf/7:157 states: “Those who follow the apostle, the unlettered (ummi)
prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures)—in the Law (Torah)
and the Gospel (Injil) …it is they who will prosper.” And
again: “… so believe in Allah
and his Messenger, the unlettered (ummi) Prophet who
believe in Allah ….” (al
A’raf/7:158).
The
Muslim community was also described as “unlettered”: “It is He who was sent amongst the “unlettered” people (ummiyiin) an apostle from among themselves…” (al-Jumu`ah/62:2). Most authorities are in agreement that
the Allah’s Messenger did not himself write down the Revelation. The noble
Qur’an explicitly confirms this fact:
“And thou (O Muhammad) was not a reader
of any scripture before it, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand, for
then might those have doubted who follow falsehood.” (al-Ankabut/29:48). For these reasons and
more, the Prophet appointed scribes to write the divine messages as they were
received during his entire prophetic mission. According to various authorities,
the Prophet had many scribes, ranging from 20 to 60, who wrote down the
“revealed messages” during his prophetic mission.
The
Prophet Meets the Young Ansar: Zayd
ibn Thabit is Zayd ibn Thabit
ibn al-Dahhak (Abu Kharija). He was born in Madina
eleven years before the Hijra (in 611 C.E.) but was
raised in Mecca. His father was killed when he was six years old, and he
emigrated at age eleven to Madina, approximately the
same time the Prophet migrated to that city in 622 C.E. Zayd
and his family were among the first ansars (helpers) to accept Islam, when members of his clan embraced the faith and
swore allegiance to the Prophet in Year 1 of the Hijra.
In one report Zayd himself reported that the Prophet
had just arrived in Madina and: “I was brought to the Prophet and the people said: O Messenger of
Allah! This is one of the boys of (the tribe of) Bani
al-Najjar, and he has memorized seventeen
surahs. So I
recited to the Prophet, and he was well pleased with that.”
Not
yet 13, Zayd personally appealed to the Prophet to
join the Muslim army, which was preparing for the Battle of Badr (2 A.H) against the Makkan
pagans. On account of his youth, the Prophet denied his request and sent him
home, much to the distress of his mother al Nawar bint Malik. A couple of years later, he again attempted
to re-enlist in the Muslim army preparing for the Battle of `Uhud (3 A.H.) with a group of other teenagers, some
of whom were admitted to the ranks, but the Messenger again rejected Zayd due to his youth and inexperience. Maybe the Messenger
foresaw the heavy burden history would later place on the shoulders of this
young man!
Chief
Scribe to the Prophet: Twice rejected for
military service, Zayd continued his effort to work
for the cause of Islam. Though young in age, he was academically inclined and
was also gifted in languages. He could read and write (a rare commodity at that
time). He excelled in Arabic and distinguished himself in the recitation of Qur’anic surahs. For these
reasons, the Prophet selected him as his Chief Scribe of the Qur’an (kaatib al nabiyy),
despite his youth. This was a characteristic trait of the Prophet—appointing
bright and energetic young people to high office—much to the chagrin of older
companions!
In
a hadith in his Sahih,
Al Bukhari reported: Al-Bara’ said: “There was
revealed ‘not equal are those believers
who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah” (al-Nisaa’/4:95). The Prophet said: ‘Call Zayd for me
and let him bring the board, the ink pot and the scapula bone, (or the scapula
bone and the ink pot.)’ Then he said: ‘Write: Not equal are those believers …’ Several types of materials were used to write down the “revealed verses,”
including palm stalks, white stones, wood, shoulder bones, and leather, among
others.
It
has also been reported that the Prophet requested Zayd
to study Hebrew and Syriac to assist him with
diplomatic letters and correspondences, later sent to neighboring heads of
state, inviting them to Islam. Then in his early twenties, Zayd
became an exponent of the Qur’an and one of those who had memorized the
existing Revelation as taught by the Prophet himself. Hadith records
also state that Zayd had the unique distinction to
witness the Prophet’s recitation before Jibril during the last Ramadan. According to Ibn Abi Dawud,
once, after the Prophet’s death, some people went to Zayd
and asked him: “Narrate to us something
from the Prophet.” He responded: “And
what should I narrate to you?” I used to be a neighbor of the Prophet, so
whenever any inspiration came to him, he would call me to write it…”
Written
Qur’an Existed at the Time of the Prophet’s Death: Tradition holds that, at the time of the Prophet’s death (in 632 C.E./10
A.H.), the revealed Qur’an existed in written form, with ayat
and surahs (verses and chapters)
arranged in order, at the Prophet’s direction under divine Guidance. For
example, Ahmad and others reported: `Uthman ibn Abi Al-`Aas
said: “Once while I was sitting with Allah’s Messenger, he rolled his eyes
upwards in a stare, then after a while he lowered them and said: ‘Jibril came to me and ordered me to place this ayah in this
place in this surah’: => ‘innallaha ya’-muru bil
`adli wal-‘ihsaani wa iitaa’i
dhil qurba.’ => Verily
Allah commands justice, kindness, and charity to close relatives.” [16:90]
However, the written verses were not assembled under two covers in ‘book form.’
That is,
the Qur’anic text was completely written down but was
not assembled in one master volume. Ibn Hajar reported: Zayd ibn Thabit said: ‘The Prophet was
taken [from this life] whilst the Qur’an had not yet been gathered into a
book.’
Many reasons have been advanced as to
why the “written Qur’an” was not compiled during the Prophet’s lifetime,
including: the revelation was still continuing, abrogated (naskh) verses could not be distinguished until the
revelation was complete, etc. However, the most valid reason we can provide is
that this massive undertaking was left to the Prophet’s close Companions, since
Allah’s promise had to be fulfilled: “We have without doubt, sent down the
Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption.)” [15:9] Allah also
reiterated this notion: “It is for us to
collect it and to promulgate it. But when we have promulgated it, follow thou
its recital (as promulgated). Nay, more, it is for us to explain it (and make
it clear).” [75:17-19]
According
to Von Denffer, most scholars agree that the Prophet
died nine days after receiving the last revelation:
“And fear the day when ye shall be brought back to God. Then shall every
soul be paid what is earned and none shall be dealth
with unjustly. [2:181] Other scholars
hold that the last verse revealed was: “This day I have perfected your
religion for you, completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as
your religion.” [5:3] It is thus clear that nine days is not
adequate (by any competent standard) to collect and compile in book form the
written Qur’anic manuscript. That work had to be done
by others.
`Umar
Prevailed on Abu Bakr to Collect the Written Verses: After the Prophet died (632 CE), Abu Bakr
succeeded him as the first rightly-guided Caliph for the entire Muslim
commonwealth. Imam al Bukhari in his Sahih explained that, at the Battle of Yamama (12 A.H.), many huffaz (memorizers of the oral
Qur’an), 70 according to some reports, were killed in battle against the false
prophet Musaylimah (in the wars of apostasy—ridda). `Umar ibn al Khattab, the wise and visionary Companion of the Prophet,
persuaded Abu Bakr to authorize the “collection of
the written Qur’an” due to the deaths of the numerous Qur’an readers. This was
a tall order for Abu Bakr since the Prophet himself
had never suggested such a thing during his lifetime.
Zayd Appointed to Collect
Manuscript:
After some initial hesitation over Umar’s request, Abu Bakr
finally agreed to sanction this extraordinary project. He then sent for the
Prophet’s Chief Scribe, Zayd ibn
Thabit, and commissioned him to do as Umar had
requested, in the following words: “Zayd, you are
young and intelligent, you used to record the revelations for the Prophet, and
we know nothing to your discredit. So pursue the Qur’an and collect it together
…”
Zayd’s Impeccable
credentials: Zayd had excellent
credentials being the chief scribe of the Prophet; this fact alone gave Abu Bakr comfort and assurance that Zayd
was duly qualified to undertake the formidable task “to gather” the sacred
Qur’an together. Zayd’s qualifications included the
following:
· He was the well-known
Madinite Scribe to the Prophet for the Revelation (kaatib al wahy al mashur).
· He was a renowned hafiz
of the Qur’an during the lifetime of the Prophet.
· He was a witness to
the Prophet’s recitation in the presence of Jibril
during the last Ramadan.
· He had irreproachable
morals (Abu Bakr said: “we do not accuse you of
any wrongdoing.”)
· He was young,
knowledgeable, wise, and reliable (with sound and powerful memory).
· He had excellent
skills in languages (written and spoken), especially in Arabic.
At
first, Zayd himself was hesitant to accept the
Caliph’s order to spearhead this novel task. However, like Abu Bakr, he was soon reconciled to the wisdom of the
undertaking and accepted the mission to head the committee, which included
`Umar al Khattab and other companions.
“Law
of Witness” Methodology: It is vital to
understand the methodology employed by Zayd and his
committee in this project, which required ‘public disclosure and openness’ in
the “collection process” to assure acceptance that the written verses collected
were “the divine verses” revealed to the Prophet. This idea of “authoritativeness”
is central to issues of reliability and authenticity of the “collected
manuscript.” The caliph Abu Bakr understood the
implication and gravity of this question. Hence, to assist Zayd
in the project, he issued a general decree requesting that all Muslims, who had
copies of written verses (recited to them by the Prophet himself),
to bring such verses to the Prophet’s masjid (in Madina),
along with two reliable witnesses.
Ibn Abi
Dawud stated: Abu Bakr
told `Umar and Zayd: ‘Sit at the entrance to the
[Prophet’s] masjid. If anyone brings you a verse from the Book of Allah along
with two witnesses, then record it.’ The written materials, attested by two
witnesses, were also compared with oral recitation of the noted qurra’ for correctness, coherence and consistency. Zayd’s
extraordinary efforts ended with all surahs
and verses duly arranged, probably in the Madinite script
and spelling conventions.
This
“law of witness” methodology was a critical procedure applied to authenticate
the written Qur’an, a standard later adopted by hadith scholars:
that is, validating the “written verses”, as confirmed by witnesses to establish
reliability and authoritativeness of the compiled Text. This approach
constituted the core of Abu Bakr’s instruction to Zayd on his appointment as head of the Qur’an project.
Suhuf of Abu Bakr: The compiled manuscript became known as the
Abu Bakr’s Suhuf {parchment (pages) of sacred writings},
bringing the written Qur’an in book form under two covers, for the first time
ever. The Suhuf was placed in
the state archives in the custody of the Caliph. On his deathbed, Abu Bakr appointed `Umar to succeed him and entrusted the Suhuf in the latter’s custody. `Umar’s regime
lasted next ten years, during which time he stabilized the Islamic nation and
expanded the borders beyond the Arabian Peninsula: into Egypt, Syria and Iraq.
Sadly, `Umar died at the hands of an assassin, Abu Lu’Lu.
The Suhuf then found its
way in the custody of Hafsa (a hafizah),
Umar’s daughter and wife of the late Prophet. According to al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Hafsa kept the Qur’an in her house in Madina,
but she made it available to anyone who wanted to make copies from it or check
the accuracy of what they had memorized.
Mushaf of `Uthman: During the reign of the third rashidun
Caliph `Uthman ibn `Affan, the Islamic commonwealth expanded further: into
Persia, India, Russia, China, Turkey, and across North Africa. This rapid
expansion of Islam and its teachings resulted in many problems and disputes,
involving the correct reading and pronunciation of the Suhuf,
emanating from certain regions and from new converts of the growing Islamic empire.
Similar concerns were also raised by `Uthman’s
military field commanders over variant readings of the Suhuf.
For these reasons, the third Caliph (with the consensus of the learned) sought
to standardize the Suhuf and ordered the
preparation of several copies to be transcribed from the Suhuf
in the custody of Hafsa.
Two
accounts have been advanced concerning the development of what came to be
called the “`Uthman’s Mushaf” (`Uthmani Codex). In
both accounts, Caliph `Uthman re-commissioned Zayd ibn Thabit
to head a committee to prepare copies of the Qur’an. In the first
narration, Zayd headed a committee together
with three other Companions to prepare copies from the Suhuf
kept by Hafsa. According to
this account, several copies of the Qur’an were made and sent to various
regions of the Islamic empire, together with a Qur’anic
reciter. One copy was made specifically for `Uthman
for private use.
In
the second account, Zayd was asked to head a
committee of twelve Companions to collect written Qur’anic
materials, as was done in the first compilation of the Abu Bakr’s
Suhuf. Ibn
Sirin stated: “When `Uthman
decided to collect the Qur’an, he assembled a committee of twelve from both the
Quraysh and the Ansar.
Among them were Ubayy bin Ka`b
and Zayd ibn Thabit.” In this narration, the entire Qur’an was
collected and collated, using the “law of witness” procedure described above.
The compiled manuscript was then compared with the Abu Bakr’s
Suhuf, and this Text became known as
the `Uthmani Qur’an. In this version also,
several copies (including a personal copy for the Caliph) were made and
distributed to various centers of the far-flung Muslim empire.
Extant
`Uthmani Codex: After the `Uthmani
Mushaf was collected, verified and distributed,
the Caliph `Uthman ordered all other existing copies
of the Qur’an, held by many, to be destroyed on the grounds that they were
incomplete and included personal written notes in the manuscripts that could
cause confusion.
Questions
have arisen as to the existence of the original “mushaf.” According to several authorities (including
Von Denffer and Ghulam Sarwar), two original copies of the Mushaf from the time of Caliph `Uthman still
exist today—one in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, and the
other in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The National
Library of Karachi, Pakistan, has a photocopy of the Tashkent original.
These sources also claim that a copy of the Tashkent
Mushaf is now in the Columbia University Library, USA.
Historic
Note on Shi`ism: History has documented
the major split of the embryonic Muslim community early in the first century of
Islam—shortly after the death of the Prophet. The schism that ensued thereafter
divided Islam into two primary branches: the majoritarian Sunni
community (ahl al sunnah
wal jama`ah) and the
minority Shi`a (ahl al bay—household of the
Prophet), each branch subsequently evolved its own interpretation of the
sacred scripture, theology, rituals and liturgical practices, exegesis, and
Islamic Weltanschauung. However, despite such differences in
interpretation and rituals, the `Uthmani Mushaf has now been accepted by both branches of
Islam (sunni
and shi`a) as the authorized canon.
Historically,
there has been questions from Shi`ism over the
validity of the `Uthmani Qur’an. And there is
consensus in Shi`a Islam that `Ali ibn Abu Talib produced a copy
of the Qur’an that differed in arrangement from the `Uthmani
Codex. But
both the Shi`a Seveners and Twelvers
hold that this, the variance in arrangement, was the only difference between
the Text of `Uthman and that of `Ali.
Moreover, it is generally known that `Ali, when he became the fourth Caliph,
made no changes to the `Uthmani Mushaf,
giving credence to the latter’s authenticity.
Over
time, many fatawa have been issued by eminent Shi`a scholars
confirming the authenticity of the `Uthmani Qur’an,
including this one by the renowned Ayatullahil-Ozma Haj Akha Syed Mohsin Hakeem Tabatabayi
(Najaf-e-Ashroff-Iraq):
- “The
opinion of all the Elders and scholars of all the Muslims from the
beginning of Islam till now, is that
the arrangement of the verses and
the chapters are the same, as it is in our hands—our Elders did not
believe in Tahreef (disagreement).” [emphasis
in original]
Conclusion: In addition to his
critical role in making the written Qur’an a reality, Zayd
ibn Thabit was a highly
respected jurist who was well recognized for his scholarship by fellow
Companions during the first century Hijra. Hadith
records relate that Zayd had the unique distinction
of witnessing the Prophet’s recitation before Jibril during the last Ramadan.
According to the classical scholars, Zayd was one of
an elite group of seven Companions with requisite qualifications to render
legal opinions and to practice ijtihad (giving
independent legal judgment); the other Companions were deemed not to be in the
same category, due to varying levels of religious scholarship.
As
a learned scholar in Islam, Zayd was an authoritative
source for other Companions in deciding cases and giving formal legal opinions
in various matters, including Qur’anic recitation and
issues of inheritance. Thomas William Beale, in his An Oriental Biographical
Dictionary, described Zayd as: “… the earliest authority on ilm al-fara’ez and maybe called
the father of the law of inheritance. Muhammad is reported to have said to his
followers: ‘The most learned amongst you in the laws of heritage is Zayd; and the
caliphs `Umar and `Uthman considered him without an
equal as a judge, a jurisconsult, a calculator in
division of inheritance, and a reader of the Qur’an.” Orientalist Helmut
Gatje concluded in his The Qur’an and Its
Exegesis: “… Zayd ibn
Thabit played an essential part concerning the
production of the Qur’an in the form in which it appears today.”
It
is also said that when the Caliph `Umar used to travel away from Madina on business, he would leave Zayd
in his place until he returned. Ibn `Abbas, noted for
his immense erudition, used to visit Zayd at home to
extract knowledge from him. According to hadith historians, Zayd related 92 ahadith.
When he died in 45 AH (665 C.E.), Abu Hurayra said:
“the scholar of this nation has died today; haply Allah make
Ibn `Abbas his successor.”
SELECTED
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Mohamad K. Yusuff,
CPA, MBA, CGFM, is a professional
auditor/accountant. He is currently Director of Internal Audit in the District
of Columbia Government, Washington, DC. He is the Editor of ISWA’s Voice of Islam Newsletter and also
the academic quarterly, Aalim. He likes to dabble in comparative religion and
international politics and diplomacy.
Posted
September 15, 2004