THE PRESERVATION OF THE QURAN

 

The Quran is believed to be the final divine revelation from Allah that is conveyed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the angel Gabriel. It is considered as the sacred scripture of Islam, the preservation of which is a significant subject to Muslims worldwide. Therefore, upholding the genuineness and integrity of the Islamic faith, safeguarding the Quran is indispensable. Since there is no single way to preserve the Quran, various protection practices are used.

 

Revelation process of the Quran took twenty-three years in total, so the message was conveyed piece by piece. Since its revelation in the 7th century, the Quran has been primarily transmitted orally. Prophet Muhammad recited the Quran to his companions, who in turn memorized and recited it to others. Memorizing the entire Quran, referred to as “hifz”, is an oral transmission method that has been carefully preserved and passed down through generations. Since the memorization is the most common tradition in the way of preservation, over two hundred million Muslims around the world have become memorizers today.

 

Alongside oral transmission, the written form of the Quran has also been preserved through the compilation and dissemination of written manuscripts. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, verses were written down on various materials. The Prophet appointed scribes to record the revealed verses so that the earliest written copies of the Quran exist in the Prophet Muhammad’s time. In addition to these, every year in the month of Ramadan, in which Muslims fast, there is a tradition coming from the Prophet’s time that is to recite the entire Quran within the month. So, every Ramadan Prophet Muhammad and his companions would recite the Quran and this way permanency and veracity was ensured.

 

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Caliph Uthman ibn Affan recognized the necessity of a standardized written compilation of the Quran and to achieve this he appointed a committee of scholars entrusted with the task of gathering and consolidating all existing written copies of the Quran. However, this was an extremely strict process in which each copy would gone through various accuracy tests done by many memorizers. This comprehensive compilation effort aimed to establish a unified and consistent Quranic text. Afterwards, the copies were distributed to different regions of the Islamic empire. Hence, numerous ancient Quran manuscripts have been preserved in museums and libraries around the world and luckily one of them is housed in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. When these ancient Qurans are compared with the ones accessible to everyone today, it is proved that not even a single vowel has undergone any alteration.

 

Another proof is pointed out in the Quran itself acknowledging its significance and preservation. In Surah Al-Hijr (15:9), it states: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” This verse implies that Allah is the ultimate protector of the Quran, ensuring that its message remains intact over time. The Quran encourages individuals to engage in critical thinking and reflection upon its message. In Surah Al-Nisa (4:82), it states: “Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from (any) other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” Regarding to this, pondering upon the Quran deeply and acknowledging its harmonious and consistent nature is encouraged.

 

Lastly, the Quran is preserved in its original language till today which is considered a crucial point to maintain its authenticity and integrity. By preserving the Quran in Arabic, continuity and unity among Muslims worldwide is ensured since it serves as a common language of prayer enabling Muslims from diverse linguistic backgrounds to come together. All these aspects have guided the Muslim community in protecting and preserving the Quran’s original message, ensuring its genuineness and certainty throughout history.