Preserving the Word of Allah

The Journey of the Qur’an to its Current Form.

The complete Qur’an was recorded by several scribes in the lifetime of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, but it was not yet bound as a single book. After the Battle of Yamāma — six months after the Prophet’s death — there was fear that the Qur’an might be lost due to the death of many Muslims who had memorised it.

Collection under Abū Bakr

Abū Bakr, the first successor to the Prophet ﷺ, formed a committee to collect the written Qur’anic material and form it into a book. This committee was headed by Zayd ibn Thābit, who was both a memoriser of the Qur’an and the original scribe of the Prophet ﷺ.

The compilers used stringent criteria to ensure accuracy, including the requirement that the material was:

• Originally written in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ
• Confirmed by two witnesses

The resulting copy was approved by the entire Muslim world. If there had been any errors, the hundreds of Qurrāʾ (memorisers of the Qur’an) would have corrected it.

Standardisation under ʿUthmān

During the time of Caliph ʿUthmān, differences in the dialectical recitation of the Qur’an among different tribes were causing disputes. ʿUthmān made an official copy in the Qurashī dialect — the dialect in which the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ — to facilitate understanding among all tribes.

This copy by ʿUthmān’s committee is not a different version of the Qur’an, but the same original revelation. According to the preferred opinion, six copies were made and sent to:

1. Madīna — Zayd ibn Thābit
2. Makkah — ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Sāʾib
3. Kūfa — Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī
4. Baṣra — ʿĀmir ibn Qays
5. Shām — al-Mughīra ibn Shihāb
6. A personal copy for the Caliph ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān himself

Addition of dots and diacritics

It is important to note that the original ʿUthmānic script was free from dots or diacritics (Tashkīl). These were later introduced by Abū al-Aswad al-Duʾalī and his two students Naṣr ibn ʿĀṣim and Yaḥyā ibn Yaʿmar, to assist non-Arabs in reading correctly.

A remarkable achievement

The preservation of the Qur’an is a remarkable achievement of religious and historical significance. The diligent efforts made by Caliph Abū Bakr, Zayd ibn Thābit, and Caliph ʿUthmān’s committee (may Allāh be pleased with them all) demonstrate the importance placed on ensuring accuracy and unity in the Qur’anic text.

The six official copies made during the time of ʿUthmān serve as a testament to the commitment of Muslims to preserving the Qur’an as it was originally revealed. The introduction of dots and diacritics by later scholars further demonstrates the continuous effort to ensure accuracy — a legacy that continues to motivate us to value and preserve our religious heritage with the same diligence and devotion.