🔹 1. The Revelation of the Qur’an (610–632 CE)

📍 Where it began:

  • The Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in 610 CE at the age of 40.
  • The first verse revealed was: “Read in the name of your Lord who created…” (Surah Al-‘Alaq 96:1)

🕊️ Method of Revelation:

  • Revealed through Angel Jibril (Gabriel) over 23 years, in two phases:
    • Meccan Period (610–622 CE): Focused on belief in one God, morality, and the afterlife.
    • Medinan Period (622–632 CE): Included laws, social regulations, warfare, and governance.

📜 Characteristics:

  • The Qur’an is oral in origin, rhythmic, and easy to memorize.
  • Revelation was not chronological in order of today’s Surahs.
  • Verses were revealed in response to events, questions, or divine guidance.

🔹 2. Preservation During the Prophet’s Life

🧠 Memorization:

  • The Qur’an was primarily preserved orally. Many companions became ḥuffāẓ (memorizers).
  • The Prophet encouraged memorization and frequently reviewed it with Angel Jibril (especially in Ramadan).

✍️ Writing:

  • It was also written down immediately after revelation by official scribes.
  • Common materials used:
    • Animal skins (riqq)
    • Palm leaves
    • Flat stones
    • Shoulder blades of animals
    • Pieces of wood

🖋️ Main scribes included:

  • Zayd ibn Thābit
  • Ali ibn Abi Tālib
  • Ubayy ibn Kaʿb
  • Muʿāwiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
  • Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

🕌 Arrangement:

  • Prophet Muhammad arranged verses within surahs under divine instruction.
  • The full compilation into one book did not happen during his lifetime.

🔹 3. First Compilation – Under Caliph Abu Bakr (632–634 CE)

⚔️ Trigger: Battle of Yamama (633 CE)

  • In a fierce battle against false prophet Musaylima, over 70 Qur’an memorizers died.
  • This raised concern that parts of the Qur’an might be lost.

🗂️ The Collection:

  • Caliph Abu Bakr, urged by Umar ibn al-Khattab, ordered the first collection of the Qur’an.
  • Zayd ibn Thabit led the task due to his role as a scribe and his reliability.

🧾 Method:

  • Zayd collected:
    • Verified written materials that were written in the Prophet’s presence.
    • Confirmed them with at least two witnesses.
  • The result was a complete manuscript (Mushaf).

📥 Storage:

  • The compiled Mushaf was:
    • First kept with Abu Bakr,
    • Then passed to Umar,
    • Then stored by Hafsa bint Umar, one of the Prophet’s wives.

🔹 4. Standardization – Under Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (644–656 CE)

🌍 Islam Expands:

  • Islam spread rapidly to Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Persia, and North Africa.
  • Differences in pronunciation and dialect led to confusion and even disputes.
  • Particularly noticeable in cities like Kufa, Basra, and Sham (Damascus).

⚠️ Crisis Point:

  • In Armenia and Azerbaijan, a dispute broke out during a military campaign over recitation styles.
  • Commander Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman reported this to Uthman.

📘 Uthman’s Action:

  • Uthman ordered:
    • The formation of a commission, again led by Zayd ibn Thabit, with other Qurayshi scribes.
    • The production of a standard Qur’an in the Qurayshi dialect, the dialect of the Prophet.

📤 Distribution:

  • 7 official copies were produced and sent to major cities:
    • Mecca
    • Medina
    • Kufa
    • Basra
    • Damascus
    • Yemen
    • Bahrain (possibly)
  • Uthman ordered all unofficial, variant manuscripts to be burned or buried to eliminate confusion.

🔹 5. Later Developments in the Text (Post-Uthmanic Era)

📝 Diacritical Marks and Vowelization:

  • Original script lacked:
    • Dots to distinguish letters (e.g., ب vs ت vs ث)
    • Vowels (harakāt) like fatha, kasra, damma
  • As Islam spread to non-Arabs, these were added for clarity:
    • Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali began adding dots and vowel marks (late 7th century).
    • Later refined by scholars like Khalil ibn Ahmad.

📖 Canonical Readings (Qirāʾāt):

  • Over time, different authenticated recitation styles (qirāʾāt) were preserved.
  • Seven to ten canonical recitations are recognized, all traced to the Prophet via reliable chains.
  • Most common today is the Ḥafṣ ‘an ‘Āsim recitation.

📚 Summary

Time PeriodKey Event
610–632 CEQur’an revealed to Muhammad over 23 years; memorized and partially written
633 CEFirst collection ordered by Abu Bakr after deaths of memorizers
~650 CEStandard version compiled under Uthman; variant texts destroyed
700–900 CEDots and vowels added; recitation styles systemized

🕋 The Qur’an Today

  • Muslims believe the Qur’an remains unchanged and preserved, as promised in the verse: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder (Qur’an), and indeed, We will be its guardian.” (Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)
  • The Qur’an is now:
    • Recited daily by millions
    • Memorized by millions (including children)
    • Available in hundreds of translations, though the Arabic text remains the same