Imethibitishwa kwa ushahidi wa wazi na wa uhakika kwamba Mtume ﷺ alipofariki Qur'an yote ilikuwa imeandikwa, na yote ilikuwa imehifadhiwa katika nyoyo za Maswahaba (Allah awaridhie). Aya moja au zaidi ilipokuwa ikishuka, alikuwa akiamuru ziandikwe mbele yake mara moja. Hakuwazuia Waislamu kuandika Qur'an isipokuwa ile tu aliyokuwa akiwaamuru waandishi wa wahyi waiandike.

It has been proven by decisive and definite evidence that when the Prophet (saw) died the whole Qur‟an had been written and all of it was preserved in the hearts of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them). An verse or verses would be revealed and so he (saw) used to order that they be written down before him at once. He (saw) did not prevent the Muslims from writing the Qur‟an other than what he used to dictate to the scribes who wrote down the revelation.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri alisimulia kwamba Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema:

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

"Msiandike chochote kutoka kwangu, yeyote atakayeandika chochote nilichosema isipokuwa Qur'ani na afute," (Muslim) Note: The hadith's Arabic phrasing includes an honorific for the speaker, and the original English gives "I" as the Prophet's speech. Per the rules, ﷺ should follow a mention of the Prophet, but here he is speaking in the first person with no explicit name or title, so no ﷺ is added.

“Do not write down anything from me, whosoever writes anything I have said other than the Qur‟an let him erase it.” (Muslim)

Kile ambacho waandishi walikuwa wakiandika cha wahyi kilikusanywa kwenye karatasi (Suhuf). Yeye (SWT) alisema: "Mtume kutoka kwa Mwenyezi Mungu, anayesoma kurasa zilizotakaswa (Suhuf) (za Qur'ani)." (TMQ Al-Bayyinah: 2)

What the scribes used to write of the revelation was collected on sheets (Suhuf). He (swt) said: “A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified pages (Suhuf) (of the Qur‟an).” (TMQ Al-Bayyinah: 2)

“Hakika (aya za Qur'ani) ni ukumbusho. Basi atakayetaka, na azingatie. (Imo) katika Kurasa zilizoheshimiwa. Zilizotukuzwa, zilizotakaswa. Mikononi mwa waandishi, waheshimiwa na watiifu.” (TMQ Al-Abbasa: 11-16)

“Nay, indeed it (verses of the Qur‟an) are an admonition. So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it. (It is) in Records held (greatly) in honour. Exalted (in dignity), purified. In the hands of scribes, Honourable and obedient.” (TMQ Al-Abbasa: 11-16)

Yeye (saw) aliacha kila kitu kilichoandikwa kati ya jalada mbili za Mushafu ambacho kiliandikwa mbele yake. 'Abd al-'Aziz bin Rufayya' ameeleza: "Shaddad bin Ma'qil na mimi tuliingia kwa Ibn 'Abbas. Shaddad bin Ma'qil alimuuliza, 'Je, Mtume ﷺ aliacha chochote (zaidi ya Qur'ani)?' Akajibu: 'Hakuacha chochote isipokuwa kilichomo kati ya jalada mbili (za Qur'ani).' Kisha tulimtembelea Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyya na kumuuliza swali lile lile. Akajibu, 'Mtume ﷺ hakuacha isipokuwa kilichomo kati ya jalada (za Qur'ani).'" Kumekuwepo Ijma' (makubaliano) kwamba aya zote za Qur'ani katika sura zake husika ziliandikwa moja kwa moja mbele ya Mjumbe ﷺ wakati wahyi ulipoteremshwa kwake, na kwamba ziliandikwa katika karatasi (Suhuf). Mtume mkuu kabisa ﷺ aliaga dunia akiwa ameridhika kuhusu Qur'ani, muujiza wake mkubwa zaidi ulioweka hoja kwa Waarabu na ulimwengu. Hakuogopa kwamba aya za Qur'ani zitapotea, kwa sababu Allah (SWT) ameihifadhi Qur'ani kwa maandishi yaliyo wazi.

He (saw) left written everything that was between the two covers of the Mushaf which had been written down in front of him. 'Abd al-'Aziz b Rufayya' narrated: “Shaddad bin Ma'qil and I entered upon Ibn 'Abbas. Shaddad bin Ma'qil asked him, “Did the Prophet leave anything (besides the Qur‟an)?” He replied: “He did not leave anything except what is Between the two bindings (of the Qur‟an).” Then we visited Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyya and asked him (the same question). He replied, “The Prophet did not leave except what is between the bindings (of the Qur‟an).” An Ijma' (consensus) has taken place on the fact that all of the verses of the Qur‟an in their respective chapters (Surahs) had been written down directly in front of the Messenger (saw) when the revelation was revealed to him, and that they were written on sheets (Suhuf). The greatest of Messengers died content about the Qur‟an, his greatest miracle which established the proof for the Arabs and the world. He did not fear for the verses of the Qur‟an that they would be lost because Allah (swt) has preserved the Qur‟an with an explicit text:

Hakika Sisi: Ndio Sisi tuliyoteremsha Ukumbusho (Qur'ani), nasi bila shaka tutailinda (isiharibiwe).

“Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Zikr (the Qur‟an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” (TMQ Al-Hajj: 9)

Kutokana na kuhifadhiwa kwa Qur'ani katika maandishi na katika kumbukumbu za Maswahaba baada ya kifo cha Mtume ﷺ, Maswahaba mwanzoni hawakuona haja ya kukusanya Qur'ani katika kitabu kimoja. Hali hii iliendelea hadi walipouawa wengi wa Huffaz (wanaohifadhi Qur'ani) katika vita vya Riddah (uasi). Kwa sababu hiyo, Umar (ra) aliogopa kupotea kwa baadhi ya kurasa zilizoandikwa na kifo cha Qurra' (wale waliokuwa wameihifadhi Qur'ani yote kwenye kumbukumbu zao), jambo ambalo lingesababisha baadhi ya aya kupotea. Basi alifikiria kuzikusanya pamoja kurasa zilizoandikwa (katika kitabu kimoja). Alimweleza wazo lake Abu Bakr (ra), ambaye hatimaye alikubali na kuamuru Qur'ani ikusanywe.

Due to the preservation of the Qur‟an in its written form and in the memory of the Sahabah after the death of the Messenger the Sahabah initially did not feel the need to compile the Qur‟an in one book. This was the case until many of the Huffaz (memorisers of the Qur‟an) had been killed in the Riddah (apostasy) wars. Due to this Umar (ra) feared for the loss of certain sheets and death of the Qurra' (Those who had committed the whole of the Qur‟an to memory), thereby causing some verse to be lost. So he thought about bringing the written sheets together (in one compilation). He presented his idea to Abu Bakr (ra) who eventually accepted this and ordered for the compilation of the Qur‟an.

Imepokewa kutoka kwa 'Ubayd b. al-Sibaq kwamba Zayd b. al-Thabit Al-Ansari alisema: “Abu Bakr alinituma baada ya vifo vikubwa miongoni mwa mashujaa (wa vita) vya Yamama (ambapo idadi kubwa ya Qurra' waliuawa). Umar alikuwepo pamoja na Abu Bakr, ambaye alisema: “Umar amekuja kwangu na kusema: „Watu wamepata hasara kubwa siku ya (vita vya) Yamama, na ninaogopa kwamba kutakuwa na vifo zaidi miongoni mwa Qurra' katika medani nyingine za vita, hivyo sehemu kubwa ya Qur'an inaweza kupotea, isipokuwa utaikusanya. Na ni maoni yangu kwamba wewe ukusanye Qur'an.‟” Abu Bakr (ra) aliongeza: “Nilimwambia Umar, 'Nitawezaje kufanya jambo ambalo Mtume wa Allah hakulifanya?' Umar akasema (kwangu), 'Kwa Allah, hili ni jambo jema kweli.' Hivyo Umar aliendelea kunisukuma, akijaribu kunishawishi nikubali pendekezo lake, mpaka Allah akaufungua moyo wangu kwa jambo hilo, nami nikawa na maoni sawa na ya Umar.” Zayd b. al-Thabit aliongeza: “Umar alikuwa ameketi pamoja naye (Abu Bakr) wala hakuwa akizungumza nami. “Wewe ni kijana mwenye hekima, na hatukushuku (kwamba unasema uongo au unasahau), nawe ulikuwa ukiandika wahyi kwa ajili ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ. Basi tafuta Qur'an na uikusanye (katika hati moja).” “Kwa Allah, kama yeye (Abu Bakr) angeniamuru nihamishe mojawapo ya milima (kutoka mahali pake), isingekuwa ngumu kwangu kuliko alivyoniamuru kuhusu ukusanyaji wa Qur'an. Niliwaambia wote wawili, „Mnathubutuje kufanya jambo ambalo Nabii ﷺ hakulifanya?' Abu Bakr akasema, 'Kwa Allah, hili ni jambo jema kweli. Hivyo niliendelea kubishana naye kuhusu hilo mpaka Allah akaufungua moyo wangu kwa lile ambalo alilolifungulia mioyo ya Abu Bakr na Umar. Hivyo nikaanza kutafuta sehemu za Qur'an na kuzikusanya kutoka kwenye vipande vya ngozi, mabega ya wanyama, matawi ya mitende, na kutoka kwenye kumbukumbu za watu (waliokuwa wameihifadhi moyoni). Nilipata kwa Khuzaima aya mbili za Surat Al-Tawbah ambazo sikuwahi kuzipata kwa mtu mwingine yeyote (kwa upande wa maandishi), nazo ni: "Hakika amekujieni Mtume kutoka miongoni mwenu. Ni mzito kwake kwamba mnapata dhara au taabu." (TMQ At-Tawbah: 128) hadi mwisho wa Bara'ah. Muswada wa Qur'ani uliokusanywa ulibaki kwa Abu Bakr (ra) hadi Allah (swt) alipomchukua, kisha ukabaki kwa Umar (ra) wakati wa uhai wake, na hatimaye ukabaki kwa Hafsa (ra), binti ya Umar. Ukusanyaji wa Qur'ani uliofanywa na Zayd (ra) haukujumuisha yale aliyoyaandika kutoka kwa Huffaz. Badala yake, mkusanyiko wake ulijumuisha yale aliyoyaandika mwenyewe mbele ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ. Hakuweka karatasi moja juu ya nyingine ili kuzikusanya isipokuwa mashahidi wawili waliposhuhudia kwamba karatasi hiyo iliandikwa mbele ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ. Zaidi ya hayo, hakukubali karatasi isipokuwa ikitimiza masharti mawili: kwanza, kwamba ilikuwepo kwa maandishi kwa mmoja wa Sahaba; pili, kwamba ilihifadhiwa na mmoja wa Sahaba. Maandishi na kumbukumbu zilipolingana na karatasi iliyokusudiwa kukusanywa, aliichukua; vinginevyo hakuikubali. Ndiyo sababu alijizuia kuchukua mwisho wa Surat al-Bara'ah hadi alipoukuta kwa maandishi kwa Abu Khuzayma, ingawa Zayd mwenyewe alikuwa anaweza kukumbuka na kuhifadhi aya hiyo. Imepokewa kupitia Yahya b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Hatib kwamba alisema: "Umar alisimama na kusema: Yeyote aliyepokea chochote cha Qur'ani kutoka kwa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, na alete. Walikuwa wakiandika hayo kwenye karatasi, mbao na makuti ya mitende." Ibn Hatib alisema: "Yeye (Zayd) hakukubali chochote kutoka kwa mtu yeyote hadi mashahidi wawili walipotoa ushahidi." Hii inaonyesha kwamba Zayd hakuridhika kwa kupata tu kitu katika maandishi hadi yule aliyekipokea amethibitisha kwamba amekisikia kutoka kwa Mtume wa Allah (swt), ingawa Zayd tayari alikuwa amekihifadhi moyoni. Alifanya hivyo kutokana na tahadhari yake kubwa. Hivyo, mchakato wa kukusanya haukuwa chochote zaidi ya kuleta pamoja kurasa ambazo tayari ziliandikwa mbele ya Mtume ﷺ kuwa kitabu kimoja kati ya jalada mbili. Qur'an ilikuwa ikiandikwa kwenye kurasa lakini zilikuwa zimehifadhiwa kila moja kivyake. Kwa hiyo Abu Bakr (ra) aliziweka pamoja mahali pamoja. Ndiyo maana amri ya Abu Bakr ya kukusanya Qur'an haikuwa amri ya kuiandika katika Mushafu moja, bali ilikuwa amri ya kuleta pamoja kurasa zilizoandikwa mbele ya Mtume ﷺ mahali pamoja. Ilikuwa ni amri ya kuhakikisha kwamba zimebaki katika umbo lake la asili kwa kuungwa mkono na ushuhuda wa mashahidi wawili kwamba ziliandikwa mbele ya Mtume ﷺ, pia kwamba zilikuwa mikononi mwa Maswahaba katika maandishi na walikuwa wamezihifadhi moyoni. Kurasa hizi zilibaki zimehifadhiwa mikononi mwa Abu Bakr (ra) wakati wa uhai wake, kisha kwa Umar (ra) wakati wa uhai wake, kisha kwa Hafsa (ra) binti ya Umar, mama wa waumini, kulingana na wasia wa Umar. Kutokana na hili inadhihirika kwamba ukusanyaji wa Qur'an uliofanywa na Abu Bakr ulikuwa ni kuleta pamoja tu kurasa zilizoandikwa mbele ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, na haukuwa ukusanyaji halisi wa Qur'an.

Hii ilihusu mkusanyiko wa Abu Bakr. Kuhusu mkusanyiko wa Uthman (ra), katika mwaka wa tatu, au wengine husema wa pili, wa ukhalifa wake, mwaka 25 AH, Hudhayfa b. al-Yaman (ra) alimwendea Uthman huko Madina wakati watu wa Sham na watu wa Iraq walikuwa wakipigana vita vya kuiteka Armenia na Azerbaijan. Hudhayfa aliogopa tofauti kati ya watu wa Sham na watu wa Iraq katika usomaji wa Qur'an. Aliona kwamba watu wa Sham wanasoma kwa kufuata usomaji wa Ubay b. Ka'b (ra), nao walikuja na usomaji ambao watu wa Iraq hawakuwahi kuusikia. Pia aliona watu wa Iraq wanasoma kwa kufuata usomaji wa Abdullah b. Mas'ud (ra), hivyo walikuwa na usomaji fulani ambao watu wa Sham hawakuwahi kuusikia. Basi wakaanza kushutumiana kwa Kufr (kukufuru). Walitofautiana kuhusu aya moja katika Surat al-Baqarah. Mmoja alisoma: “Na timizeni Hija na 'Umra kwa ajili ya Allah (wa atimmul hajja wal 'umrata lillah).” (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 196)

This was regarding the compilation of Abu Bakr. As for the compilation of Uthman (ra), in the third or some say the second year of his Khilafah, in the year 25 AH, Hudhayfa b. al-Yaman (ra) approached Uthman in Madinah at the time when the people of al-Sham and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Armenia and Azerbijan. Hudhayfa was afraid of the people of al-Sham and Iraq‟s differences in the recitation of the Qur‟an. He saw that the people of al-Sham reading according to the recitation of Ubay b. Ka'b (ra), and they were coming with readings the people of Iraq had not heard of. Also he saw the people of Iraq reading according to the recitation of Abdullah b. Mas'ud (ra) and so they had certain readings that the people of al-Sham had not heard of. Thus, they began to charge each other of Kufr (disbelief). They both disagreed about a verse in Surah al-Baqarah. One read: “And perform properly the hajj and 'Umra for Allah (wa atimmul hajja wal 'umrata lillah).” (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 196)

"Na kamilisha Hijja na 'Umra kwa ajili ya Nyumba (ya Mwenyezi Mungu)" (wa atimmul hajja wal 'umrata lil bayt). Hudhayfah akakasirika, na macho yake yakawa mekundu kwa hasira. Imesimuliwa kuhusu Hudhayfah kwamba alisema: "Watu wa Kufah wanashikamana na usomaji wa Ibn Mas'ud, na watu wa Basra wanashikamana na usomaji wa Abu Musa. Kwa Mwenyezi Mungu! Nikimwendea Kiongozi wa Waumini, nitamwamuru aifanye kuwa usomaji mmoja." Basi akasafiri hadi kwa 'Uthman (ra). Ibn Shihab ameripoti kwamba Anas b. Malik (ra) alisimulia: Hudhaifa bin al-Yaman alimwendea 'Uthman wakati watu wa Sham na watu wa Iraq walipokuwa wakipigana vita vya kuiteka Armenia na Azerbaijan. Hudhayfa aliogopa tofauti zao (za watu wa Sham na Iraq) katika usomaji wa Qur'ani, basi akamwambia 'Uthman, "Ee kiongozi wa Waumini! Iokoe umma huu kabla hawajatofautiana kuhusu Kitabu (Qur'ani) kama walivyofanya Mayahudi na Wakristo kabla yao." Basi 'Uthman akamtuma ujumbe kwa Hafsa akisema, "Tutumie nakala za Qur'ani ili tuzikusanye vitabu vya Qur'ani katika nakala kamilifu, kisha tutakurudishia nakala hizo." Hafsa akamtumia 'Uthman. Kisha 'Uthman akamwamuru Zayd bin Thabit, 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubair, Said b. al-'As na 'Abd al-Rahman b. Harith b. Hisham waandike upya nakala hizo katika nakala kamilifu. 'Uthman aliwaambia wale wanaume watatu wa Kiquraishi, "Ikiwa mtatofautiana na Zayd b. Thabit kuhusu jambo lolote katika Qur'ani, basi liandikeni kwa lahaja ya Quraish, kwa kuwa Qur'ani iliteremshwa kwa lugha yao." Walifanya hivyo, na walipoandika nakala nyingi, 'Uthman alirudisha nakala asili kwa Hafsa. 'Uthman alituma kwa kila mkoa wa Waislamu nakala moja ya walichokinakili, na akaamuru vifaa vyote vingine vya Qur'ani, iwe vimeandikwa kwenye vipande au nakala kamili, vichomwe moto. Idadi ya nakala zilizotengenezwa ilikuwa saba. Misahafu saba ilitumwa Makka, al-Sham, Yemen, Bahrayn, Basra, Kufa, na nakala moja ilihifadhiwa Madina.

The other read: “And perform properly the hajj and 'Umra to the House (of Allah) (wa atimmul hajja wal 'umrata lil bayt).” So Hudhayfah became angry and his eyes went red with rage. It has been narrated about Hudhayfah that he said: “The people of Kufah adhere to the recitation of Ibn Mas'ud and the people of Basra adhere to the recitation of Abu Musa. By Allah! If I go to the Leader of the Believers I will order him to make it a single recitation.” So he travelled to Uthman (ra). It has been reported by Ibn Shihab that Anas b. Malik (ra) narrated: Hudhaifa bin al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Armenia and Azerbijan. Hudhayfa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur‟an, so he said to Uthman, “O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Quran) as Jews and the Christians did before.” So Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, “Send us the manuscripts of the Qur‟an so that we may compile the Qur‟anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you.” Hafsa sent it to Uthman. Uthman then ordered Zayd bin Thabit, 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubair, Said b. al-'As and 'Abd al-Rahman b. Harith b. Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, “In case you disagree with Zayd b. al-Thabit on any point in the Qur‟an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur‟an was revealed in their tongue.” They did so, and when they had written many copies, Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur‟anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt. The number of copies made was seven. The seven Mushafs were sent to Makkah, al-Sham, Yemen, Bahrayn, Basra, Kufa, and one copy was kept in Madina.

Kwa hiyo, kitendo cha Uthman hakikuwa ukusanyaji wa Qur'an. Badala yake kilihusu tu kunakili na kuandika upya kile kile kilichoandikwa kutoka kwa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ kama kilivyokuwa. Hakufanya kitu kingine chochote isipokuwa kutengeneza nakala saba kutoka kwenye nakala iliyohifadhiwa iliyokuwa mikononi mwa Hafsa, mama wa waumini, na kuwaunganisha watu kwenye mwandiko huu mmoja, pamoja na kukataza mwandiko au usomaji mwingine wowote isipokuwa huo. Jambo hilo likawa limethibitika juu ya nakala hii kama mwandiko na usomaji. Ni mwandiko uleule na usomaji uleule ambao karatasi ziliandikwa mbele ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ wakati wahyi ulipoteremshwa, na ni nakala ileile ambayo Abu Bakr (ra) alikuwa ameikusanya. Kisha Waislamu wakaanza kutengeneza nakala kutoka kwenye nakala hii na si nyingine yoyote. Hakubaki chochote isipokuwa Mushafu wa Uthman katika mwandiko wake. Wachapishaji walipokuja, Mushafu ulichapishwa kutoka kwenye nakala hii, wenye mwandiko uleule na usomaji uleule. Tofauti kati ya ukusanyaji wa Abu Bakr na ule wa Uthman ni kwamba ukusanyaji wa Abu Bakr ulifanyika kwa sababu ya hofu kwamba kitu fulani katika Qur'an kingepotea iwapo mmoja wa wahifadhi wake angefariki.

Therefore, Uthman's action was not the compilation of the Qur‟an. Rather it constituted in only the copying and transcription of the same thing transcribed from the Messenger of Allah (saw) as it was. He he did not do anything other than make seven copies from the preserved copy in the possession of Hafsa, mother of the believers and unite the people on this single script and forbade any other script or dictation other than it. The matter became settled on this copy as a script and dictation. It is the same script and dictation in which the sheets were written in the presence of Allah's Messenger (saw) when the revelation was sent down, and it is the same copy which Abu Bakr (ra) had compiled. Then the Muslims began to make copies from this copy and not any other copy. Nothing remained except the Mushaf of Uthman in its script. When printers came about the Mushaf was printed from this copy with the same script and dictation. The difference between the compilation of Abu Bakr and that of Uthman is that the compilation of Abu Bakr took place due to the fear that something would be lost from the Qur‟an if any of its memorisers died out.

Ingawa ilikuwa imeandikwa kwenye karatasi, bado haikuwa imekusanywa mahali pamoja katika kitabu kimoja, hivyo ikakusanywa. Ukusanyaji wa Uthman ulifanyika kwa sababu tofauti ziliongezeka kuhusu vipengele vya Qur’ani walipokuwa wakiisoma, kutokana na upanuzi wa lugha. Hali hii ilisababisha baadhi ya watu kuwashutumu wengine kwa kufanya kosa. Iliogopwa kwamba jambo hilo lingeendelea kukua na kuwa baya zaidi. Kwa hiyo ule ukusanyaji wa awali ulinakiliwa nakala saba na kutumwa kwenye mikoa mbalimbali ya Waislamu. Mushaf tuliyo nayo sasa mbele yetu ndiyo Mushaf ile ile aliyoteremshiwa Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ. Ndiyo Mushaf ile ile ambayo Abu Bakr aliikusanya karatasi zilipokusanywa mahali pamoja. Na ndiyo ile ile ambayo Uthman alinakili nakala saba kutoka humo, kisha akaamuru zilizobaki ziteketezwe. Ni Qur’ani tukufu ile ile kwa mpangilio wa aya zake kuhusiana na nyingine, na mpangilio wake ndani ya Suratu zake, pamoja na maandishi yake na usomaji wake kama ulivyoteremshwa.

As even though it was written on sheets it had not been collected in one place in a single book, thus it was compiled. The compilation of Uthman took place because differences increased regarding aspects of the Qur‟an when they read it due to the expansion of the language. This led some to accuse others of making an error. It was feared that the matter would escalate and become seriously worse. So the original compilation was copied seven times and sent to the different Muslim provinces. The Mushaf that we now have before us is the same Mushaf revealed to the Messenger of Allah (saw). It is the same mushaf that Abu Bakr brought together when the sheets were compiled in one place. And it is the same one from which Uthman transcribed the seven copies and ordered for the rest to be burned. It is the same noble Qur‟an in its verse arrangement in relation to each other and their arrangment in their respectives Surahs, script and dictation.

Kuhusu nakala asilia iliyoamriwa na Mtume wa Allah ﷺ kutoka katika wahyi, zile kurasa zilikusanywa pamoja kisha zikanakiliwa. Ilibaki ikilindwa mikononi mwa Hafsa, mama wa waumini, hadi Marwan alipokuwa Wali (gavana) wa Madina, naye akaichana. Hilo lilitokea kwa kuwa haikuonekana kuwa ya lazima, kwa sababu nakala za Mushafu zilikuwa zimeenea kila mahali. Ibn Shihab alisimulia kwamba Salim bin 'Abdillah bin Umar alimweleza: Marwan alikuwa akimtuma watu kumwomba Hafsa ﷺ... (Marwan alipokuwa Amiri wa Madina kupitia Mu'awiya) amwombe zile kurasa ambazo Qur'ani iliandikwa humo. Yeye alikataa kumpa. Salim alisema: Hafsa alipofariki, tulipokuwa tukirudi kutoka kwenye mazishi yake, Marwan alimtumia 'Abdillah bin Umar ujumbe wa msimamo wake thabiti kwamba amtumie ule Mushafu. Basi 'Abdillah bin Umar akamtumia. Marwan akaamuru uharibiwe. Akasema: "Nimefanya hivi kwa sababu niliogopa kwamba kama ungebaki kwa watu kwa muda mrefu, watu wangekuwa na shaka kuhusu kurasa hizi."

As for the original copy dictated by the Messenger of Allah (saw) from the revelation, those sheets were compiled together and then copied. It remained protected in the possession of Hafsa, mother of the believers until Marwan became the Wali (governor) of Madinah and he tore it up. Since it was not considered binding because copies of the Mushaf had spread everywhere. Ibn Shihab narrated that Salim b. 'Abdullah b. Umar informed him: That Marwan used to send for Hafsa – i.e. when he was the Amir of Madinah via Mu'awiyya - asking her for the sheets from which the Qur‟an was written. She refused to give him it. Salim said: When Hafsa died, while we were returning from her burial Marwan communicated his firm decision to 'Abdullah b. Umar that he send him that mushaf. So 'Abdullah b. Umar sent it to him. Marwan ordered it to be destroyed. He said: “I did this because I feared that if it remained with people for a long time then people will have doubts regarding these sheets.”