How Quran was compiled and what is the need to learn Quran online?
The holy Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) over the course of almost 23 years. How did the Quran reach us today in its final form? What was the order of the Quran, who compiled it, and how? We will try to answer all these questions in the article.
Who Compiled the Quran?
The holy prophet is described in the Quran as ‘Ummi’ which some Muslim scholars interpret as illiterate and others as one who is not formally taught literacy. He received his first revelation while worshiping in a cave in mount ‘Hira’ nearby Makkah. The verse revealed to him were:
“Read! in the name of your Lord who created man from a clinging substance. Read: Your Lord is the most generous,- He who taught by the pen- taught man that which he knew not”. (Holy Quran: 96, 1-5)
Reciting verses from memory was a common practice in the early days of Islam as they had strong memories and prided themselves on a very strong oral tradition. The prophet was so committed to encouraging writing as the number of literate Muslims gradually increased. He did this through various means. First, he got the prisoners of war to teach the Muslims to read and write in exchange for their freedom. Secondly, he called up scribes for writing letters, contracts, war records, and treaties in addition to revelation. Thirdly, he encouraged reciting from written text in addition to memorization.
As a result, there were many scattered extracts and complete copies of the Quran in an individual’s possession by the time of the prophet’s death. There is disagreement amongst Muslims as to who compiled it into one coherent whole text. Regarding the time of his death, Ibn Abbas states:
“The prophet recited the book before Gabriel every year in the month of Ramadan, and in the month in which he died he recited it before him twice.”
Some believe that reciting the Quran twice refers to the Quranic revelation being compiled into a complete and final version.
According to a Hadith, Abu Bakr ordered the pieces of the Quran to be collated into one book after over 400 memorizers of the Quran were killed in two battles. According to the Hadith, Abu Bakr said to Zaid Ibn Tabit:
“You should search for the fragmentary scripts of the Quran and collect it (in one book).” So Zaid said:
“I started compiling the Quran by collecting it from the leafless stalks of the date-palm tree and from the pieces of leather and hides, and from the stones, and from the chests of men who had memorized the Quran.”
“The manuscripts of the Quran remained with Abu Bakr till Allah took him unto Him. Then it remained with Umar till Allah took him unto Him and then will Hafsa bint Umar.”
Hazrat Uthman 20 years after the death of the prophet requested the manuscript of the Quran from Hafsa so he could order it to be compiled into one unified book. He appointed a committed of four people to transcribe a master copy of the Quran. More people were recruited into the committee. When the book was compiled, Uthman sent some copies to a few counties and kept one in Madina.
According to the majority of historians and scholars, this is the Quran that is with us today with a 114 Surahs in the same order. Though it is debatable whether the present order was directed by the prophet before his passing or decided by his companions later.
The Need to Learn Quran Online in the Present Age
Learning of the holy Quran is fundamental for every Muslim, be it a kid or an adult. The sooner one starts to learn Quran, the better. Ideally, one should start learning Quran at a tender age because this is the age when the mind is fresh, and learning new things is easy. Also, anything which one learns at this age sticks with the mind for life.
In today’s fast-paced a world, where everyone is in a rush, learning Quran, has become difficult in the sense that nobody has the time to dedicate to this all-important duty. Especially where there is a scarcity of Quran learning centers or Quran tutors. Here comes the necessity to learn Quran online which has not only become possible but it is one of the most effective ways to learn the Quran today.
The advantages associated with learning Quran online are multiple. It frees you from time and location constraints and allows you to take Quran classes wherever you are and whenever you feel like taking it. Now finding qualified Quran tutos is just a click away.
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