The Holy Quran is the only divine book that Allah Himself has guaranteed to preserve; He has not entrusted this responsibility to an angel, a prophet, a messenger, or any nation. Allah said in Surah Al-Hijr, Ayah 9; ”Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” (إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ). This is due to the great importance of the Holy Quran, as it is the final divine revelation sent to humanity through the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), the Seal of the Prophets. It is a guidance for people, a healing for the hearts, and a mercy for all of mankind. It is the Criterion sent by Allah to be a Warner to all the worlds. For these reasons, Allah has preserved the Holy Quran in the hearts of Muslims throughout the various stages of its compilation, from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to the present day. It went through three stages: the era of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), the era of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, and the era of Sayyiduna Uthman ibn Affan.
the era of the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
The Holy Quran was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) all at once; rather, it was revealed gradually over a period of 23 years as it is mentioned in Surah Al-Furqan, Ayah 32; ”And those who disbelieve say, “Why was the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once?” Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.” (وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ ۖ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا). During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), Allah took upon Himself the responsibility of preserving and compiling the Holy Quran. The compilation of the Quran during the Prophet’s lifetime was carried out in two ways:
1- The Companions devoted themselves to memorizing the Quran directly from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and over time, the number of those who had committed it to memory grew substantially.
2- The writing down of the Holy Quran was a task entrusted by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to specific individuals. They recorded the Quran on whatever writing materials were available, such as palm leaves, stones, and animal shoulder blades.
the era of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr
Many of the Quran’s memorizers were killed in the Battle of Al-Yamama against Musaylimah the Liar during the caliphate of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). As a result, Abu Bakr, in consultation with Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), undertook the compilation of the Quran.
the era of Sayyiduna Uthman ibn Affan
During the era of Sayyiduna Uthman ibn Affan, the Islamic nation expanded significantly. This led to significant differences in the Quranic recitation among the people of Al-Sham and Iraq, which caused Uthman to fear the outbreak of a major discord. Narrated Anas bin Malik:
”Hudhaifa ibn Al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Quran, so he said to Uthman, “O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Quran) as Jews and the Christians did before.” So Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, “Send us the manuscripts of the Quran so that we may compile the Quranic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you.” Hafsa sent it to Uthman. Uthman then ordered Zaid ibn Thabit, Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, Saeed ibn Al-As and Abdur Rahman ibn Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, “In case you disagree with Zaid ibn Thabit on any point in the Quran, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Quran was revealed in their tongue.” They did so, and when they had written many copies, Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Quranic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.”
Thus, through divine guidance and the dedication of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his Companions, Allah has preserved the Holy Quran throughout the stages of its compilation. It has been safeguarded from alteration or loss, remaining intact for all generations, and continues to guide humanity to this very day.
