History of the Quran

The history of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, is the timeline ranging from the inception of the Quran during the lifetime of Muhammad (believed to have received the Quran through revelation between 610 and 632 CE[1]), to the emergence, transmission, and canonization of its written copies. The history of the Quran is a major focus in the field of Quranic studies.

In Sunni tradition, it is believed that the first caliph Abu Bakr ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to compile the written Quran, relying upon both textual fragments and the memories of those who had memorized it during Muhammad's lifetime,[2] with the rasm (undotted Arabic text) being officially canonized under the third caliph Uthman ibn Affan (r. 644–656 CE),[3][3] leading the Quran as it exists today to be known as the Uthmanic codex.[4] Some Shia Muslims believe that the fourth caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib was the first to compile the Quran shortly after Muhammad died.[5] The canonization process is believed to have been highly conservative,[6] although some amount of textual evolution is also indicated by the existence of companion codices like the Sanaa manuscript.[7][8]
Etymology

While there are various proposed etymologies, one is that the word 'Quran' (قرآن) comes from the Arabic verb qaraʾa (قرء, 'to read') in the verbal noun pattern fuʿlān (فعلان), thus resulting in the meaning 'reading'.

Others are that it is a name given to the book by God, without any previous etymology, that the word comes from the verb qarana (قرن, 'to join, to yoke'), referring to the gathering together of revelation, and that it comes from qarāʾin (قرائن), the plural of a word variously translatable as 'evidence', 'yoke', 'union'.

Nine out of the ten imams of recitation have it read in their tradition with a hamza, as Qur'ān (قرآن), with only Ibn Kathir's tradition excluding the letter, reading it instead as Qurān (قران).[9]