THE QUR'AAN WAS PRESERVED FROM THE TIME OF RASULULLAH (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)

The Qur’aan-e-Kareem is the speech of Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala had taken it upon Himself to preserve the noble Qur’aan. He says, ‘Most certainly We have revealed the Qur’aan and most certainly we will preserve it.’ (Surah Hajar 9)

Allah Ta’ala first placed the Qur’aan-e-Kareem in the Lawh Mahfoodh. He says, ‘But this is the Qur’aan, which is in the Lahw Mahfoodh.’ (Surah Buruj 21)

Allah Ta’ala revealed the Qur’aan two times from the Lawh Mahfoodh: The first time upon the skies of the earth, in the Baytul Izzat which is known as Baytul Ma’moor. This took place on the night of Laylatul Qadr (night of power). Allah Ta’ala says in the noble Qur’aan, ‘Most certainly we have revealed the Qur’aan in the night power.’ (Itqaan; Surah Qadr 1)

The second time was the gradual revelation upon Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) over a period of 23 years. This revelation commenced when Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was in the cave of Hira in the night of power. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was 40 years of age at that time.

The commonly asked question as to why the Qur’aan was revealed gradually and not at once:

The same question was posed to Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), Allah Ta’ala says in the noble Qur’aan, ‘The disobelievers say, ‘Why has not the Qur’aan been revealed upon him all at once?’ In this way (we reveal it) that we may strengthen by it your heart and we recite it beautifully.’ (Furqaan 32)

In the Tafseer of this Aayat, Imaam Jassa Razi (RA) mentions a few reasons for the gradual revelation of the noble Qur’aan:

1) If the entire Qur’aan was revealed at once, it would be necessary to practice upon all the commands of Allah Ta’ala immediately. That would have been difficult.

2) Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) underwent and bore many difficulties from his people. Jibraaeel (Alayhis salaam) used to come often to console and strengthen the heart of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). A gradual revelation was necessary to achieve that.

3) The Qur’aan contains verses answering the questions of people. Such verses could only be revealed when the questions were posed.

In the beginning stages of Islam, the Qur’aan was preserved by memory. Memorising was the most trusted form of preserving any literature as people could not read and write. If the method of writing was adopted to preserve the Qur’aan, the Qur’aan would not have spread as it did so by memory.

Allah Ta’ala had blessed the Arabs with strong memory. A person would be able to memorise over 1000 verses of poetry. A Bedouin was able to memorise his family tree, as well as the family tree of his horses.

However, besides memorising the Qur’aan, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) also took special care in the writing of the Qur’aan. Hadhrat Zayd ibn Thaabit (Radhiallaahu Anhu)says, ‘I used to write the Wahy for Nabi(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). Whenever any revelation used to come, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to feel very hot, drops of perspiration like pearls used to fall from the blessed body of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). Upon that condition, I used to present myself with a shoulder bone or any means of writing, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to dictate the Qur’aan and I used to write. When this used to be completed, I used to feel the burden of the copying of the Qur’aan as though my legs would break and I would never be able to walk. Thereafter, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) used to tell me to read. I used to read and if there was any mistake, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would rectify it and thereafter it used to be presented to the people.’ (Itqaan)

There were many other Sahaaba besides Hadhrat Zayd ibn Thaabit (Radhiallaahu Anhu) who used to write down Wahy. From amongst them were the Khulafaa-e-Rashideen, Hadhrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Hadhrat Zubayr ibn `Awwaam, Hadhrat Mu’aawiya, Hadhrat Mugheera ibn Shu’bah, Hadhrat Khalid ibn Waleed, Hadhrat Thaabit ibn Qays, Hadhrat Aboan ibn Sa’eed (Radhiallaahu Anhum)

Hadhrat Uthmaan (Radhiallaahu Anhu) mentions that whenever revelation used to come upon Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), he used to guide the scribe to place that Aayat in a particular portion, Surah, etc. of the noble Qur’aan.

As paper was very scarce in those times, some Aayaat of the noble Qur’aan were written on stone, some on leather, some on branches of date trees, leaves of trees and bones of animals. However, sometimes it used to be written on paper also.

In this manner, during the time of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), the noble Qur’aan was written and compiled under the supervision of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam).

Qari Ismail Abdul-Aziz
Head: Department of Qiraat – Madrasah In’aamiyyah, Camperdown
An expert in the fields of Qiraat (Seven dialects and ten dialects of Qiraat)

Last modified: January 29, 2006

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