Muslims sincerely believe that Allah’s (God’s) exact word is found in the Quran. They claim that throughout the course of 23 years, Allah used Angel Gabriel to convey His word to Prophet Muhammad. Between 610 and 632 CE, this occurred. Prophet Muhammad never penned anything himself, which is what makes this unique.
Rather, the words that Angel Gabriel brought to him were spoken. Prophet Muhammad would share every fresh message that Angel Gabriel brought with his Sahaba. Sahaba refers to adherents who think Muhammad is Allah’s final messenger.
“Who Wrote the Quran?” is a question that many ask. because Muhammad’s words were beautiful and clear despite his inability to read or write. Muslims interpret this as evidence that Allah, not Muhammad, actually spoke those words. Muslims therefore hold that Allah is the actual author of the Quran, even if Prophet Muhammad spoke the verses.
Who Wrote the Quran Historical Background
The story of the Quran began in ancient Arabia between 610 and 632 CE, when Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) lived in the two major cities of Mecca and Medina. Since there were no books or paper to write the Quran on at the time, people learned it by hearing it and repeating it. Many of Muhammad’s (ﷺ) Sahaba spent hours learning every word exactly as he said it.
While most people learned by hearing and memory, some also penned parts of the Quran on whatever they could find. They used simple objects like palm leaves, flat stones, and strips of leather. This combination of verbal communication, memorization, and simple writing kept the message secure and unaltered. Since the majority of people knew it by memory, anyone could check to see if someone had made a mistake. In an era when the majority of people were illiterate, this method of transmitting the Quran was effective.
How the Quran Was Saved and Put Together
When Prophet Muhammad Was Alive
When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received a message from God, the sahaba would absorb it fast; some would write it down, while others would commit it to memory. Because people in Arab culture were adept at recalling lengthy tales without writing them down, these people had vivid memory.
To ensure that the writing would remain on the palm leaves for a long time, they thoroughly dried them after picking them. They smoothed flat stones and inscribed on them when they couldn’t locate palm leaves.
Additionally, they inscribed on animal hides since they were durable and long-lasting. Because leather was readily available and allowed for legible writing, they also used pieces of leather.\
Abu Bakr Orders the First Collection
Abu Bakr was the first leader after the Prophet Muhammad, although they had a significant issue. Numerous individuals who were memorizing the entire Quran were losing their lives in combat. Hazrat Abu Bakr was concerned that some aspects of God’s word would be permanently lost. He requested that Sahabi Hazrat Zaid ibn Thabit, who had previously written for Prophet Muhammad, compile the entire Quran in one location.
Hazrat Zaid worked meticulously and diligently. He collected every thing that people had written. Furthermore, Hazrat Zaid established stringent guidelines: he would only accept a written verse if two reliable witnesses could attest that they heard the Prophet Muhammad speak it just as it was recorded. Additionally, they verified each piece with those who had committed the Quran to memory. This ensured that every word was correct.
Uthman Makes the Final Book
Later, Islam expanded over the world. The third leader, Hazrat Usman, noticed that because various people spoke Arabic differently, they were reading the Quran slightly differently. They were concerned that these minor variations would subsequently cause confusion. He made the decision to create a single, official version that would be accessible to all. Hazrat Zaid ibn Thabit was once again chosen by Hazrat Usman to head this crucial position.
Abu Bakr’s collection served as a guide for Hazrat Zaid and his group. They went over each and every word. To ensure that the wording and delivery were precise, they consulted the Sahaba of Prophet Muhammad, who were still living.
Following the completion of this meticulous labor, Hazrat Usman gave the command to create many flawless copies. All of the major Muslim cities received these copies from him. He dispatched a tutor with each copy to demonstrate proper reading technique. He then requested that everyone bring him all other written copies in order to prevent confusion. Everyone would use the same exact words in this fashion.
Their meticulous approach to preserving the Quran demonstrates their meticulous attention to detail. To preserve the words, they employed writing and memory. They made many checks.
The Quran has remained unchanged for over 1,400 years as a result of this meticulous work. Today, if you go to any mosque anywhere in the globe, you will discover the identical Quran that Uthman’s team put together. Muslims believe this demonstrates that God has protected their precious book.
This was not simply about protecting language; everyone collaborated to complete this crucial task. To preserve the language, they spoke and wrote. Additionally, they operated in a highly structured manner during a period when the majority of people were illiterate. They came up with fresh ideas that no one had ever considered for protecting significant terms.
The way they saved the Quran teaches us many things:
- How individuals can collaborate to accomplish a significant task
- How to preserve significant words for an extended period of time
- How to use extreme caution and double-check everything
- How to handle issues when they arise
- How to prevent misunderstandings by ensuring that everyone speaks the same phrases
The words said by Prophet Muhammad over 1,400 years ago are still readable by Muslims worldwide today. This demonstrates how effectively these early Muslims saved God’s message.
The Language and Writing Style of the Quran
The Quran uses Classical Arabic, a unique dialect of Arabic that was used at the time for the most exquisite speech and poetry. Because it was the best option to convey thoughts in a beautiful and straightforward style, this language choice was ideal. Since they had never heard anything like the words of the Quran before, people were astounded by it when they first heard it.
The Quran’s discourse is unique and distinct from that of other literature. It occasionally depicts the natural world and the cosmos, occasionally offers guidance, and occasionally recounts stories. Expert poets and speakers of the era concurred that its style was distinct from that of any literature produced by humans. The words are fluid, and they sound like music without being a song when read aloud.
Muslims refer to the 114 chapters of the Quran as “suras.” Every sura has a unique name that is typically derived from a significant phrase or tale from that chapter. One sura, for instance, is titled “The Cow” because it relates a cow narrative. Because it discusses the sun and its light, another is titled “The Sun.”
The chapters of the Quran are not organized in the sequence that Prophet Muhammad received revelations, which adds interest to the text’s structure. Rather, the majority of the chapters are arranged in order of length. There are only three verses in the shortest chapter and 286 verses in the longest. People find it easier to memorize the Quran thanks to this special layout.
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” opens every chapter (with the exception of one). This first sentence serves as a reminder to readers that God’s words are going to be read. Since each word has been picked with such care, altering even one would alter the meaning or disrupt the lovely flow.
Classical Arabic speakers claim that every time they read the Quran, they discover fresh meanings they were previously unaware of. For this reason, even if they don’t understand Arabic, millions of individuals have committed the entire text to memory. They believe it is unique and significant to just utter these words in the precise manner in which they were revealed.
Even though the majority of Arabs speak various dialects of Arabic in their daily lives, they are nonetheless able to comprehend the Quran’s classical Arabic. This demonstrates how, mostly due to the Quran, this unique language has survived and been significant for more than 1,400 years.
Historical Preservation
Today’s Quran is identical to that of 1,400 years ago. The Quran has not altered when new copies of other ancient texts were created. People were able to preserve it in two ways: by writing it down and by remembering it.
A large number of Muslims, known as Hafiz, memorize the entire Quran. Word by word, even young children can recall every word in all 600 pages. Others follow along in their books to ensure that every word is correct as these individuals read aloud from the Quran. This method of verification helps protect the words.
Very old Quranic texts have been discovered in Egypt, Yemen, and Turkey. The age of these books is around 1,300 years! They find that the terms in these ancient texts are exactly the same as those in the modern Quran. This demonstrates how unchanged the Quran is.
When teaching the Quran, teachers exercise extreme caution. They ensure that their pupils read it and retain it accurately. Every word is checked to ensure that nothing has changed when someone writes a new copy. Even when the Quran is written in different languages, the words remain the same.
Muslims hold that God vowed to protect His message. People performed a very good job of maintaining this promise, as seen by the fact that ancient texts correspond with the current Quran. The words that individuals read 1,400 years ago are the same whether they are reading the Quran in Asia or America.