The Compilation of the Quran

The preservation of the Quran is one of the most remarkable achievements in human history. Unlike any other scripture, the Quran was memorized in its entirety by hundreds of companions during the Prophet's lifetime and transmitted through an unbroken chain of mass narration (tawatur) that makes its authenticity historically indisputable. Allah promised: "Indeed, it is We who sent down the reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian" (Quran 15:9).

Preservation During the Prophet's Lifetime

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received the Quran through the angel Jibril over a period of 23 years. Each time a revelation came, the Prophet would recite it to his companions, who would memorize it and write it on available materials: palm stalks, thin stones, leather, shoulder blades of camels, and parchment. The Prophet appointed scribes of revelation (kuttab al-wahy), the most prominent being Zayd ibn Thabit. Every Ramadan, the Prophet would review the entire Quran with Jibril, and in the final year of his life, he reviewed it twice (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Compilation Under Abu Bakr

After the Battle of Yamama (12 AH), in which many huffaz (Quran memorizers) were martyred, Umar ibn al-Khattab urged Abu Bakr to compile the Quran into a single manuscript. Abu Bakr tasked Zayd ibn Thabit, who gathered the written materials and verified them against the memorization of the companions. Zayd said: "By Allah, if they had asked me to move a mountain, it would not have been heavier than what they asked me to do" (Sahih al-Bukhari). The resulting manuscript (suhuf) was kept with Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Umar's daughter Hafsah.

Standardization Under Uthman

During the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, as Islam spread to diverse regions, differences in recitation arose between people of different areas. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman warned Uthman of potential disputes. Uthman ordered a committee led by Zayd ibn Thabit to produce official copies (masahif) based on the suhuf of Hafsah, written in the dialect of Quraysh. These copies were sent to the major cities (Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, and Damascus), and all other variant personal copies were ordered destroyed to prevent confusion. This Uthmani codex is the basis of every Quran in the world today.

Oral and Written Transmission

The Quran's preservation rests on both oral and written transmission. The oral chain of memorization (from teacher to student, going back to the Prophet himself) continues unbroken to this day through the science of Qiraat (recitation). The written manuscripts, including fragments discovered in Sana'a, Yemen and the University of Birmingham (dated by radiocarbon to the Prophet's era), confirm the textual integrity of the Quran. No other text in human history has been preserved with comparable rigor, combining mass memorization with written documentation from the earliest period.