TOPIC: COMPILATION OF QUR’AN

Quran Al-Kareem

Final Project

Submitted by:
Rimsha Riaz
1231-FMS/BBAIT/S17
Aqsa Fatima
1233-FMS/BBAIT/S17

Submitted to:
Ma’am Rizwana

BBA-ITM (31)

Date of Submission: 10/26/2020

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 TOPIC: COMPILATION OF QUR’AN

Contents
1. Compilation during Life of Holy Prophet............................................................................................3
Causes of Compilation.............................................................................................................................3
Methodology of Compilation..................................................................................................................3
Importance...............................................................................................................................................4
2. During The First Caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA):........................................................................4
Causes.....................................................................................................................................................5
Methodology:..........................................................................................................................................5
Importance:..............................................................................................................................................6
3. During The Third Caliphate of Hazrat Usman (RA):...........................................................................6
Causes.....................................................................................................................................................6
Methodology:..........................................................................................................................................7
Importance...............................................................................................................................................7
Significance to Muslims Today Of Having The Quran In The Book Form:................................................8

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 TOPIC: COMPILATION OF QUR’AN

The Quran was reveled in twenty-three years, thirteen years in Makkah and ten years in
Madinah. The Quran was not revealed to the prophet (PBUH) all at once but it the revelation was
according to occasions and events.

This fact was owing to the supreme wisdom of Allah (SWT) in order to simplify the
understanding and memorization of the Quran to the Muslim nation which was illiterate in
majority, until people gradually get educated, master the teachings of Islam and get rid of invalid
beliefs and unethical traditions.

Allah (SWT) himself says:

Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian. Surah Hijr
(15:9)

1. Compilation during Life of Holy Prophet

Once Quranic verses were revealed, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to select one of his
companions to write down the verses. He (PBUH) also advised its placement within the
growing body of text and also used to review with the writer during the writing process. Once a
writer completed writing a verse, the prophet said: “read it to me”, to correct any mistake;
otherwise the writer would spread it among the people.

Causes of Compilation
Revelations were constantly being revealed upon Holy Prophet (PBUH) and it was important to
store them in memory, or written form, or book Form.

Methodology of Compilation
The Qur’an was revealed orally to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who recited every new
revelation to those around him who, in turn, eagerly learnt it and recited it to others. Throughout
his mission the Holy Prophet (PBUH) repeatedly recited the Qur’an to his followers and was
careful in ensuring that Qur’an was recorded, every time in the days of persecution.

An inner circle of his followers, wrote down the verses of Qur’an on sheets of Velum, leather,
tree bark, camel shoulder blades and other materials as they learned them from the Holy Prophet
(PBUH). Some of the closest Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) devoted themselves to
learning the text of the Quran by heart. These includes:
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 Ubayy Ibn Ka'b, (RA)

 Mu'aath Ibn Jabal (RA)
 Zayd Ibn Saabit, (RA)
 Abu Zayd (RA)
 Abu Ad-Dardaa' (RA)
 Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood, (RA)

Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood, (RA), collected more than ninety of the one hundred and fourteen
chapters by himself, learning the remaining chapters from other Companions. In addition, most
followers learnt parts of Qur’an by heart and many learned all of it from the Prophet (PBUH)
over the years. The companions of PBUH apart from learning the passages and versus, also
learnt the correct ordering of Qur’anic material from him (PBUH).

Importance

Although whatever collected in the lifetime of Holy Prophet (PBUH) was scattered but it was to
provide the bases for all of the compilation to take Place after Demise of Holy Prophet (PBUH).
All the revelations were safely Written and preserved on many Scattered Objects.

As many people had memorized and recited Quran due to the instructions of Prophet (PBUH) so
they had Holy Quran and its teachings in their memory and would teach it to their next
generations. And its purity was preserved.

As Scribes like Zayd Ibn Sabit (RA) wrote whole of Quran with Holy Prophet (PBUH) so he had
gained Skills and enhanced his memory and practiced a lot so he would be ready and better for
next Compilation Period. Any mistake in writing the original copy and be corrected and checked
By Holy prophet (PBUH).

2. During The First Caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA):

The companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) served in transferring the Islamic holy book to
future generations. The Quran was compiled into a book in the time of the first caliph, Abu Bakr
(R.A).

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Causes
During his caliphate, some people in the country declared themselves as prophets and
Musaylimah al-Kadhdhāb was amongst them. Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) started a war against him
in 11AH (632AD) and many companions (about 300) who memorized the Quran (Huffaz) were
Martyred which was known as Battle Of Yam’amah.

Hazrat Abu (R.A) believed that Huffaz would gradually depart from this world due to Natural
Death or owing to Martyrdom in future battles like Yam’amah. Hence, Hazrat Abu (R.A) fear
the loss of Qur’anic Knowledge like previous books, so it was important for the
government(caliph) to plan for compilation of Quran in a book form for future Generations.

Hazrat Abu (R.A) expressed his fear of losing the Holy Quran and pressed the Caliph to protect
the Holy Quran but he hesitated and said that how could he do something not done by Holy
Prophet (PBUH) and same reply. He said:

“How shall I do something which the Apostle of Allah did not do?”

However, Hazrat Abu Bakar (R.A) kept arguing that compilation in these circumstances was
necessary. Hazrat Abu Bakar (R.A) keep on persuading the caliph until he was finally persuaded.

Methodology:
Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) called upon Hazrat Zayd Ibn Saabit (R.A) to collect and compile the
Qur’an into one volume. Hazrat Abu Bakr formed a delegation under the leadership of Zayd Ibn
Saabit (R.A) one of the leading scribes.

This delegation of 12 people, including famous figures such as

 Usman Ibn Affan (R.A)

 Ali lbn Abi Talib (R.A)
 Talha lbn Ubaydullah (R.A)
 Abdullah lbn Masood (R.A)
 Ubayy lbn Kab (R.A)
 Khalid lbn al-Walid (R.A)
 Hudhaifah (R.A)
 Saleem (R.A)

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The delegation of 12 people traced out and collected the chapters of Quran from every person
who had it in their possession. After having carefully compared and cross checked each ayah,
Hazrat Zayd Ibn Saabit (RA) compiled the written Qur’an into one single volume. Saeed ibn al-
Aas, who was renowned for the beauty of his handwriting, wrote them down on gazelle skin. The
writing used was the Arabic script of the time, which was already old and used commonly at that
time in Hejaz.

The companions reached a consensus that this writing, which was used by Prophet Ismail (R.A)
in Hejaz, is the writing of Muslims. The copy of the Quran was recited to the companions at a
general meeting. There was no objection. So, a book called "mushaf" emerged, which means
written verses.

A total of 33,000 companions agreed that every letter of the Quran was in the right place. When
Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) died the second Caliph Hazrat Umer (R.A) took possession of these.
After his death, this book passed on to Hazrat Hafsah, the daughter of Umar and a wife of
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), likewise it came to be known as Mushaf-e-Hafsa.

Importance:
As now Quran was compiled in a book form so there was no fear of losing it and its Knowledge
consequently Muslim Ummah would be saved from disintegration. Even a single or slight error
in memory could cause the distortion of entire Ummah. Future Generations can easily get access
to Qur’anic Teaching and not be lost in Age of Ignorance and they would have the laws to
govern their lives in a correct Manner.

This copy of Quran was used to remove the differences in dialect in Hazrat Usman’s (R.A)
period and unite whole ummah over a single copy Of Quran and this was official copy with
Quraish Dialect.

3. During The Third Caliphate of Hazrat Usman (RA):

During the third caliphate of Hazrat Usman (R.A) the Muslim empire expanded greatly. Hazrat
Usman (R.A) learnt that some people were reading the Quran in a different way. Hazrat Usman
(R.A) thought that the original meaning of the true Quran might change as it has happened to
other books of Allah.

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 TOPIC: COMPILATION OF QUR’AN

Causes

There were new people entering into the folds of Islam. An army consisting of people from Syria
and Iraq was sent to Armenia and there a dispute arose during offering a salat on the issue of
Pronunciation/mode of recitation /Dialect of a Qur’anic Ayah. Some said that they heard a
particular word said by Iraqi Scholar while some said that Syrian way of Recitation was correct.

Hence Leader of Army Hazrat Huzaifa Bin Yemen (R.A) understood delicacy of the problem
and solved the problem temporarily but on reaching Medina even before going to his home he
informed caliph about this Problem and expressed his fear about Division of Ummah. Caliph
realized the urgency of the situation and ordered the Master copy and other scriptures for
comparison.

Methodology:
Hazrat Usman (R.A) thought that the original meaning of the true Quran might change as it has
happened to other books of Allah. He ordered Zaid Bin Saabit (R.A) to make a true collection.

Zaid Bin Saabit (RA) did this work with the help of other senior Muslims. He, having been
responsible for the first compilation was appointed as the head of a committee to make exact and
perfect copies of the original. The other committee members consisted of Hazrat Abdullah bin
Zubair, Hazrat Sa’id bin Al A’as and Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Harith (RA).

Hazrat Usman (RA) gave those instructions that if any of the three disagreed upon any point with
Hazrat Zaid (R.A) then the relevant ayah should be written in the language of the Quraish as that
was the tongue in which the Qur’an was revealed. They collected all the true copies of Quran and
they ensured these contain only the words of the Prophet (PBUH). After much hard work the
collection was made.

Hazrat Usman (R.A) ordered a number of copies of this authoritative collection to be made.
Once copies were made the original was returned to Hazrat Hafsah (RA). The new copies were
then distributed to every Muslim province with the orders that all other copies of the Qur’an, be
they full or partial copies, were to be burnt and replaced by this original one. Since that day, the
Holy Quran has remained in its original pristine form and will remain as such in the future by the
Grace and Blessings of Allah Almighty.

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Importance

Hazrat Usman (R.A) known as Jami ul Quran as he united whole of Ummah on a single Quran
with standard Quraish Dialect. Ummah was saved from disunited and crumbling as single mode
of recitation. There were less chances of Future conflicts within Islamic State. Uniformity was
created among Muslims. It is same pure undistorted and completed Quran that was written 1400
years ago, and we still read it now and it is safe from any significance. The future generation is
aware of Qur’anic Knowledge.

Significance to Muslims Today Of Having The Quran In The Book Form:

It ensures a standard copy. Having a standardized copy also ensures the likelihood of it being
reproduced with mistakes. If the Quran had not been collected in a book form some of its parts
may have been lost. It also suggests unity between Muslims as they use the same book. Read it in
its original language, even if the language is not their own.

In this way was realized the divine promise when God said:

“Falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it; a revelation from the Wise,
the Praised One.”