History of Compilation of the Holy Qur’an



The details of the history of compilation of the Holy Qur’an found in the books of history and exegesis provide us the details of the process of Qur’anic preservation and dissemination. However, while we scan through the hadeeth literature and historical records, it should be kept in mind that the historical authenticity, of the Holy Qur’an, is not based on these records, but on Tawatur.

During the Holy Prophet’s Life

During the first thirteen years of his ministry at Mecca, when there were few converts without the support of state authority, the Prophet Muhammad used to read out the revealed passages to the small group of his followers and non-believers. His followers used to commit the revelation to their hearts. There is evidence that the revealed verses or chapters were also written down on whatever writing material was available.
It is reported that when Umar, learnt about his the conversion of his sister and her husband to Islam, he hurried to her sister’s house in anger. When he arrived at her house, she hid the part of Qur’an she was reading. When Umar expressed his eagerness to see what they were reading, his sister informed him that the Holy Scripture is sacred and can only be touched by clean people. She told her to wash his hands before touching the scripture.[i][vi] This shows that as early as in the sixth year of the Holy Prophet’s ministry, the Holy Qur’an was being written down, in addition to being learnt by heart.
However, when the Holy Prophet migrated to Medina and established a state he attached priority to this task. He developed institutionalized systems under the state machinery to preserve and disseminate the Holy Qur’an on a large scale. To ensure this, extremely elaborate arrangements were made.
The Holy Prophet constituted a committee of about forty or more of his literate companions, who were assigned the task of writing the Holy Book.[ii][vii] The names of some of these scribes have been mentioned by Ibn-o-Abdi Rabbihi[iii][viii] and Ibn Qayyum[iv][ix].

The scribes included:
1. Abubakr Siddique
2. Umar bin al Khattab
3. Uthman bin Affan
4. Ali bin Abi Talib
5. Zubair
6. Aamir bin Fuhairah
7. Ubayy bin Ka’ab
8. Zaid bin Thabit
9. Khalid bin Sa’eed bin Al Aas
10. Mu’awiya bin Abi Sufyan
11. Mughira bin Shu’bah
12. Abdullah bin Arqam
13. Alulaa’ bin Uqbah
14. Amar bin al Aas
15. Thabit bin Qais
16. Abdullah bin Ruwahah
17. Khalid bin al Waleed

Iraqi, in his Life of the Prophet (in verse), begins the account of the Scribes with the stanza:
And his scribes were forty two. (Wa kuttabuhu ithnani wa arba’oon).[v][x]
Ibnu Abdi Rabbihi differentiates between Scribes reserved for recording the Holy Qur’an and the Scribes engaged in official correspondence of the State of Medinah. The famous companion, Hanzala bin Rabee’ Al Usaidiyy was the full time Secretary of this Committee. He is termed as the Secretary of all the Scribes of the Holy Prophet (‘khalifatu kulli kaatibin min kuttaabin Nabi).[vi][xi] He was supposed to remain present most of the time with the Holy Prophet. Later, after the death of Hanzala, this responsibility was shifted to another Companion.

It can be understood that the reason for nominating such a large number of scribes was obviously, to ensure that a Scribe was always available, whenever the need arose. The Revelation could come to the Holy Prophet at any place and time, while traveling or during the military campaigns. This shows how serious the Holy Prophet was to preserve the Holy Qur’an.
On receiving a verse or verses from Allah, the Holy Prophet used to call one of the members of the committee and get it dictated[vii][xii]. At this time, the Holy Prophet also used to instruct the Scribe as to where the newly revealed verse or verses were to be placed in the Holy Qur’an[viii][xiii]. The Holy Prophet thus not only used to dictate scattered verses but also give a divine order of arrangement of each verse. The ordering of verses and surahs was not left out for the later generations. This was necessary because it is reported that more than one Surah (Chapter) used to be revealed upon the Holy Prophet simultaneously[ix][xiv]. The Scribes therefore needed Divine Guidance about the arrangement of the Holy Qur’an also.
Zaid bin Thabit reports that after the verse had been dictated by the Holy Prophet, he would ask the Scribe to read it out. Then the Holy Prophet used to listen to what had been written and would request the Scribe to read it out. Errors were rectified and the Holy Prophet used to approve the final draft[x][xv]. It was then issued for all (Thumma ukhraju bihi ila alnaas) and the people used to make personal copies of the approved draft and would also try to memorize it[xi][xvi].

The Companions were motivated to study, learn and memorize the Holy Qur’an because of the central place it had in their lives and also because the Holy Prophet emphasized upon it so frequently and forcefully. Such sayings of the Holy Prophet abound in the Hadeeth literature that declare ‘Reading the Holy Qur’an from a written copy (Mushaf) is as superior to recitation by memory, as mandatory (farz) prayers are superior to optional (nafl) prayers’. He said that he who recites the Holy Qur’an during the night is indeed enviable[xii][xvii]. He said, ‘The best among you is the one who learns and teaches the Qur’an[xiii][xviii]’. The Prophet’s emphasis on memorizing the Qur’an was so marked that he is reported to have substituted this ability of a poor Companion for the Mehr (money he had to pay to his bride on his marriage).[xiv][xix] He would sometimes ask his Companions to recite the Holy Qur’an to him. Abdullah bin Masood asked the Holy Prophet, ‘Should I recite (the Holy Qur’an) to you when it was actually revealed on you?’ The Holy Prophet replied: ‘I like listening to the Qur’an when read by others’[xv][xx].

Given the swelling number of his followers after Migration, the Qur’an was learnt and recorded by a large number of his followers.[xvi][xxi] From among the Ansar alone, Anas bin Malik reports that four prominent Companions had compiled the Qur’an: Ibayy bin Ka’ab, Mu’az bin Jabal, Zaid bin Thabit and Abu Zaid[xvii][xxii]. In another report, Anas adds the name of Abu Darda also[xviii][xxiii]. Relying on this report, many authors have erroneously confined the number of Companions who compiled the Qur’an to four. Actually the report only intends to mention such Companions from among the Ansar and does not include the names of such Companions from among the Muhajiroon (the immigrants to Medina from Mecca).

Some of the companions must have recited the Qur’an over to the Holy Prophet for approval. Abdullah ibn e Masood is reported to have said that he recited Surah Yusuf to the Holy Prophet while Ubayye is reported to have learnt the entire Qur’an from the Holy Prophet.[xix][xxiv]. Imam Bukari has reported in his Saheeh that in only one combat at Bair e Ma’oonah, seventy Qura’a (those who specialized in reciting the Qur’an) fell as martyrs. The number of written copies had become quite common within the life of the Holy Prophet. Ayshah, the wife of the Holy Prophet, is reported to have had a Mushaf in her house (the house of Holy Prophet) from which, she is seen dictating the Holy Qur’an to a visitor from Iraq[xx][xxv]. This report also confirms the existence of a Mushaf in the house of Holy Prophet. A large number of Companions had Musahif and they felt motivated to carry them during battles. The Holy Prophet used to discourage his Companions from carrying the Musahaf with them on military expeditions[xxi][xxvi].

On the occasion of the Last Hajj, the Holy Prophet delivered a sermon in which he said that people should acquire Knowledge before it is lost. On this an Arab Bedouin rose and asked: Would the Knowledge be lost while we have Musahif (written copies of the Holy Qur’an) among us?[xxii][xxvii] This observation during the life of the Holy Prophet establishes the ubiquitous nature of Musahif in the earliest times. It is therefore obvious that the Holy Qur’an was compiled and written down before the Holy Prophet left this world. A copy of the Holy Qur’an was retained with the Holy Prophet (in his house as reported by Bukhari in his Saheeh from Aishah). In addition numerous written copies abounded among the Companions, which had been copied from the Master Copy (al Imam) with the Holy Prophet or had been directly dictated from the Holy Prophet.


Arrangement of Surahs in the Holy Qur’an
The Qur’an was being revealed in accordance with the needs of the different stages of the prophetic mission. It was however not compiled in the chronological order of its revelation. While compiling and arranging it, the Qur’an was being given a new order, which was to have a meaningful coherence for the readers in future. Whenever the Prophet dictated a passage of the Qur’an to the Scribes, he used to tell him where in the Qur’an that passage would be placed. This means that not only was the Qur’an being recorded and memorized as it was being revealed piecemeal, it was also being compiled and given a new order under the personal supervision of the Prophet. The Prophet in turn was being instructed by Allah about the placement of passages in the desired order.[xxiii][xxviii] That is why the Companions use the word ‘Compilation’ while defining their functions as Scribes. It is reported: We used to sit with the Holy Prophet and compile the Holy Qur’an on parchments[xxiv][xxix].
When the entire Book had been revealed, it is reported in several traditions that the Angel Gabriel heard the final recitation of the Holy Qur’an from the Holy Prophet[xxv][xxx]. This final presentation of the Holy Qur’an (Arzai Akheerah) gave the final shape to the Holy Book under the directions of Allah.

Thus the entire Qur’an was systematically recorded and arranged on written material during the lifetime of the Prophet. The Holy Qur’an was recorded on tanned hides, stone tablets, wooden tablets, pieces of cloth, shoulder bones etc. One complete set of the Qur’an was with the State authorities, i.e. with the Holy Prophet. It was placed in the Mosque of the Prophet (Masjid-e-Nabavi) where the Holy Prophet lived. From there any one was free to make a copy for himself or to refer to it in case he wished to memorize it. It however appears that apart from this centrally placed copy, a number of other copies also existed. A few of them must have been complete copies whereas in case of others, only portions of the Qur’an were in possession of a number of Companions of the Prophet.
Abdullah ibn e Abbas was asked as to what did the Holy Prophet leave behind him. He replied: ‘The Holy Prophet did not leave anything but it was bound within a volume’[xxvi][xxxi].


The Significance of the Qur’an in the life of Companions
The Holy Qur’an constituted the foundation of the early Muslim community during the life of Holy Prophet. It was recited five times a day, people used to commit it to their hearts and used to study it with utmost care and concentration. People were graded and appreciated in the community, on the basis of their knowledge of the Qur’an. All affairs of the state as well as the social life of Arabia were governed in the light of the provisions of the Qur’an. All civil servants, military commanders and judges used to seek guidance from the Holy Qur’an. During the Prophet’s life time, when he used to send governors and judges to far off places, he used to instruct them that they have to govern and decide in the light of the Qur’an. These facts show that Qur’an was alive in that society not because of written manuscripts but as an exigency of Faith and an inevitable source of guidance for social, political and legal affairs.

It is therefore incorrect to suggest that the Holy Qur’an was compiled and written in the days of Caliphs Abubakr Siddique or Uthman Ghani. Actually the Holy Qur’an was preserved under the personal supervision of the Holy Prophet in his lifetime. It is also natural to believe that he could not neglect the task of its preservation. The primary mission of the Holy Prophet was to deliver the Divine Message to mankind. This message was nothing but the Holy Qur’an. He could not shift this responsibility to later generations.

This happened exactly in accordance with what the Holy Qur’an had instructed:
Verily, upon us is the (responsibility of) its collection and recital. So when We have recited it, follow this recitation. Then upon Us is (the responsibility) to explain it. (75:16-19)
These verses demonstrate in so many words the divine scheme of Qur’anic preservation.

Canonization of the Qur’anic Text

Canonization is the process culminating at the acceptance of a religious scripture in a religion. Canonization has usually occurred in other religions centuries after the scripture was presented by the Prophet or the Founder of the faith. For instance, the New Testament was canonized through convening a series of conferences and councils of religious scholars and the final contents were decided centuries later.
It is interesting that we do not find any process of Canonization and the debates attending it in Muslim history. The reason is obvious; the Qur’anic text was compiled and preserved well within the life of the Holy Prophet, leaving no room for later disagreements. It was, so to say, canonized by the Holy Prophet himself.

During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr

It is important to understand the nature of services of the First Caliph towards this end. During the reign of Caliph Abu Bakr, the increasing number of Huffaz who were embracing martyrdom in the battlefield emerged as a cause of alarm to Umar ibn e Khattab. He suggested to the Caliph that
1. After the death of the Holy Prophet, the State should take over the responsibility of the dissemination of the Holy Qur’an
2. An official copy of he Holy Qur’an should be prepared which is written on pages of even size and bound up in a volume.
Abu Bakr, the first Caliph therefore decided to arrange the Qur’an in one volume. He constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Zaid. All the companions assisted him and the volume thus compiled was attested by hundreds of companions. Every companion who had any verse recorded on any material was called in and was required to produce two witnesses also who testified that a verse was actually dictated by the Holy Prophet and was placed properly as desired by the Prophet.[xxvii][xxxii] Witnesses were called in to make the procedure more stringent. This was to ensure that the Generation of the Companions should collectively participate in this blessed service.
This achievement of the first Caliph was not the only effort for the preservation of the Qur’an. The instant effort only related to the written and documentary dissemination of the Holy Book. As we shall show later, written tradition is not the only way through which the Qur’an was preserved and other means were also adopted to preserve the Holy Book.
Although the Qur’an had been compiled in the life time of the Prophet, yet the task of preparation of an Official copy involved rewriting it on pages of even size. Given the sensitivity the Companions attached to the Holy Book, this task could not be left over to one person. The Companions valued the Holy Book more than anything else. The entire group of Companions ensured that, while copying verses from the original office copy, and binding them in one volume, even an iota of difference or error should not be allowed to occur. Moreover, written and oral evidence should also be called, not to discover something new, but to further confirm. The procedural caution observed by the Committee constituted by Abubakr, can be well compared with any modern attempt to publish the Holy Qur’an on a large scale. The copies are compared and checked and the contents are then certified by expert Huffaz. These Huffaz have memorized the Holy Book in totality and they are available in huge numbers.
The bound volume of the Holy Book, prepared by the Committee and approved by the main body of Companions, was then placed in public where people could make as many copies of the scripture as they wished.[xxviii][xxxiii]

During the Caliphate of Uthman

After the death of Caliph Abu Bakr, that volume of Holy Book was entrusted to Umar and, after his death, to Hafsa bint Umar (the wife of the Holy Prophet).
During the caliphate of Uthman, a large number of non-Arabs also embraced Islam. Arabic was not their mother tongue. They used to speak Persian, Syrian and a number of other languages. Many of them read Arabic in different ways. Even some Arabs from far flung areas used to recite the Qur’an in different accents. Such differences in pronunciation had no impact on the long term preservation of the Qur’an because the by now numerous written copies of the Qur’an were available and thousands of people were there who recited it in the original accent. Although minor in nature, yet the differences in the pronunciation were seen with concern by the cautious Caliph who feared they could develop into different versions with the possibility of different meanings. It was required that just like a standard text, a standard pronunciation should also be decided.
It was however not a difficult decision. Uthman in consultation with all the companions, decided that the Qur’an will be read in the accent of the Holy Prophet, i.e. the accent of the Quraysh of Mecca. Obviously, only the way the Holy Prophet pronounced the divine words could be accepted as the true and faithful way.
Uthman then got prepared copies of the Qur’an. These were written in accordance with the accent and calligraphic style of the Quraysh, and these copies were placed in the major cities of the Muslim Caliphate. These copies served as the master copies for all the Muslims and numerous copies were prepared and circulated. Two of the master copies prepared by Uthman are reported to be still available in museums at Tashkent, and Istanbul. It is known that not only written copies were circulated by the third Caliph, but he also sent expert Qari’s (experts in recitation of the Holy Book) along with the scriptures. These Qari’s were selected from the Quraysh who could read the Book in accordance with the accent and pronunciation of the Holy Prophet.
Thus the contribution of Uthman is not that he compiled the Qur’an for the first time, as is generally understood. The Holy Qur’an had already been compiled during the life of the Holy Prophet. It was bound in a single volume of pages of even size, during the caliphate of Abubakr. Uthman’s valuable contribution lies in his ability to take notice of the challenge of different accents getting popular among the new converts. He immediately resolved it with the consultation of the companions of the Holy Prophet and decided in favor of only one authentic accent - that of the tribe of the Holy Prophet. He thus united the Ummah on one recitation of the Qur’an.

During the caliphate of Ali and the rule of Mu’awia
After the assassination of Uthman, the Muslim Ummah underwent a division into two separate camps, which fought bloody wars with each other. During such ages of turmoil, for an ideology that is still young, there is every possibility that the warring factions start disputing the very basis of the ideology that stimulated their growth, and may end up with two different sets of sacred literature. But in this case, both the groups continued to have unquestionable belief in the same book. Ali upheld the book as it was received from the earlier three Caliphs and so did Mu’awia.
Their viewpoints might have differed on political issues, but they were united on the text of the Holy Qur’an, and continued with the efforts of the Ummah to protect, respect and propagate the Holy Book. Had Ali compiled a different version of the Holy Qur’an (as held by a few individual reports) he would have imposed his version instead of the one that (according to the belief of a few Shia scholars) had been unfairly imposed by the earlier Caliphs. Caliph Ali’s six years rule is devoid of any such assertion. On the contrary we find him reciting the same text, basing his judicial decision on it and taught the same to the next generation.

Since then

After the age of turmoil, the Muslims had flourishing, stable and long rule of Umayyad and Abbaside dynasties who proclaimed the standard version of the Qur’an as the only accepted, canonized and authentic version of the revealed book. After the fall of Abbasides, the Uthmani Caliphate of Turkey took over this task and the state attached priority to preserving, publication, and disseminating the Holy Qur’an. Only one text was known and recognized. There never existed any other versions. Thousands of Muslims continued to recite the entire Holy Qur’an every year in Taraweeh Prayers during the holy month of Ramazan, for the last fourteen centuries. On introduction of printing press, the printed copies spread far and wide in large numbers and the now even the remotest possibility of any corruption of the text does not exist.

* this is an excerpt of a long article a brother sent me to translate int Arabic.