The Glorious Qur’ān was not sent down to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ all at once. Instead, it was revealed with divine tenderness and wisdom, unfolding gradually over twenty-three blessed years. At times, an entire sūrah would descend together, and at other times, only a few āyāt would be revealed—each arriving at just the right moment, guiding, comforting, and strengthening hearts as the journey of faith continued.
The wisdom behind the Glorious Qur’ān being revealed gradually is clear and deeply comforting. With each visit of Angel Jibrīl (peace be upon him), the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ was reassured, strengthened, and lovingly supported. Every revelation came as a source of calm and renewed courage, steadying his heart as he faced the resistance and stubborn opposition of the idolaters at the very beginning of his mission.
Allah the Exalted beautifully explains this divine mercy, saying:
“And those who disbelieve say: ‘Why was the Qur’ān not revealed to him all at once?’ It was revealed in this way so that We may strengthen your heart thereby, and We have sent it down gradually, in stages.” (Sūrat al-Furqān, 32)
Each portion of revelation hence arrived as a gentle reminder that he was never alone—his heart continually upheld by divine guidance and care This gradual approach was also a great blessing for the new believers, allowing their hearts and minds the time they needed to learn, reflect, and grow. Through this divine care, they were eased out of the darkness of ignorance, disbelief, and polytheism that had long surrounded their society, and lovingly guided into the light of knowledge, faith, and pure monotheism—illumination found in the timeless message of the Holy Qur’ān.
The Writing Down of the Holy Qur’ān
One of the greatest ways to preserve precious words is to lovingly commit them to writing. Since the Glorious Qur’ān was revealed as guidance for all of humanity until the end of the world, Allah, in His wisdom, ensured that it would be carefully recorded and safeguarded.
The Prophet ﷺ showed deep care and attentiveness in guiding scribes writing down the Holy Qur’ān. He instructed those among his Companions who were able to write to carefully record the revelation, appointing trusted scribes for this noble task. Among the most well-known of these scribes was Zaid ibn Thābit al-Anṣārī (may Allah be pleased with him). The Holy Prophet ﷺ would tell the scribes, “Place this āyah in the sūrah in which such-and-such subject is mentioned,” and he would name the sūrah for them, and direct them to write the āyāt in it. He also encouraged his Companions to learn and memorize the revealed words. In this way, the entire Glorious Qur’ān was preserved during his lifetime.
This careful preservation is a beautiful fulfillment of Allah’s promise:
“Indeed, it is for Us to collect it and to grant you the ability to recite it. So when We have recited it to you (through Jibrīl), then follow its recitation.” (Sūrat al-Qiyāmah, 17–18)
It also fulfills the comforting assurance of Allah the Exalted:
“We shall make you recite, so you shall not forget.” (Sūrat al-A‘lā, 6)
Through this divine care and repeated review, the Glorious Qur’ān was preserved with perfect clarity—protected by Allah Himself and entrusted to generations of believers as a timeless source of guidance and peace.
Writing the Glorious Qur’ān in the Form of a Book
After the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to his Lord, the rightly guided Caliph Abū Bakr as-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), moved by profound devotion and concern for the protection of the Holy Qur’ān, gave the blessed instruction that it be gathered and arranged into organized pages. He wished to ensure that not a single verse would ever be lost, particularly as some of the devoted companions who had memorized the Qur’ān were being called back to Allah, and as the materials on which it had been written were subject to wear and loss over time.
This noble and sacred task was entrusted to Zaid ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him), the honored scribe of revelation. With deep humility, care, and precision, he undertook the compilation, carefully verifying every verse against what had been preserved in writing and what was firmly held within the hearts of the believers. After the manuscript was thoroughly reviewed and confirmed, it was respectfully placed in the home of Abū Bakr as-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), where it remained safeguarded until he too returned to Allah. After he too passed away, the precious manuscript was entrusted to the care of the Mother of the Believers, Ḥafṣah bint ʽUmar (may Allah be pleased with her), where it found its place of preservation. As Islam spread across distant lands and new hearts embraced the faith, Muslims Muslims were in need of copies of the Holy Qur’ān from which to recite. Recognizing this growing need, some of the Companions lovingly brought the matter to the attention of the third rightly guided Caliph, ʽUthmān ibn ʽAffān (may Allah be pleased with him).
With deep concern for unity and accuracy, he (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered that a standard copy of the Glorious Qur’ān be prepared—one that all Muslims could recite from with confidence and harmony. He entrusted this noble responsibility to a group of knowledgeable and trustworthy Companions who had memorized the Qur’ān, appointing Zaid ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead them.
Using the carefully preserved pages compiled during the time of Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), they lovingly copied and arranged them into a single muṣḥaf. Through this thoughtful and unifying effort, Allah ensured that His words would continue to be recited as one—bringing hearts together across lands, languages, and generations.
Multiple copies of the Glorious Qur’ān were carefully prepared, and one was sent to each of the major Islamic cities. Muslims were encouraged to make their copies from these trusted originals. From that blessed effort, all known copies of the Glorious Qur’ān in the world today—whether handwritten manuscripts or beautifully printed editions—trace their origins back to those first copies. There has never been any difference among them in their text, nor in the order of the sūrahs and āyāt, a powerful testament to Allah’s promise of preservation.
Across the centuries, Muslims have continued to show deep reverence and care for the Noble Muṣḥaf. They have embraced new methods, techniques, and tools of printing, always striving to uphold the highest levels of accuracy and excellence. Great care has been taken to preserve the Qur’ānic text exactly as it was written during the time of the rightly guided Caliph ʽUthmān ibn ʽAffān (may Allah be pleased with him), following what is known as the ʽUthmānic orthography.
Reference: Al-Hilālī, M. T. D., & Khān, M. M. (n.d.). The Noble Qur’an: English translation of the meanings and commentary. King Fahd Glorious Qur’ān Printing Complex.
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