Makna linguistik dari At-Tawaatur adalah At-Tataabu' (berurutan, berturut-turut).

The linguistic meaning of At-Tawaatur is At-Tataabu’ (successiveness, consecutiveness).

Makna istilahi bagi At-Tawaatur ialah: Penyampaian oleh satu kumpulan (Jamaa'ah) daripada satu kumpulan daripada satu kumpulan lain, yang mustahil bagi mereka untuk bersepakat atau berpakat atas sesuatu pendustaan (iaitu kemungkinan untuk pendustaan itu dirancang bersama telah dihapuskan).

The Istilaahi (terminological) meaning of At-Tawaatur is: The transmission of a group (Jamaa’ah) from a group from a group in which it is impossible for there to be any collusion or connivance upon a lie (i.e. that the possibility for a lie to be colluded is eliminated).

Tawaatur ini berlaku berkenaan dengan periwayatan Al-Qur'an, yang Allah Ta'ala telah jamin untuk dipelihara dan dijaga.

This Tawaatur occurred in respect to the transmission of the Qur’aan which Allah Ta’Aalaa has guaranteed to be protected and safeguarded.

Allah Ta'ala berfirman:

Allah Ta’Aalaa said:

Pemeliharaan Al-Qur'an berlaku seperti berikut:

The preservation of the Qur’aan took place as follows:

Setiap kali ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an Al-Karim diturunkan kepada Rasulullah ﷺ, baginda akan membacakannya kepada para sahabatnya, dan mereka kemudian menghafalnya sebagaimana mereka menerimanya daripada baginda. Mereka kemudian membacakan ayat-ayat itu dalam solat mereka, dan pada masa yang sama baginda memerintahkan (para penulis wahyu yang dipilih) untuk menuliskannya di atas kulit dan kulit binatang serta bahan-bahan lain yang digunakan untuk menulis pada zaman itu. Kemudian, sebelum kewafatan baginda ﷺ, baginda membacakannya (secara keseluruhan) kepada Jibril (as).

1) Every time Aayaat of the Qur’aan Al-Kareem were revealed upon the Messenger of Allah (saw) he would recite them to his companions and they would then memorise it exactly as they received it from him. They would then recite the Aayaat in their Salaah and at the same time he would command (the selected) recorders of the Wahi to write them upon skins and hides amongst other materials that were written upon at that time. Then prior to his passing (saw) he recited it (in its entirety) to Jibreel (as).

2) Apabila Rasulullah ﷺ wafat, seluruh Al-Qur'an telah dituliskan pada bahan-bahan tulisan dan telah dihafal di dalam dada para Sahabat (rah). Oleh itu, bilangan mereka yang telah menghafalnya telah mencapai tahap Tawatur bagi setiap ayat daripada ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an.

2) When the Messenger of Allah (saw) passed away the whole Qur’aan had been written on materials and had been memorised within the breasts of the Sahaabah (rah). Therefore, the number of those who had memorised it had reached the level of Tawaatur for every Aayah from the Aayaat of the Qur’aan.

3) Pada zaman Abu Bakr (ra), penyusunan dan pengumpulan Al-Qur'an telah disempurnakan mengikut apa yang telah ditetapkan oleh Allah (tawqeefiy), tepat sebagaimana ia telah diriwayatkan daripada Rasulullah ﷺ. Kerja ini dilaksanakan oleh satu jawatankuasa yang diketuai oleh orang yang paling banyak memelihara Al-Qur'an, iaitu Zaid bin Thaabit (ra), yang pernah menjadi salah seorang penulis Wahyu semasa ia diturunkan. Maka ayat-ayat dan surah-surah (Soorah) Al-Qur'an pun disusun dan diatur. Ayat-ayat dan surah-surah itu dikumpulkan dan kemudian diikat dengan tali. Kemudian Abu Bakr (ra) menamakannya Al-Mushaf, dan Mushaf ini telah diterima oleh Ummah melalui ijmak (Ijmaa') ke atasnya, manakala segala yang terkandung di dalamnya telah ditetapkan melalui riwayat mutawatir (Tawaatur).

3) At the time of Abu Bakr (ra) the ordering and gathering together of the Qur’aan was completed in accordance to what was Tawqeefiy (set by Allah) exactly as it had been transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (saw). This was undertaken by a committee led by the one who had most preserved it, Zaid Bin Thaabit (ra), who had been one of the writers of the Wahi as it descended. And so its Aayaat and Suwar (Soorahs) were ordered and organised. The Aayaat and Suwar were put and brought together and then tied by string. Then Abu Bakr (ra) gave it the name of Al-Mushaf and this Mushaf has been adopted by the Ummah by way of a consensus (Ijmaa’) upon it whilst all that is in it has been affirmed by way of Tawaatur (definite reports).

Tetapi sesiapa yang tidak mempunyai kemampuan, maka hendaklah dia berpuasa selama tiga hari (berturut-turut) {فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ} tidak dianggap sebagai Al-Qur'an kerana perkataan 'berturut-turut' (متتابعات) tidak dinukilkan secara tawatur dan tidak ditulis dalam Mashahif (jamak bagi Mushaf) yang disalin pada zaman 'Uthman bin 'Affan (ra).

But whoever does not have the means, then he should fast for three (consecutive) days Is not considered to be Qur’aan because the word ‘consecutive’ (متتابعات (was not transmitted by way of Tawaatur and it was not written in the Masaahif (plural of Mushaf) which were copied at the time of ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan (ra).

Akhirnya, tidak pernah ada sebuah kitab di dunia ini yang menerima perhatian, pemeliharaan dan kajian sebanyak yang diterima oleh Al-Qur'an Al-Karim.

Finally, there has never been a book in this Dunyaa that has received the amount of care, attention and study as the Qur’aan Al-Kareem received.

Tujuan di sebalik i'jaz (sifat mukjizat dan ketidakmampuan untuk ditandingi) ialah untuk meyakinkan manusia bahawa orang yang membawa mukjizat itu adalah seorang Rasul yang telah diutus oleh Allah Ta'ala (kepada mereka).

The purpose behind the ‘I’jaaz (miraculous nature and inimitability) is to convince the people that the one who came with the Mu’jizah (miracle) is a Messenger who has been sent by Allah Ta’Aalaa (to them).