The story of a holy book: Revelation, power, and humanity

After approximately 22 years of Quranic history, there was no book left behind. The Prophet of Islam had not made such an attempt, nor had he left it as a testament. Another question that must be asked is this: If it were necessary, would the Prophet of Islam not have carried it out?

So, what happened next?

When Umar ibn al-Khattab came to Caliph Abu Bakr to have the Quran collected and compiled into a book, the Caliph was also grappling with this and similar questions. But why had Umar come to him with such a request, and what had happened? At that time, the Battle of Yamama had just ended, and many memorizers (hafiz) had lost their lives in the battle. “I fear that in such cases, with the death of the memorizers, much of the Quran will be lost,” said Umar. The continuation of his sentence was significant. Umar ibn al-Khattab concluded his words as follows: “In my opinion, you should issue an order for the Quran to be compiled.”

But was the Quran not protected by Allah? Did the book not have such power independent of individuals? The following question will naturally come to mind: What would have happened if the Battle of Yamama had not occurred? Would the Quran not have been compiled into a book?

As we mentioned before, the Caliph approached this request with caution and pondered it. The Prophet of Islam, whom he had known closely for years, had not made such a decision. How could he make one now? That is why he turned to Umar and said: “How can you do something that the Messenger of Allah did not do?” Over time, Umar showed the Caliph how it could be done. He convinced him during the process, and ultimately, a committee was established to collect the Quran. The name at the head of the committee was striking: Zayd ibn Thabit.

Zayd was born in Medina in 611. In other words, he was only one year old when Muhammad announced his prophethood. In this sense, Zayd had no knowledge of the tradition or the events that had transpired. When he was appointed head of the committee to collect the Quran, he was 21 years old. Yet, at that time, there were many figures, including Ali ibn Abi Talib, who were well-versed in the era, the events, and the Quran. Why was Zayd chosen instead of them? What was the wisdom behind this?

According to sources, when the Caliph spoke with Zayd, he said to him: “You are a young, vigorous, and intelligent man. No one can accuse you. You were already a scribe of revelation for the Messenger of Allah. Collect the Quranic text.” We do not know if these words were the reason for the wisdom, but Zayd’s response to these words is also recorded in history books. Let us share that as well, because this answer is also quite important and meaningful. Zayd responded to the proposal the Caliph presented to him as follows:

“By Allah, if they had asked me to move a mountain from its place, it would not have been as heavy on me as the responsibility of collecting the Quran. Eventually, I began to compile the Quran from palm branches, flat stones, and the memories of people.” (Bukhari, Tafsir al-Quran, 20; Tirmidhi, Fada'il al-Quran, 23)

As a result, at the end of such a process, the Quran was collected and compiled into a book.

Zayd ibn Thabit, meanwhile, was always by the side of the caliphs.

He served as a scribe during the era of Abu Bakr, and during the era of Umar, he became an advisor to the caliph, presided over cases in Medina, and acted as his deputy when the caliph was out of the city. Caliph Uthman had entrusted him with both the treasury and the role of deputy. He also appointed him head of the committee established to reproduce the Quran. It is said that he was given 100,000 dirhams after this task. Let us also recall on this occasion that a family lived on 50-60 dirhams at that time. In this sense, let us state that the relationship between Zayd and Caliph Uthman was quite good. When Caliph Uthman’s house was besieged, it was Zayd who spoke with some of the individuals participating in the siege, persuaded them to abandon their decision, and entered the caliph’s house.

The processes regarding the collection and reproduction of the Quran have been debated throughout history, both because of the committees established and for similar reasons.

In this sense, history should be read not only through what is told but also through what is not told. The process of collecting the Quran is not just a matter of preserving a text, but also a breaking point where human will, political reason, and historical necessities are intertwined. If human intervention becomes necessary for the preservation of a text, one must stop and think here: What does the historicity of that process actually tell us?

That is why history is not a sanctuary for believers, but a field full of questions. Those who do not dare to walk in that field follow not the truth, but only the narrative. Yet, the truth is often uncomfortable. Because it questions not the distance we have established with the sacred, but how close we have come to it.