PRESERVATION OF THE QUR'AAN DURING THE KHILAAFAT (Islamic Leadership) OF HADHRAT UTHMAAN (Radhiallaahu Anhu)

By the time Hadhrat Uthmaan had become Khalifah, Islam had spread towards Rome, Iran and many other places. Any person who had become a Muslim, used to learn the Qur’aan from those Sahaaba and Mujahideen from whom they had received the message of Islam. As mentioned earlier, the Qur’aan was revealed in 7 dialects and different Sahaaba had learnt the different Qiraat from Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), therefore, every Sahaabi taught his students according to the way he had learnt directly from Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). In this manner, Qiraat spread to many different countries and parts of the world. However, due to the people not being aware that the Qur’aan had been revealed in 7 different dialects, each one believing his Qiraat to be right and the others to be wrong.

There was no complete compilation of the Qur’aan that the Ummat could rely upon besides The compilation of Hadhrat Zayd (Radhiallaahu Anhu) which was in Madinah Tayyibah. There was a fear that the authenticity of the Qur’aan would be doubted. Also the compilation during the time of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu Anhu), did not incorporate all 7 dialects.

Hence, there was a need for a compilation which incorporated the 7 dialects. This compilation took place in the time of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu). The detail of this compilation is mentioned by Hadhrat Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that Hadhrat Huzayfa ibnul Yaman (Radhiallaahu Anhu) was involved in Jihaad at the border of Azarbayjaan and Armenia. He saw that the people there were confused regarding the different dialects of the Qur’aan. Upon his return to Madinah, he came to Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) who was the Khalifah of that time and said, ‘Cure this Ummat from their dispute concerning the Qur’aan, before they become like the Yahud and Nasaara (who disputed regarding their scriptures, Tawraat and Injeel).’

Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) enquired the problem from him. Hadhrat Huzayfa replied, ‘While I was in Jihaad on the border of Armenia, I saw the people of Syria reciting the Qiraat of Hadhrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b (Radhiallaahu Anhu) which the people of Iraq never heard of. The people of Iraq were reciting the Qiraat of Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (Radhiallaahu Anhu) which the people of Syria had not heard of. This resulted in confusion and doubt.’

Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) feared this before, he had heard of stories in Madinah itself where one teacher had taught his pupils one way of recitation, and another taught his student another way of recitation, which resulted in one party opposing the other.

When Hadhrat Huzayfa (Radhiallaahu Anhu) addressed Hadhrat Uthmaan his concern, Hadhrat Uthmaan summoned all the eminent Sahaaba and made Mashwara with them. He mentioned to them (as mentioned above) that the Muslims were beginning to call each other Kaafirs due to the different dialects of Qiraat. They in turn enquired what he already thought of.

He said, ‘My opinion is that we gather the whole Ummat under one Mushaff (compilation), so that none could oppose the other concerning Qiraat.’ The Sahaaba Kiraam (Radhiallaahu Anhum) accepted this opinion and helped Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) in accomplishing this task.

Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) requested Ummul Mu’mineen Hadhrat Hafsa (Radhiallaahu Anha) for the compilation which was done during the time of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu Anhu). He then made a Jamaat consisting of 4 personalities namely: Zayd ibn Thaabit (Radhiallaahu Anhu), Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Zubayr (Radhiallaahu Anhu), Hadhrat Sa’eed ibn al-Aas, Hadhrat Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Haarith ibn Hishaam (Radhiallaahu Anhu). He commanded this Jamaat to copy down the compilation of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu Anhu) with all the Surahs set out in sequence.

In the beginning, these 4 Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) were chosen to fulfil this task, but after a while many other Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) also assisted them. The following points were considered in this compilation:

a) In the compilation of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu Anhu), the Surahs were not in sequence, but in stead, every Surah was written separately. In this compilation, all Surahs were written in sequence.

b) The words of the Qur’aan were written in such a manner that it includes all the Qiraat, that is why there were no dots and Harkats.

c) There was only one copy of the Qur’aan at the time of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu). These Sahaaba wrote more than one copy. According to some narrations, five copies were written but Imaam Abu Hatim Sajistaani has mentioned that 7 copies were prepared.

d) These Sahaaba used the copy of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu Anhu) for this compilation, and together with this, they used the same method which was used in the time of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu Anhu). In other words, all those Sahaaba who had written the Qur’aan in the time of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), were again asked to present their writings.

e) After these copies were completed, Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) himself, went through each one to ensure that it could include all the different Qiraats, that the Surahs were in sequence, and each copy was the same as the other.

It is undoubtedly the gratitude and favour of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) upon this Ummat for taking up this noble task. After the compilation of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu), the future written version of the Qur’aan, used to be according to the compilation of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu). The Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) and Taabi’een who had written their own personal copies, copied the compiled text of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu)

The compilation of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) had no Nuqtas (dots) or Harkaats (Fatah, Kasr, Dhamma or Zabar, Zer, Pesh). As far as the Arabs were concerned, they experienced no difficulty in reading the Qur’aan without Nuqtahs or Harkaats, because they could recognise a word by whatever was written before or after it, especially the Qur’aan Kareem. There was no possibility of any doubt or anyone making a mistake, because greater emphasis was placed on reciting from memory than merely reading it. However, the non-Arabs still had difficulty reciting the Qur’aan. The need arose, to place the Nuqtas and Harkaats to be marked in the Qur’aan.

When the compilation of Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) was ready and sent out to other countries, a teacher was sent with each copy, to teach the Qur’aan in the correct manner. However, due to Islam rapidly spreading to the non-Arab countries, there was a definite need for adding on the Nuqtahs and Harkaats.

There is a difference of opinion as to who added this to the Qur’aan. According to some narrations, Abul Aswad Duwaly was the first person to add this on, and some narrate that he had done this with the command of Hadhrat Ali (Radhiallaahu Anhu). In some narrations, it is said that the governor of Kufa, Zayd ibn Abi Sufyaan had done this. Another narration mentions that Hajjaaj ibn Yusuf commanded Hadhrat Hasan Basri (RA), Hadhrat Yahya ibn Ya’mur and Nasr ibn Aasim Lasi to do this noble work.

There is also a difference of opinion as to who had added the Harkaat (symbols) in the Qur’aan.

According to some narrations, Hadhrat Abul Aswad Duwali (RA) was the first person to add symbols in the Qur’aan and some narrators have mentioned that Hajjaaj ibn Yusuf commanded Yahya ibn Ya’mur (RA) and Nasr ibn Aasim Lasi (RA) to add the Harkaats to the Qur’aan.

Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Shaaf’ee Saheb (RA) in Ma’ariful Qur’aan mentioned that after gathering all the Riwaayat, we find that the first person to come out with Harkaat was Abul Aswad Duwali (RA). But the Harkaat was not as is it is today, but instead for a Dhabb (Fatha), a dot used to be put on top of a letter and for a zer (Kasra), a dot below and for a pesh, a dot used to be put on the side of the letter and for a Tanween, two dots used to be put, e.g.

Then, after him (Abul Aswad Duwali), Hajjaaj ibn Yusuf ordered Yahya ibn Ya’mur, Nasr ibn Aasim Lasi and Hasan Basri to add the Harkaat and Nuqtahs and they wrote the symbols (Harkaats) just as we see it in the Qur’aan today and by doing this, they made a difference between the Harkaat and Nuqtahs.

The Qur’aan is also distributed in 30 parts which we term as Paras (Juz). It is very difficult to say how this originated and distributed. However, some Ulama are of this opinion that when Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) had written his compilation, he wrote in 30 different parts, but there is no substance or proof for this narration. It seems as though this distribution was done after the time of the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) for convenience in teaching.

Qari Ismail Abdul-Aziz
Head and Senior Lecturer: Department of Qiraat, Madrasah In’aamiyyah
An expert in the seven and ten dialects of the noble Qur’aan

Last modified: January 29, 2006

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