Gulf Times, Qatar
May 12 2005
Transmission of the Revelation
Published: Thursday, 12 May, 2005, 11:56 AM Doha Time
Allah is the Protector of the Book
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has declared that He Himself will protect
the Qur’an from any corruption or alterations: Verily it is We Who
have sent down the Dhikr (ie. the Qur’an) and surely, We will guard
it (from corruption) [Surah Al-Hijr 15: 9]. This stands as an
assurance from Allah to every person who reads the Qur’an.
Allah also wished to make the task of recitation easy to Prophet
Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and the following verse
explains it: Move not thy tongue concerning (Qur’an) to make haste
therewith. It is for Us to collect it and give you the ability to
recite it: but when We have recited it, follow you its recital.
[Surah Al-Qiyaamah, 75: 16-18].
But in the case of books of previous religions, this task was
entrusted to the priests of those previous religions. And the rabbis
and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Taurah after those
prophets] for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book
and they were witnesses thereto. [Surah Al-Maa’idah 5:44]
The stages of transmission
1) Oral Transmission Through Memorisation and Recitation
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) himself was the first to
commit a revelation to memory after the Angel Jibreel (`alaihi
salaam) had brought it to him. When a Qur’anic verse(s) was revealed,
the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) declared the revelation
and instructed his companions (radiallahu `anhum) to memorise it.
There are numerous ahadith giving account of various efforts and
measures taken by the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) to
ensure that the revelation was preserved in the memory of his
companions (radiallahu `anhum).
Narrated Uthmaan bin Affaan (radiallahu `anhu): The Prophet
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: The most superior among you
(Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it. – Al-Bukhari.
In order to safeguard the Qur’an from any alteration, Angel Jibreel
(`alaihi salaam) used to review it with the Prophet (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) in the nights of Ramadan. During the last year of
the life of Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) angel Jibreel
(`alaihi salaam) visited him to study the Qur’an twice. This was
reported by Muslim.
It is well known that the recital of the Qur’an during daily prayers
is required and hence several hundreds of companions (radiallahu
`anhum) repeatedly heard passages from the revelation, memorised them
and used them in prayer.
Ibn Mas’ood (radiallahu `anhu) was the first man after the Prophet
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), to publicly recite the Qur’an in
Makkah, for which he was beaten by the kuffaar (disbelievers) of
Makkah. This event shows that even in the very early phase of Islam,
recital of the revelation from memory was practised by the companions
(radiallahu `anhum).
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) also liked to listen to
the recitation of the Qur’an by his companions (radiallahu `anhum).
Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radiallahu `anhu) was asked by the Prophet
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) to recite the Qur’an, and he started
reciting Surah An-Nisa’. When he reached the verse, How (will it be)
then when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O
Muhammad) as a witness against these people? [Surah An-Nisau 4:41]
the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said `Stop’, and his eyes
were shedding tears.
2. Qur’anic Teachers and Readers
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) used to send teachers to
communities in other places so that they might receive instruction in
Islam and Qur’an. This was done even before the Hijrah.
When these men (of the first pledge of `Aqaba) left (for Madina) the
apostle sent with them Musa’ab bin Umair …and instructed him to
read the Qur’an to them and to teach them Islam and to give them
instruction about religion. In Madina Musa’ab was called the reader.
Report by Ibn Hisham.
3. Recording of Qur’anic manuscripts.
When each passage of the Qur’an was received and recited by the
Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) it was immediately set down
in writing by the scribes on any suitable object within reach such as
the leaves of trees, pieces of wood, parchment or leather, flat
stones, shoulder blades and so on. Thus it will be seen that the
recording of the Qur’an was completed during the lifetime of the
Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)). This shows that in addition
to memory in the minds of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)
and his companions (radiallahu `anhum), there were also written
records kept for the benefit of future generations.
4. Collection of Scattered Manuscripts – During Abu Bakr’s Period
When Abu Bakr (radiallahu `anhu) became the Khaleefah, he sent orders
to compile the Qur’an in a unified copy with all the ayaat and suwar
(verses and chapters) arranged in the right order, in which they have
already been memorised. He had a valid reason to do so. According to
Imam Al-Bukhari, there were heavy casualties among the Qurraa
(reciters of Qur’an) in the battle against Musaylimah, which took
place in Yamamah. Abu Bakr (radiallahu `anhu) feared that there would
be some more casualties in other places too and eventually a large
part of the Qur’an may be lost this way. So he consulted Umar ibn
al-Khattaab and Zaid bin Thaabit (radiallahu `anhumaa), to collect
the Qur’an.
The formidable task of collecting the Qur’an in one Mus-haf was
entrusted to Zaid bin Thaabit (radiallahu `anhu), who was one of the
official scribes of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and
he was also present during the last recitation by the Prophet
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) before his death.
Zaid bin Thaabit (radiallahu `anhu) followed strict rules of
procedure in the task of collection of Qur’an.
1. Zaid took only verses whose recitation had not been abrogated.
2. The selected text must be certified by two witnesses as having
been the actual dictation of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa
sallam).
3. The text must have been transmitted by numerous persons (tawaatur)
and must enjoy the consensus (Ijmaa’) of the Muslim Ummah.
4. It must be in accordance with one of the modes of recitation in
which the Qur’an was revealed. i.e. one of the seven modes.
This manuscript on which the Qur’an was collected, and remained with
Abu Bakr (radiallahu `anhu) till he passed away. Then it was kept
with Umar (radiallahu `anhu) during his rule. Finally Umar
(radiallahu `anhu) passed the Qur’an to Hafsah his daughter
(radiallahu `anha) who was also the wife of Prophet (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam).
5. Copies.
During the Khilaafah of Uthmaan Ibn Affaan (radiallahu `anhu) the
Islamic state spread immensely and the Qur’anic reciters went to
different regions with different modes of reading. So differences in
reading the Qur’an became obvious in these regions. Uthmaan
(radiallahu `anhu) borrowed the suhuf (pages) of Abu Bakr (radiallahu
`anhu), that was kept with Hafsah (radiallahu `anha) and gave
directives for the preparation of a standard copy that would be sent
to all the regions.
The Order To Collect
According to Anas Ibn Maalik (radiallahu `anhu): People of Syria and
the people of Iraq were waging expeditions to conquer Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yaman who was afraid of the difference
in recitation (of people of Sham and Iraq) of the Qur’an, came to
Uthmaan bin Affaan and said, `O commander of the faithful! Save the
nation before they differ about the book (Qur’an) as the Jews and
Christians did before.’
So Uthmaan (radiallahu `anhu) sent a message to Hafsah (radiallahu
`anha) saying: `Send us the manuscripts of the Qur’an so that we may
compile the Qur’anic materials in perfect copies and return the
manuscripts to you.’ When Hafsah (radiallahu `anha) sent it to
Uthmaan (radiallahu `anhu), he ordered Zaid bin Thaabit, Abdullah Ibn
Zubair, Sa’eed Ibn al-Aas and Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Haarith Ibn Hisham
(radiallahu `anhum) to re-write the manuscripts in perfect copies.
Uthmaan (radiallahu `anhu) said to the three Quraishi men, `In case
you disagree with Zaid Ibn Thaabit on any point, then write it in the
dialect of Quraish as the Qur’an was revealed in their tongue.’ They
did so, and when they had written many copies, Uthmaan (radiallahu
`anhu) returned the original manuscripts to Hafsah (radiallahu
`anha). Uthmaan (radiallahu `anhu) sent every Muslim province one
copy of what they have copied and ordered that all the other Qur’anic
materials whether written on fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies
be burnt.
Thus Abu Bakr (radiallahu `anhu) made one single copy from various
verbal and written material. Uthmaan (radiallahu `anhu) made several
copies prepared from this copy and sent them to various places in the
Muslim world. May Allah have mercy upon and be pleased with each and
every one of them, ameen.
Next week insha Allah: The difference between Qur’an and Hadith, and
other related topics
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress