Peace,
As a Muslim we believe Quran is totally the word of G-d, it is strongly
not the word of prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Prophet Muhammad have no authority to change or alter any word from the scripture, he just recite it and the words were put into his mouth through recitation. There is not only one way al-Quran being revealed. Al-Quran is not revealed by being cast down as a book from the heaven.
It was recited by archangel Gabriel (pbuh) under the order of Allah SWT. Read the brief commentaries by Syeikh Mutawalli As-Syaarawi concerning how al-Quran was revealed to prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He is a Muslim scholar, not a Christian, not a Jew, and not
an Orientalist. Orientalists are insincere to the knowledge, many of their reviews are bias. When I revert back, I never believe in them anymore. Their intention is not sincere because of G-d if they tried to disprove other religions. They just want to validate imperialism and dominion over other fellow human-being.
Q1. Al-Quran was revealed gradually according to certain events that happened. How are those Surahs being arranged and the Quranic verses being collected and compiled as a certain Surah like we see today? Who is the compilers? What are the factors being taken into account when the verses being compiled?
Answer:
1) Allah Messenger, prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is an Ummi (illiterate). He knows not to read nor write.
And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before we this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities doubted.
(Translation of Surah Al-Ankabut verse 48, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received al-Quran through memorization and recitation. Archangel Gabriel (pbuh) was not only delivering al-Quran but also making it fastened in the heart of prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Due to prophet Muhammad (pbuh) inability to read or write, he had chose few companions to write those Quranic verses revealed. Among them are 4 prominent companions, Amir Bin Furairah, Ubai Bin Kaab al-Ansari, Muawiyah Bin ABu Sufyan, Zaid Bin Tsabit and many others. They recorded the verses in the written form over palm leaves, sanctified bones of camels, and others. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had also asked his companions to write it in front him and preventing them from writing other than what he had recited. Prophet (pbuh) said: whomever wrote other than what I had recited (Quranic verses), he must immediately erase it!
In this time, the the prophet's companions sincerely following the instructions to place the Surahs in the correct place. Every year in the holy month of Ramadhan, archangel Gabriel (pbuh) will come to prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will have to tadarrus (a learning process, recitation and memorization, Muslims over the world practicing this in order to keep the purity of al-Quran) the Quranic verses again to the archangel to check the Surahs that were revealed to him before Ramadhan of that year.
After the written process of Quranic verses had finished, prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will instruct the verses to be placed in his house. There are also companions who wrote down the verses for their personal reference and for prayer necessities.
The compilation of al-Quran into a mushaf (manuscript) had already happened in the governance of Abu Bakar (G-d be please with him), a companion of prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The suggestion to compile the verses into a manuscript was made by another companion who is Umar al-Khattab (G-d be please with him). The reason is because many memorizers (the bearers of al-Quran) were martyred in the Yamamah war. Abu Bakr in the beginning opposed the idea as it was never done in the prophet (pbuh) life time but eventually have to agree after he had listened to the explanation of Umar al-Khattab.
Abu Bakr had appointed Zaid Bin Tsabit (G-d be please with him) to compile the Quranic verses into a manuscript. Zaid Bin Tsabit had managed to compile them into a manuscript and it was kept by Abu Bakr. The first compilation exist until the governance of Umar al-Khattab, the second governor.
During the governance of Uthman Affan (G-d be please with him) the third governor, an event happened where Huzaifah bin al-Yaman had joined a war. Huzaifah was surprised to hear that Quran being recited differently in few places where he had passed over in Syria and in Iraq. Huzaifah then met Uthman and telling what he had experienced. Uthman thus had sent a messenger to meet Hafsah (the son of Umar al-Khattab) to take the quran manuscript (written and recorded document) during the governance of Abu Bakr. Uthman instructed Zaid bin Thabit, Abdullah bin Zubair, Said bin al-As, and Abdurrahman bin al-Harith to write few other copies of the manuscript. Those scribes had also made 4 copies of the manuscript and each of them being sent to Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Madinah.
Truly what had been said in Surah al-Hijir verse 9
translation:
We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and we will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
Syeikh Mutwalli as-Syaarawi said, "the Surahs in the cluster of al-Quran were revealed according to the historical events that happened. While the compilation of those Quranic verses matched into another form, which is through the appropriate methodology like the mediation of human speaking." In his second fatwa, Syeikh Mutawalli said that the arrangement of Surahs had been made according to what had been arranged in Lauh Mahfuz (Guarded Tablet).
Translated from the reference of Islamic Jurispundence, the History, Source and the Schools by Fadilah Sarnap and from the Translation of Al-Jami' al-Fatawa (Compilation of Legal Pronouncement) by Syeikh asy-Syaarawi.
http://soaljawab.wordpress.com/2007/04/22/al-quran-diturunkan-berperingkat-peringkat/
