Compilation of the Qur’ān

We have already written above that Zaid bin Thābit Anṣārī(ra) collected and copied the Holy Qur’ān in the Khilāfat of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr(ra) in the form of a manuscript. This does not mean that prior to this the Holy Qur’ān had not already been collected. Rather, the truth is that as the Holy Qur’ān was gradually revealed to the Holy Prophet(sa),1 he would not only arrange it under divine inspiration and memorize it himself, but would instruct many other Companions to commit it to memory as well. Moreover, the Holy Prophet(sa) had assigned the duty to such Companions as were more skilled in this respect, to teach others as well.2 As a further act of precaution, he would also have it committed to writing along the way. As such, it is ascertained from the Aḥādīth that the very same Zaid bin Thābit(ra), who later compiled the Holy Qur’ān in the form of a single volume, and who was a man of extraordinary intelligence, was commissioned to record Qur’ānic revelation in the era of the Holy Prophet(sa).3 In addition to him, other Companions would also render this service. For example, there was Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr(ra), Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra), Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmān(ra), Ḥaḍrat ‘Alī(ra), Zubair bin Al-Awwām(ra), Sharjīl bin Ḥasanah(ra), ‘Abdullāh bin Sa‘d bin Abī Sarah, Ubayy bin Ka‘b(ra), ‘Abdullāh bin Rawāḥah(ra), and others.4 Therefore, the actual task of compilation and arrangement had already taken place in the very life of the Holy Prophet(sa) under his own guidance. This is not merely conjecture; rather, it is explicitly mentioned in the Aḥādīth. A narration is related by ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abbās(ra), that Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān(ra), the third Khalīfah, would state:

“It was a practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) that when a revelation would be received by the Holy Prophet(sa), the Holy Prophet(sa) would summon one of his scribes and instruct him to record it and would also instruct that it should be placed in the following Sūrah at the following place. In this manner, the Holy Prophet(sa) would arrange the various Sūrahs himself.”5

This was a practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) from the very start of his claim to prophethood. As such, we have written in Volume I of this book that in the early days of Makkah, when Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra) became a Muslim he was brought towards Islām by a recitation of the Holy Qur’ān, which was being read aloud by Khabbāb bin Al-Arat to the sister and brother-in-law of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra) from a written script.6 Therefore, the Holy Qur’ān was committed to writing, and compiled and collected as it was revealed. Further evidence of this is that the Holy Prophet(sa) and his Companions would regularly recite portions of the Holy Qur’ān in their Ṣalāt, and at times they would recite very lengthy portions. It is ascertained from a narration that on one occasion, in a single Tahajjud Ṣalāt, i.e., the voluntary pre-dawn prayer, the Holy Prophet(sa) recited the first five Sūrahs of the Holy Qur’ān, which collectively equal a fifth portion of the Holy Qur’ān, together and in proper sequence.7 It was these very lengthy periods of time for which the Holy Prophet(sa) would stand and his feet would often become swollen.8 Then, certain narrations state that the Holy Prophet(sa) would complete a round of the Holy Qur’ān every year in the month of Ramaḍān with Gabriel(ra), and in his last year two full rounds.9 All of these facts categorically establish that the actual task of the arrangement and compilation of the Holy Qur’ān had already taken place in the very life of the Holy Prophet(sa). Therefore, all that is inferred by the collection of Zaid bin Thābit(ra) is that under the instruction and supervision of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr(ra), the first Caliph, he compiled and wrote the Holy Qur’ān in the form of a manuscript, as a single volume or book, so that an authentic copy of the Holy Qur’ān compiled by the Holy Prophet(sa) could be safeguarded in one place. It is ascertained from narrations that afterwards, Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmān(ra), the third Caliph, used this very same manuscript to produce authenticated copies and sent them to the various regions of the Islāmic world at the time. Then, further publication continued on the basis of these authentic copies.10 Moreover, in every era, thousands, rather, hundreds and thousands of Ḥuffāẓ have always preserved the Holy Qur’ān in their hearts and provided an additional apparent means for its preservation. In order to determine how eagerly Muslims have always memorized the Holy Qur’ān, the sole narration is sufficient, that on one occasion, for some reason, when Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar(ra) felt a need to survey the number of Ḥuffāẓ, it was ascertained that at the time, there were more than 300 Ḥuffāẓ present in only a single contingent of the Muslim army.11 Even in the current age, when the inclination towards religion has greatly declined, in the Islāmic world, the number of Ḥuffāẓ definitely runs into the hundreds of thousands.