Zaid ibn Thabit

Zaid ibn Thabit al-Ansari (611-665 CE) was the chief scribe of the Prophet Muhammad and the primary figure responsible for the compilation of the Quran into a single written codex. He was from the Khazraj tribe of Medina and was only eleven years old when the Prophet arrived in Medina during the Hijrah. Though too young to fight at Badr, he memorized the Quran and was chosen by the Prophet as his personal scribe due to his intelligence and literacy.

The Prophet also instructed Zaid to learn Hebrew and Syriac so that he could read and respond to correspondence from Jewish and Christian communities, a task he reportedly mastered in just seventeen days. He served as the Prophet's primary secretary for recording divine revelation, writing the Quranic verses on palm leaves, flat stones, and other available materials as they were revealed. He also served as a scribe for the Prophet's letters and treaties.

After the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr tasked Zaid with the monumental project of compiling all the scattered Quranic materials into a single manuscript (mushaf). Zaid described this as the most difficult task he had ever undertaken, meticulously verifying each verse through written records and the testimony of multiple memorizers. Later, under Uthman's caliphate, Zaid headed the committee that produced the standardized copies of the Quran that were sent to the major cities of the Muslim world. His role in preserving the Quran makes him one of the most consequential figures in Islamic history. He passed away in Medina in 45 AH (665 CE).