Were All Companions in Agreement with the Compilation of the Quran?
Answered by Shaykh Anas Al-Musa
Question
Were all companions in agreement with the compilation of the Quran by Uthman ibn Affan?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Yes, the companions accepted and approved Uthman ibn Affan’s compilation of the Quran. They acknowledged his actions. To clarify this matter, let’s briefly touch upon the history of the Quranic compilation, from the time of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq to the compilation by Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with them).
The Era of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq
Initially, during the time of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, the Quran was collected from various scrolls and the companions’ memories, just as people had learned it from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him). Abu Bakr ordered the scribes of revelation to compile these verses, bringing them together in one place. They were preserved in written form but not compiled into complete copies of the Quran.
The process of compiling the Quran during the time of Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) is well described in the book “Understanding the Sunan” by Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Harith ibn Asad Al-Muhasibi. He explains that the writing of the Quran was not an innovation, for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) had already commanded for it to be written. However, during his lifetime, it was recorded in fragments, bits, and pieces, and Abu Bakr’s role was to transfer these pieces from their various locations to one central location. These fragments were like pages that had been found in the house of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him), with parts of the Quran written on them, and Abu Bakr collected and assembled them, binding them together with a thread to ensure nothing was lost. [Al-Zarkashi, Al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran, 1.238; Al-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran, 1.206; Al-Zurqani, Manahil al-Irfan, 1.250; Dr. Itr, Ulum al-Quran :171]
Preservation of the Quranic Manuscript
This copy of the Quran remained in the possession of Abu Bakr until his death and then with Umar during his lifetime. Afterward, it was kept by Hafsah bint Umar; Allah be pleased with them all. It continued to be preserved until the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan. He took it from her, standardized it, and then returned it to her.
Unanimous Approval by the Companions
All the companions, without exception, approved of this action and the Quranic copy compiled by Abu Bakr. The Rightly Guided Caliphs and all Muslims who came after them acknowledged and appreciated Abu Bakr’s exceptional contribution.
The statement of Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him) reflects this acknowledgment: “The most excellent person regarding the Quranic manuscripts is Abu Bakr. May Allah have mercy on him. He was the first to compile the Book of Allah.” [Al-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran, 1.204; Dr. Itr, Ulum al-Quran :171]
Uthman’s Role in Quranic Compilation
During the caliphate of Uthman, the objective of the compilation was to create a written copy of the Quran that would serve as a guide for the people. This would ensure they were protected from potential mispronunciations and errors that could arise from variations in the recitation (qira’at). [Al-Zurqani, Manahil al-Irfan, 1.255]
Uthman instructed Hafsah to send the Quranic manuscripts to him to make standardized copies. Hafsah complied and sent the manuscripts to Uthman. He then appointed Zaid ibn Thabit, Abdullah ibn Al-Zubair, Saeed ibn Al-‘Aas, and Abdul Rahman ibn Harith ibn Hisham to transcribe these copies into new ones. The original manuscripts were recopied into identical copies, numbering between four and seven.
Uthman ensured that each of these copies was sent to a different region, and he ordered the removal of all other existing copies to prevent disputes or conflicts stemming from variations in the Quran’s text.
Acceptance of Uthman’s Compilation
Uthman played a pivotal role in the process of standardizing the Quranic text. He took the existing manuscripts that had been compiled during the time of Abu Bakr, which had received unanimous approval from the companions. He made them the reference point for the transcription. He commanded the scribes to write the Quranic text using the Quraysh dialect, which effectively settled any variations in pronunciation.
The companions accepted Uthman’s approach to this task. Even Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, who initially disagreed with Uthman’s decision and was reluctant to burn his copy, eventually came to appreciate the benefits of Uthman’s standardized copies. He recognized the advantages of these manuscripts, the consensus of the Muslim community in accepting them, and the unification of the Muslim Ummah around them. As a result, he reconciled his initial reservations and accepted Uthman’s compilation. This consensus ensured the preservation and unity of the Quranic text. [Al-Zurqani, Manahil al-Irfan, 1.255]
Mus’ab ibn Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, a prominent companion, stated that he observed the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) during his lifetime and noted that none of them criticized Uthman’s efforts in compiling the Quranic manuscripts. [Umar ibn Shabbah, Tarikh al-Madinah 3.1004; Al-Zurqani, Manahil al-Irfan, 1.262]
Praise for Uthman’s Actions
Imam ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) admired Uthman’s efforts. He said, “May Allah have mercy on Uthman. If I were in his place, I would have done the same regarding the Quranic manuscripts.” [Ibn Abi Dawood As-Sijistani, Al-Masahif :98]
Indeed, ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) was content with the actions of Uthman (Allah be pleased with him). Even after ‘Ali assumed the caliphate following Uthman, there is no record of him expressing anything other than approval for Uthman’s role. It is well-known that the preservation and compilation of the Quran is a matter of great significance within Islam. If ‘Ali had known of any deficiency or fault in Uthman’s work related to the Quran, he would not have endorsed it, especially when it came to the copies of the Quran held by the Muslim community.
Suwayd ibn Ghafala narrated that he heard ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) warning against exaggerating and falsely accusing Uthman of burning the Quranic manuscripts. ‘Ali clarified that the manuscripts were not burnt by Uthman but were destroyed by a group of companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him), not by one person. [Al-Zurqani, Manahil al-Irfan, 1.262]
The Unified Ummah and Allah’s Preservation
The opinion expressed previously was the viewpoint of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him). As for the majority of the Muslim community after them, they recognized the wisdom in Uthman’s actions.
They saw Uthman’s role as a means of protecting the Ummah from differences in the Quran and safeguarding it. It is noteworthy that the entire Muslim community, across various sects and schools of thought, has only one Quran – namely, the one compiled by Uthman.
This stands as strong evidence that Allah Most High has preserved His book within the Ummah through Uthman’s endeavor, and Uthman’s efforts were pleasing to Allah Most High.
Allah Most High’s words hold true when He states, “It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.” [Quran, 15:9]
May Allah’s blessings be upon our master and Prophet, Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
