History and Three Stages of Compilation of the Quran

The Holy Quran is Almighty Allah’s fourth and final sacred scripture revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The Quran is the Book of Universal Guidance. Almighty Allah has taken on the task of safeguarding this Holy Book. For millions of Muslims around the world, the Quran is a source of enormous inspiration, direction, and wisdom. We should all be aware with the history of the Quran’s revelation and compilation in order to comprehend the significance of this Holy Book for all of us (Muslims). The Quran is the centre of faith and the foundation of an Islamic community, as it is the source of shariah, or Islamic legal teachings and law. The Holy Quran is a living miracle, in our opinion. In a period of about 23 years, the Holy Quran was revealed to Hazrat Muhammad (SAW). During this time, the Holy Quran, which we now recite, was revealed in fragments and in a different order than we have now. We will address the feature of the Quran in this article by explaining its revelation and the steps taken to preserve it, as well as the compilation of the Quran throughout Muslim history. You may also like to learn about the Online Quran Classes.

The Holy Quran’s Dignity

Before we begin discussing the revelation and preservation of the Quran, it is critical that we all comprehend the virtues or dignity of the Quran, as well as what Allah Almighty has said in the Quran about its preservation and divine character. The Quran is a book of instruction, mercy, and good news. Aside from that, as Muslims, we must think that the Quran is a perfect book. In regards of the Quran’s preservation, Allah Almighty declares in the Quran, “We have without a doubt brought down the word; and We will always guard it (from corruption).” (15:9), according to the Quran. As a result, we may declare that the Quran in its current form is the same as when it was revealed, and there can be no dispute that it is Divine in character and a source of guidance. Get the idea from the Online Madrasa for kids.

During the life of the Prophet (saas) (570-632 CE)

  • The Prophet (saas) was also taught the seven ways of recitation by Jibreel.
  • The Prophet recounted each verse that he received and noted its location in relation to previous verses and surahs.
  • The passages were written on any suitable object – tree leaves, bits of wood, parchment or leather, flat stones, even shoulder blades – by scribes chosen by the Prophet. Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Mu’awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Ubey Ibn Ka’ab, and Zayed Ibn Thabit were among the scribes.
  • The Qur’an was written by some of the companions for their private purposes.
  • Several hundred companions were able to recite the Qur’an from memory.

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (632-634 CE) 

  • Umar Ibn Al-Khattab urged Abu Bakr to preserve and compile the Qur’an. This was spurred by the battle of Yamamah, in which the reciters who memorised the Qur’an suffered terrible casualties.
  • Abu Bakr committed the collection of the Qur’an to Zayed Ibn Thabit. Zayed was present when the Prophet recited the Qur’an to Angel Jibreel for the last time (Gabriel).
  • Zayed completed the process with the help of his companions who learned and penned passages from the Qur’an, and presented Abu Bakr with the first verified copy of the Qur’an. The original was stored at the home of Hafsah, Umar’s daughter and the Prophet’s bride.

During the caliphate of Uthman (644-656 CE)

  • Uthman ordered Zayed Ibn Thabit, Abdullah Ibn Al Zubayr, Saeed Ibn Al-Aas, and Abdur-Rahman Ibn Harith Ibn Hisham to make perfect copies of the authenticated copy kept with Hafsa. This was due to the Islamic state’s fast expansion and concerns about recitation discrepancies.
  • Copies were sent throughout the Muslim world. A copy was maintained in Madinah and the original was returned to Hafsa.

Conclusion

Uthman also constructed special schools to teach proper Quran recitation and writing. The introduction of diacritical markings occurred throughout Ali’s caliphate. Vowel markings were added during the reign of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. Thousands of Muslims have memorised the Quran since then. The entire Quran is recited in the Tarawih prayer at the Kaaba during the month of Ramadan. Even the tiniest blunder might be noticed by Muslims who have lived all around the world. 

Author Bio

Muhammad Junaid is a senior Analyst and Search Engine Expert. Extensive experience being a lead writer in Quran for Kids. Work for years with local and international enterprises. Also, represent well-known brands in the UAE.