truth of this statement, for not only are there numerous anecdotes showing that this or that portion of the Holy Qur’ān was put to writing under the orders of the Holy Prophet, but we are clearly told by ‘Uthmān, the third Caliph, that every portion of the Book was written and given its specified place, at the bidding of the Holy Prophet: “It was customary with the Messenger of Allāh (may peace and the blessings of Allāh be upon him) that when portions of different chapters were revealed to him, and when any verse was revealed, he called one of those persons who used to write the Holy Qur’ān12 and said to him: Write this verse in the chapter where such and such verses occur” (Ah. 1:57, 69).
In fact, if we bear in mind the use that was made of the Holy Qur’ān, we cannot for an instant entertain the idea that the Book existed without any arrangements of its verses and chapters in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet. It was not only recited in prayers but committed to memory and regularly recited to keep it fresh in the mind. Now if an arrangement of verses and chapters had not existed, it would have been impossible either to recite it in public prayers or to commit it to memory. The slightest change in the place of a verse by a person leading the prayers (Imām) would at once call forth a correction from the audience, as it does at the present day. Since no one could take the liberty of changing a word or the place of a word in a verse, no one could change a verse or the place of a verse in a chapter; and so the committing of the Holy Qur’ān to memory by so many of the Companions of the Holy Prophet, and their constant recitation of it, would have been impossible unless a known order was followed. The Holy Prophet could not teach the Holy Qur’ān to his companions nor the companions to each other, nor could he or anyone else lead the public prayers, in which long portions of the Book were recited, without following a known and accepted order.
The Holy Qur’ān thus existed in a complete and ordered form in the memories of men, but no complete written copy of it existed at
12 Among those whom the Holy Prophet used to summon to write down portions of the Holy Qur’ān immediately after their revelation are mentioned the names of Zaid ibn Thābit, Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān,’ Alī, Zubair, Ubayy, Ḥanẓala, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sa‘d, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Arqam, ‘Abd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa, Sharḥubail, Khālid and Abān, sons of Sa‘id, and Mu‘aiqab (FB. IX, p. 18). At Madīnah, Zaid ibn Thābit was chiefly called upon to do this work, and in his absence any of the other amanuenses would take his place, and this was the reason why Zaid was chosen to collect the Quranic writings in the time of Abū Bakr, and again to do the work of transcription in the time of ‘Uthmān. At Makkah, in the earliest days, there were Abū Bakr, ‘Alī, Khādījah, wife of the Holy Prophet, and others who wrote down the portions revealed. The Holy Prophet took the greatest care to have a writer and writing materials with him under all conditions, and even when he had to fly for his life to Madīnah, he still had writing material with him (Bu. 63:45).