Transmission of the Qur'anic Revelation

MEMORISATION AND ORAL TRANSMISSION Memorization by the Prophet

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'... an apostle from God, rehearsing scriptures, kept pure and holy ...' (98: 2) '... the first man to speak the Qur'an loudly in Makka after the apostle was 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud 'The Prophet said: "The most superior among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it".

Memorization by the Companions The Prophet encourages Memorization

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The Prophet sent Teachers

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'When these men (of the first pledge of 'Aqaba) left (for Madina) the apostle sent with them Mus.'ab bin 'Umair .
'Narrated Masruq: 'Abdullah bin 'Amr mentioned 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud and said: I shall ever love that man for I heard the Prophet saying: Take (learn) the Qur'an from four: 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Salim, Muiadh and Ubay bin Ka'b'. [Bukhari, VI, No. 521.]

Qur'an Readers among the Companions

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Transmission of the Qur'anic Revelation

TRANSMISSION OF THE WRITTEN TEXT What is the general meaning of Jam' al-Qur'an?
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Bringing together the Qur'an orally, or in one's mind (hifz). Bringing together the Qur'an in written form, or on sheets, or in a book

The meaning of Jam' al-Qur'an in the classical literature

learn the Qur'an by heart write down every revelation. bring together those materials upon which the Qur'an has been written. o bring together the reports of people who have memorised the Qur'an. o bring together all such sources, both oral and written.

How was the Qur'an Collected?

According to Suyuti, the Qur'an had been written down in its entirety in the time of the Prophet but had not been brought together in one single place, and that therefore these written records or documents had not been arranged in order.' [Itqan, I, p. 41] o However, the arrangement of the suras, was fixed by the Prophet himself and safeguarded through oral transmission
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Transmission of the Qur'anic Revelation

TRANSMISSION OF THE WRITTEN TEXT Stages of Collection
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In the time of the Prophet. In the time of Abu Bakr. In the time of 'Uthman.

Why was no Book left by the Prophet?

The revelation did not come down in one piece Some verses were abrogated in the course of revelation, and therefore flexibility needed to be maintained. o The ayat and suras were not always revealed in their final order, but were arranged later. o The Prophet lived only nine days after the last revelation and was severely ill. o There was no dispute about the Qur'an in the time of the Prophet.

Writing down the Revelation

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While writing was not widespread among the people in Arabia at the time of the Prophet there were persons of whom it is reported that they did write.

Transmission of the Qur'anic Revelation

TRANSMISSION OF THE WRITTEN TEXT Did the Prophet himself write?
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There is unanimous agreement among scholars that Muhammad himself did not write down the revelation. The Qur'an clearly states: And thou (O Muhammad) wast not a reader of any scripture before it, nor didst thou
write it with thy right hand, for then might those have doubted who follow falsehood' (29:48).

The Qur'an written during the Prophet's Lifetime

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There is no doubt that the Qur'an was not only transmitted orally by many Muslims who had learned parts or the whole of it, but that it was also written down during the lifetime of the Prophet.

The Qur'an Dictated by the Prophet

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The Prophet said: 'Call Zaid for me and let him bring the board, the ink pot and the scapula bone (or the scapula bone and the ink pot).' Then he said: 'Write: Not equal are those believers ... [Bukhari, VI, No. 512; also VI, No. 116-18.]
Another report informs us that when people came to Madina to learn about Islam, they were provided with 'copies of the chapters of the Qur'an, to read and learn them by heart'

Written during the Prophet's Lifetime

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Transmission of the Qur'anic Revelation

TRANSMISSION OF THE WRITTEN TEXT Collection of Revelation during the Prophet's Lifetime
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The Prophet said: 'I have left with you something which if you will hold fast to it you will never fall into error- a plain indication, the book of God and the practice of his prophet. [Ibn Hisham] Zaid is reported to have said:'We used to compile the Qur'an from small scraps in the presence of the Apostle.' [Itqan] All parts of the revelation were available both in written form and memorised by the Companions. All pieces were available on loose writing material, making it easy to arrange them in the proper order. The order already fixed of the ayat within the suras, in the written form, as well as in the memory of the Companions, and of the suras in the memory of the Companions.

What did the Prophet leave behind?

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