In our last post we delved into detail about the written compilation of the Quran

which occurred during Abu Bakrs (RA) Khilafa, and in this post In shaa Allaah we
will now go into the next phase for the written compilation which happened during
the Khilafa of Uthman (RA).

375f2-qur2527an2bscript2b-2b1

The Mushaf was passed from Abu Bakrs (RA) time until it came to the era of Uthman
(RA). In Uthmans (RA) time, the Islamic conquests had spread quite far, and the
Muslims had reached Armenia and Azerbaijan. Here in this area, two great Muslim
armies met, one coming from Iraq and the other coming from Sham (the area which now
comprises of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan). In it there were a number of
Sahaba, and also Tabieen (the next generation after the Sahaba) who had learned
the Quran from the Sahaba.

Those who had learned the Quran from the Sahaba were not all of the same level in
terms of perfection and correctness. When these two armies met, some of them heard
some others reciting. Some recited the ayah in Surat al-Baqarah as
, and another hearing this said no, Allah said
. The first disagreed and this led to an argument where each was
claiming that their recital was more correct than the other. The matter became
widespread and came to the notice of a great Sahabi who happened to be present in
that area, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman (RA), the secret-keeper of the Prophet
.

Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman was known for his foresight. He used to say of himself, that
people would ask the Prophet about good, and I would ask him
about evil, fearing I would fall into it. He always had concern for the future.
When he heard what took place, he left that place for Madinah and came to Uthman
(RA), the Khalifa of the Muslims, saying:

Take hold of this Ummah, before they differ like the Jews and Christians.

Uthman (RA) asked him what happened and Hudhayfa (RA) explained what he had heard.
Uthman (RA) called Zaid ibn Thabit (RA) who was still alive at that time, and sent
for the Mushaf (AKA al-Suhuf al-Siddiqiyya) compiled together in one place in Abu
Bakrs (RA) time, from Hafsa (RA) the daughter of Umer (RA) who had it with her
after the time of Umer (RA). Uthman (RA) asked Zaid (RA) to make copies from this
authenticated Mushaf, which would be sent out to the Muslim lands and act as
official copies for the people to follow and base their recitation on. He made a
special committee to help Zaid (RA), all of whom were from the Quraish, except Zaid
(RA) himself who was from the Ansar.

So this is what they achieved. Zaid (RA) began making copies from this al-Mushaf
al-Siddiqi, which he himself had collected together in the time of Abu Bakr (RA),
from the separate written pieces which had been written in the presence of the
Prophet . Thus each stage of the written compilation of the
Quran (Mushaf) was based and dependant on the one before. There were no additions
or subtractions or anything from themselves. This is why we find in the Mushaf
matters about which we say Allah knows best what is meant by this (example al-
Huroof al-Muqattaaat like ).

So they made the copies very carefully and cautiously, and revised them inside out.
Then Uthman (RA) sent out a copy each to the main, most populated Muslim lands.
With each copy he also sent a learned Reciter (Qaari), to teach the people how to
recite what was written in the Mushaf copy sent to them. He sent a copy to Kufa,
Basra, Sham, Makkah, Yemen, and it is said that one was also sent to Bahrain; and
he kept two copies with him in Madinah, one for the general public, and one for his
personal use as the Khalifa. He asked the people to then check and compare
anything they had written with them, against the official copy they had been sent,
since this was the copy that had been copied in a very careful and controlled
fashion from the original pieces written and checked in the presence of the Prophet
.

This was the ingenious way Allah inspired Uthman (RA) to deal with this. There was
no better way. Let each of us imagine we were in Uthmans (RA) place. There were
people all over the world with either all the Quran written or different bits and
bobs of written portions, of questionable nature, about which Allah knows best how
accurate or correct they were. There was no other way except to direct them to an
official authenticated copy by which they could check and confirm what was correct.
It is for this reason that Ali (RA) used to say:

If I had had the responsibility of the Mushafs as Uthman had, I would have done
what he did

There was consensus of the Sahaba for what he did. So the people were told to
confirm what they had with them with the official copy sent to them and burn
anything which didnt agree. So each of these Mushafs that were sent out were
known as al-Mushaf al-Imam, because an Imam is something or someone that is
followed. Uncountable copies were made from these official copies. And like this
the written compilation of the Quran was purified and cleansed from any possible
mistakes or carelessness.

==

In our last post we delved into detail about the written compilation of the Quran
which occurred during Abu Bakrs (RA) Khilafa, and in this post In shaa Allaah we
will now go into the next phase for the written compilation which happened during
the Khilafa of Uthman (RA).

375f2-qur2527an2bscript2b-2b1

The Mushaf was passed from Abu Bakrs (RA) time until it came to the era of Uthman
(RA). In Uthmans (RA) time, the Islamic conquests had spread quite far, and the
Muslims had reached Armenia and Azerbaijan. Here in this area, two great Muslim
armies met, one coming from Iraq and the other coming from Sham (the area which now
comprises of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan). In it there were a number of
Sahaba, and also Tabieen (the next generation after the Sahaba) who had learned
the Quran from the Sahaba.

Those who had learned the Quran from the Sahaba were not all of the same level in
terms of perfection and correctness. When these two armies met, some of them heard
some others reciting. Some recited the ayah in Surat al-Baqarah as
, and another hearing this said no, Allah said
. The first disagreed and this led to an argument where each was
claiming that their recital was more correct than the other. The matter became
widespread and came to the notice of a great Sahabi who happened to be present in
that area, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman (RA), the secret-keeper of the Prophet
.

Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman was known for his foresight. He used to say of himself, that
people would ask the Prophet about good, and I would ask him
about evil, fearing I would fall into it. He always had concern for the future.
When he heard what took place, he left that place for Madinah and came to Uthman
(RA), the Khalifa of the Muslims, saying:

Take hold of this Ummah, before they differ like the Jews and Christians.

Uthman (RA) asked him what happened and Hudhayfa (RA) explained what he had heard.
Uthman (RA) called Zaid ibn Thabit (RA) who was still alive at that time, and sent
for the Mushaf (AKA al-Suhuf al-Siddiqiyya) compiled together in one place in Abu
Bakrs (RA) time, from Hafsa (RA) the daughter of Umer (RA) who had it with her
after the time of Umer (RA). Uthman (RA) asked Zaid (RA) to make copies from this
authenticated Mushaf, which would be sent out to the Muslim lands and act as
official copies for the people to follow and base their recitation on. He made a
special committee to help Zaid (RA), all of whom were from the Quraish, except Zaid
(RA) himself who was from the Ansar.

So this is what they achieved. Zaid (RA) began making copies from this al-Mushaf
al-Siddiqi, which he himself had collected together in the time of Abu Bakr (RA),
from the separate written pieces which had been written in the presence of the
Prophet . Thus each stage of the written compilation of the
Quran (Mushaf) was based and dependant on the one before. There were no additions
or subtractions or anything from themselves. This is why we find in the Mushaf
matters about which we say Allah knows best what is meant by this (example al-
Huroof al-Muqattaaat like ).

So they made the copies very carefully and cautiously, and revised them inside out.
Then Uthman (RA) sent out a copy each to the main, most populated Muslim lands.
With each copy he also sent a learned Reciter (Qaari), to teach the people how to
recite what was written in the Mushaf copy sent to them. He sent a copy to Kufa,
Basra, Sham, Makkah, Yemen, and it is said that one was also sent to Bahrain; and
he kept two copies with him in Madinah, one for the general public, and one for his
personal use as the Khalifa. He asked the people to then check and compare
anything they had written with them, against the official copy they had been sent,
since this was the copy that had been copied in a very careful and controlled
fashion from the original pieces written and checked in the presence of the Prophet
.

This was the ingenious way Allah inspired Uthman (RA) to deal with this. There was
no better way. Let each of us imagine we were in Uthmans (RA) place. There were
people all over the world with either all the Quran written or different bits and
bobs of written portions, of questionable nature, about which Allah knows best how
accurate or correct they were. There was no other way except to direct them to an
official authenticated copy by which they could check and confirm what was correct.
It is for this reason that Ali (RA) used to say:

If I had had the responsibility of the Mushafs as Uthman had, I would have done
what he did

There was consensus of the Sahaba for what he did. So the people were told to
confirm what they had with them with the official copy sent to them and burn
anything which didnt agree. So each of these Mushafs that were sent out were
known as al-Mushaf al-Imam, because an Imam is something or someone that is
followed. Uncountable copies were made from these official copies. And like this
the written compilation of the Quran was purified and cleansed from any possible
mistakes or carelessness.