A Simple Guide to ISLAM
The Qur’an
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In this way the memorization and the writing down of the Qur'an
both started from the very first day of revelation.
According to traditions, whenever a revelation was received,
Prophet called one of his scriber companions and dictated the
verses to them. After dictation the Prophet also asked the scriber
to read out to him what had been put in writing. This was done in
order to correct any mistakes committed while writing.
This was thus the beginning of the compilation of the Qur’an. The
next stage after writing down was to memorize the text. Prophet
himself asked the companions to memorize the revealed verses and
repeat the same in their prayers.
Thus the message of the Qur’an was not transmitted only by oral
tradition even during the lifetime of the Prophet. Among his
companions were a select group of about half a dozen
katib-e-
wahy
—transcribers of the revelations. A few of these scribes were
always present and whenever any part of the Qur’an was revealed,
the Prophet would recite it to them. Thereupon, at the exact
moment of revelation, they would not only commit it to memory,
but would write it down on any available material, such as paper,
bones, leather or skin. In former times when the accepted way of
disseminating the subject matter of a book was to memorize it,
then recite it, it was quite exceptional that the Qur’an should have
been both memorized and preserved in writing. This was like
having a ‘double checking’ system, whereby memory plus written
words and written words plus memory could be constantly checked
against each other.
