Quran Preservation through Oral and Written Methods

Key Points and Arguments

Oral vs. Written Preservation: Combination of both was emphasized by Rasulullah.
- Oral: Encouraged memorization; many ahadith emphasized this.
- Written: Qutab al-Wahi (revelation writers); Rasulullah prohibited writing anything other than the Quran to avoid confusion.
Compilation under Abu Bakr:
- Quran was written down upon Rasulullah's passing but scattered across different materials and not in one complete copy.
- Abu Bakr's compilation gathered these materials for preservation for future generations.
- Zaid ibn Thabit led the compilation.
The Final Revision (al-ardha al-akhira):
- The last year Rasulullah spent i'tikaf for 20 nights instead of 10, revising the entire Quran twice with Jibril and calling Qutab al-Wahi for this last revision.

Reasons: Battles, especially Al-Yamama, saw many Huffadh (memorized Quran) die.
Manuscript: Compiled the entire Quran and placed it with important figures for safeguarding.
Oral Tradition: Stressed as the strongest preservation method, with many Huffadh memorizing the Quran.

Factors Leading to Compilation:
- Qira'at Variations: Different recitations causing confusion, especially among new converts in places like Azerbaijan.
- Individual Annotations: Sahaba adding explanatory notes in their personal copies confused later generations.
Rasim Uthmanii: Writing style to capture different Qira'at without dots, combining multiple recitation methods.
Masahif al-Sahaba: Copied and sent to major cities with reciters.
Burning of Personal Copies: Annotations in personal copies led to misunderstandings, so Uthman ordered them to be burned

Reason: Dialectical differences among tribes; facilitated easier recitation for diverse Arab tribes.
- Examples: سبّح اسم ربك الأعلى vs سبّح اسم ربك الأعلى

Written Manuscripts: Collected in various locations, ensuring consistent textual basis.
Oral Tradition: Continues to thrive, evident in competitions where non-Arabic speakers perfectly recite the entire Quran.

Abdul Malik ibn Marwan's Era: Introduction of dots and diacritics to facilitate new Muslim reading; Quran divided into Ajza and Ahzaab.
Modern Adaptations: Color-coded texts for Tajweed, division into Ajza for easier recitation and study.

Balanced Approach: Both written and oral traditions are key to Quran's preservation.
Community Effort: Preservation is a communal task involving verification through memorization and textual analysis.
Historical Context: Understanding the socio-political reasons for compilation and transmission ensures appreciation.

Resources for Further Study: Islamic Awareness (https://www.islamic-awareness.org/)