WAS THE HOLY QUR'AN COMPILED DURING THE TIME OF THE PROPHET (ص)

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When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was sent, there were divine scriptures that had been revealed before him, such as the Gospel and the Torah, and perhaps others. What prevented him from gathering all the surahs into one compiled manuscript, copying it, and distributing it, as was done with those earlier scriptures? Why was it that during the time of Uthman, it was the companions who compiled it?

This then opened the door for discussions regarding the possibility of omissions, additions, and differences in the recitations.

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This question is based on the assumption, in accordance with the Sunni perspective, that the compilation of the Qur'an was undertaken by the Companions rather than by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). However, this premise is not accepted by the Shi‘a of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). Sunni narrations assert that the Qur'an was compiled during the caliphate of the successors following the Prophet, whereas the Shi‘a belief holds that the Qur'an was compiled during the lifetime of the Prophet himself (peace be upon him and his family).

It is worth noting that the difference in views regarding the timing of the Qur'an’s compilation does not affect the consensus that the Qur'an recited by Muslims today is a single, unified text with no variation.

Accordingly, discussions on this matter serve primarily to address and refute the doubts raised by some skeptics regarding the integrity of the Qur'an.

The majority of Sunni scholars hold that the Qur'an was compiled during the caliphate, a position based on various narrations found in Sunni sources. Therefore, examining these narrations and assessing their authenticity is crucial to resolving this debate. This is precisely what Sayyid al-Khu’i undertook in his exegetical work Al-Bayān, where he meticulously analyzed these reports and demonstrated their internal contradictions, ultimately proving that they cannot be relied upon as credible sources.

After Sayyid Al-Khoei determines the origin of the doubt and issue by stating:

إن مصدر هذه الشبهة هو زعمهم بأن جمع القرآن كان بأمر من أبي بكر بعد أن قتل سبعون رجلا من القراء في بئر معونة، وأربعمائة نفر في حرب اليمامة فخيف ضياع القرآن وذهابه من الناس، فتصدى عمر وزيد بن ثابت لجمع القرآن من العسب، والرقاع، واللحاف، ومن صدور الناس بشرط أن يشهد شاهدان على أنه من القرآن، وقد صرح بجميع ذلك في عدة من الروايات، والعادة تقضي بفوات شيء منه على المتصدي لذلك، اذا كان غير معصوم، كما هو مشاهد فيمن يتصدى لجمع شعر شاعر واحد أو أكثر، إذا كان هذا الشعر متفرقا، وهذا الحكم قطعي بمقتضى العادة، ولا أقل من احتمال وقوع التحريف، فإن من المحتمل عدم إمكان إقامة شاهدين على بعض ما سمع من النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) فلا يبقى وثوق بعدم النقيصة. والجواب: إن هذه الشبهة مبتنية على صحة الروايات الواردة في كيفية جمع القرآن والأولى أن نذكر هذه الروايات ثم نعقبها بما يرد عليها

"The source of this doubt is their claim that the compilation of the Quran was ordered by Abu Bakr after seventy of the Qurra were killed at the Battle of Bir Ma'ouna, and four hundred others in the Battle of Yamama. It was feared that the Quran would be lost, so Umar and Zayd ibn Thabit took it upon themselves to compile the Quran from pieces of palm fronds, leather pieces, and the memories of people, provided that two witnesses testified that it was from the Quran. All of this is explicitly mentioned in several narrations. Custom dictates that something may be missed by those undertaking such a task if they are not infallible, as is evident when someone compiles the poetry of one or more poets, if that poetry is scattered. This ruling is certain according to custom, and at the very least, the possibility of alteration remains. It is possible that it was not feasible to find two witnesses for some of what was heard from the Prophet (peace be upon him), and thus there can be no certainty that it is free from omission."

The response: "This doubt is based on the authenticity of the narrations concerning the manner in which the Quran was compiled. It would be appropriate first to present these narrations, then follow them with the refutations against them." [1]

He then presents all the narrations in the chapter and engages in a detailed critique of each narration, pointing out the contradictions within them, stating:

إنها متناقضة في أنفسا فلا يمكن الاعتماد على شيء منها، ومن الجدير بنا أن نشير إلى جملة من مناقضاتها..

"They are self-contradictory, and thus none of them can be relied upon. It is worth noting some of their contradictions..." [2]

He then lists these contradictions in detail, and since it is not appropriate to mention them all here, those interested are advised to refer to Tafseer al-Bayan to examine them.

As for the narrations of the Shi'a, they indicate that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) himself was the one who compiled the Quran. In the Tafseer of Ali ibn Ibrahim, it is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) who said to Ali (peace be upon him):

يا علي القرآن خلف فراشي في المصحف والحرير والقراطيس فخذوه واجمعوه ولا تضيعوه كما ضيعت اليهود التوراة فانطلق علي عليه السلام فجمعه في ثوب أصفر ثم ختم عليه.

"O Ali, the Quran is behind my bed in the manuscript, silk, and papers. Take it and compile it, and do not neglect it as the Jews neglected the Torah." So, Ali (peace be upon him) went and gathered it in a yellow cloth, then sealed it." [3]

This narration, along with others, indicates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) instructed the compilation of the Quran, and that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) undertook this task during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). This view is agreed upon by the majority of Shi'a jurists. In Majma' Al-Bayan, it is narrated from Sayyid Al-Murtadha (may his soul be sanctified) who said that the Quran was compiled during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) in the form that we have it today. [4]

He [Sayyid Al-Murtadha] also said that the Qur’an was compiled and organized during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) in the form that it is in now. He supported this by citing that the Qur’an was studied and memorized in its entirety during that time, and that certain companions were specifically entrusted with memorizing it. Furthermore, it was regularly recited and presented to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and companions such as Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and others completed the recitation of the entire Quran in several occasions before the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). All of this, with minimal reflection, indicates that the Qur’an was compiled, organized, and not fragmented or dispersed. [5] 

This has been affirmed by scholars such as Shaykh al-Saduq, Shaykh al-Mufid, Shaykh al-Tusi, and other revered scholars of our tradition up to the present day.

References

[1] Al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān" by al-Sayyid al-Khū’ī , Page 239

[2] Al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān" by al-Sayyid al-Khū’ī , Page 247

[3] Tafsīr al-Qummī., ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm al-Qummī, Volume 2, Page 451

[4] Majmaʿ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, al-Ṭabrisī, al-Shaykh al-Faḍl ibn al-Ḥasan. Volume  1, Page 43

[5] Majmaʿ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, al-Ṭabrisī, al-Shaykh al-Faḍl ibn al-Ḥasan. Volume 1, Page 43

The original text in Arabic can be found here

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