Qur՚ān in ancient history
The Qur'an, central to Islamic belief, is considered by Muslims to be the literal word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel. This sacred text comprises 114 chapters, containing verses that were revealed over a span of approximately 23 years, starting in Mecca and concluding shortly before Muhammad's death in Medina. After Muhammad's passing, efforts were made to compile the Qur'an into a single book due to concerns over the loss of those who had memorized its verses, particularly after battles like Al-Yamama.
Caliph Abu Bakr initiated the collection of the verses under the leadership of Zayd bin Thabit, ensuring they were organized according to the Prophet's recitation. This initial compilation was later revised under Caliph Uthman, who standardized the text and sent copies to key Islamic cities, while other versions were destroyed to maintain uniformity. The Qur'an's original manuscripts were written on various materials, and later versions faced challenges due to the lack of vowels in the script, which were eventually added to facilitate reading. This historical process underscores the significance of the Qur'an in the Islamic faith and its preservation over centuries.
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Subject Terms
Qur՚ān in ancient history
Related civilization: Arabia.
Also known as: Koran.
Date: revealed in installments c. 610-632 c.e.
Locale: Mecca and Medina
Authorship: Muḥammad (c. 570-632 c.e.), through divine inspiration
Qur՚ān
According to the Muslim belief, the Qur՚ān (kuh-RAN), which consists of many verses grouped in 114 chapters, was revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad through the archangel Gabriel or directly from God in its actual verbal form, not just in its meaning and ideas. The Prophet stayed in Mecca more than twelve years, from the day the first verses were revealed to him to his departure in 622 c.e. for Medina, where he lived another thirteen years. The last verse was revealed to him on the day of Great Pilgrimage in the tenth year of the flight (hijrah), three months before his death in 632 c.e. The Prophet dictated the verses to the scribes and told them where each verse should go. The chief scribe was Zayd bin Thābit. Most of the verses were written on palm branches, animal shoulder bones, leather, and thin stones.
A number of the companions of the Prophet, particularly those who had memorized the Qur՚ān (kurra՚), lost their lives at the Battle of Al-Yamama (633 c.e.). There was a threat that more might die in future battles. The caliph Abū Bakr set up a council under the chairmanship of Zayd bin Thābit and entrusted him with the collection of the Qur՚ān. All the written verses were brought together, and everyone was invited to come forward with two witnesses if they had memorized any verses. The verses were put together according to the order in which the Prophet had recited them. Then all the companions of the Prophet were assembled, and the collected verses were read aloud to them. After their approval, the verses were made into a book and handed over to Abū Bakr. Before his death, Abū Bakr passed this copy to ՙUmar ibn al-Khaṭtāb, who then handed it over to his daughter Hạfṣah before he died.
Huzayfah bin al-Yaman observed the disputes over the reading of the Qur՚ān and warned the caliph. Therefore, in 651 c.e., Caliph ՙUthmān ordered Zayd bin Thābit and three other companions of the Prophet to prepare a new version based on the copy held by Hạfṣah. Several transcripts were made from this final recension copy of the Qur՚ān and were sent to major cities, including Al-Kufa, Basra, Damascus, and perhaps Mecca. All other copies were burned, and Hạfṣah’s copy was returned to her. However, Ibn Mesՙūd’s copy in Al-Kufa reportedly remained in existence until the tenth century. These recension copies were difficult to read because they were written in Kufi script, which lacked vowels and diacritical marks. Al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf al-Thaqafī, ՙAbd al-Malik’s governor in Iraq, had these vowels and diacritical forms added to overcome this difficulty.
Bibliography
Bell, Richard. Introduction to the Qur՚n. Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh University Press, 1970.
Burton, J. The Collection of the Qur՚n. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Cragg, Kenneth. The Event of the Qur՚n. Rockport, Mass.: Oneworld, 1994.
The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Prepared by a number of leading orientalists; edited by an editorial committee consisting of H. A. R. Gibb et al. under the patronage of the International Union of Academies. New ed. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1960-[2000].
Rippin, Andrew, ed. The Qur՚n: Formative Interpretation. Brookfield, Vt.: Ashgate, 1999.