Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that after the tragedy of the martyrdom of the memorizers (huffaz) in the Battle of Yamama, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) called me. When I arrived, Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was also sitting with him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who has come to me and says that many memorizers of the Qur’an have been martyred in Yamama. I fear that if the martyrdom of the memorizers of the Qur’an continues like this, most of the Qur’an will be lost and will not be preserved. Therefore, in my opinion, an order should be given to compile the Qur’an. But I replied to him: How can I do something which the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not do? But he said: By Allah! This is a good deed. Then he kept insisting on this matter with me until Allah Almighty opened my heart and I also liked this opinion. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) remained silent. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: O Zaid! You are a wise young man and a trustworthy person, and you used to write down the revelation for the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), therefore, you must carry out this task. Sayyiduna Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Allah! If they had tasked me to move a mountain, it would not have been as heavy on me as the responsibility they placed on me to compile the Qur’an. So I said: How will you people do something which the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not do? However, after their insistence, I accepted this responsibility.

Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), the Companions compiled the Noble Qur'an in the form of a Mushaf. People would write, and Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) would dictate to them. When they reached this verse of Surah Bara'ah {ثُمَّ انْصَرَفُوْا صَرَفَ اللّٰہُ قُلُوبَہُمْ بِأَ نَّہُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا یَفْقَہُونَ} … then they turn back. Allah has turned their hearts, because indeed they are a people who do not understand. They thought that this was the last verse of the Surah, but Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had taught me these two verses after it: {لَقَدْ جَائَ کُمْ رَسُوْلٌ مِّنْ اَنْفُسِکُمْ عَزِیْزٌ عَلَیْہِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِیْصٌ عَلَیْکُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ رَئُ وْفٌ رَّحِیْمٌ۔ فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِیَ اللّٰہُ لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ھُوَ عَلَیْہِ تَوَکَّلْتُ وَھُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِیْمِ۔} … Surely there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; it grieves him that you should suffer; he is full of concern for you, and is kind and merciful to the believers. But if they turn away, say: Allah is sufficient for me; there is no deity except Him; in Him I have put my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Then he said: This part of the Qur'an was revealed at the very end. Then he said: Thus, the religion was concluded with the same Tawheed with which it was begun; by this he meant "Allah, there is no deity except Him," and that is the statement of Allah the Exalted: {وَمَا أَ رْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا یُوحَی إِلَیْہِ أَ نَّہُ لَا اِلٰہَ إِلَّا أَ نَا فَاعْبُدُونِ} … And We did not send any Messenger before you except that We revealed to him that there is no deity except Me, so worship Me. (According to the mentioned narration, the word in the verse of the Noble Qur'an is "yuha ilayhi" — it was revealed to him (every Messenger). Whereas in our well-known recitation, it is "nuhi ilayhi" — We reveal to him. (Abdullah Rafiq))