8. The Excellent Qualities of the Qur'an

وَعَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ يقْرَأ سُورَة الْفرْقَان على غير مَا أقرؤوها. وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا فَكِدْتُ أَنْ أَعْجَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَمْهَلْتُهُ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ ثُمَّ لَبَّبْتُهُ بِرِدَائِهِ فَجِئْتُ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. فَقلت يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَأْتَنِيهَا. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَرْسِلْهُ اقْرَأ " فَقَرَأت الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَأُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ» . ثُمَّ قَالَ لي: «اقْرَأ» . فَقَرَأت. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «هَكَذَا أنزلت إِن الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تيَسّر مِنْهُ» . مُتَّفق عَلَيْهِ. وَاللَّفْظ لمُسلم

I heard Hishām b. Hakīm b. Hizām reciting sūra al-Furqān (Qur’ān, 25) in a different manner from my way of reciting it, and God’s messenger had taught me to recite it. I nearly spoke sharply to him, but I delayed till he had finished, and then catching his cloak at the neck I brought him to God’s messenger and said, “Messen­ger of God, I heard this man reciting sūra al-Furqān in a manner different from that in which you taught me to recite it.” He told me to let him go and told him to recite. When he recited it in the manner in which I had heard him recite it God's messenger said, “Thus was it sent down.” He then told me to recite it and when I had done so he said, “Thus was it sent down. The Qur’ān was sent down in seven modes of reading, so recite according to what comes most easily.” (Bukhārī and Muslim, the wording being Muslim’s.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَجُلًا قَرَأَ وَسَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُ خِلَافَهَا فَجِئْتُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَعَرَفْتُ فِي وَجهه الْكَرَاهِيَة فَقَالَ: «كِلَاكُمَا مُحْسِنٌ فَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا فَإِنَّ مَنْ كَانَ قبلكُمْ اخْتلفُوا فهلكوا» . رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

I heard a man who recited, and as I had heard the Prophet reciting differently I took him to the Prophet and told him and noticed that he gave a disapproving look. He then said, “Both of you are doing it well, so do not disagree, for your predecessors disagreed and perished.” Bukhārī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ يُصَلِّي فَقَرَأَ قِرَاءَةً أَنْكَرْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ آخَرُ فَقَرَأَ قِرَاءَةً سِوَى قِرَاءَةِ صَاحِبِهِ فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا الصَّلَاةَ دَخَلْنَا جَمِيعًا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ هَذَا قَرَأَ قِرَاءَةً أَنْكَرْتُهَا عَلَيْهِ وَدخل آخر فَقَرَأَ سوى قِرَاءَة صَاحبه فَأَمَرَهُمَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَرَآ فَحَسَّنَ شَأْنَهُمَا فَسَقَطَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنَ التَّكْذِيبِ وَلَا إِذْ كُنْتُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا قَدْ غَشِيَنِي ضَرَبَ فِي صَدْرِي فَفِضْت عَرَقًا وكأنما أنظر إِلَى الله عز وَجل فَرَقَا فَقَالَ لِي: «يَا أُبَيُّ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيَّ أَن اقْرَأِ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَرَدَدْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ هَوِّنْ عَلَى أُمَّتِي فَرَدَّ إِلَيَّ الثَّانِيَةَ اقْرَأْهُ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ فَرَدَّدَتْ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ هَوِّنْ عَلَى أُمَّتِي فَرَدَّ إِلَيَّ الثَّالِثَةِ اقْرَأْهُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ وَلَكَ بِكُلِّ رَدَّةٍ رَدَدْتُكَهَا مَسْأَلَةٌ تَسْأَلُنِيهَا فَقُلْتُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِأُمَّتِي اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِأُمَّتِي وَأَخَّرْتُ الثَّالِثَةَ لِيَوْمٍ يَرْغَبُ إِلَيَّ الْخَلْقُ كُلُّهُمْ حَتَّى إِبْرَاهِيم صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

When I was in the mosque a man entered and prayed and recited in a manner to which I objected. Afterwards a man entered and recited in a manner different from the other. When we had finished the prayer we all went to visit God’s messenger, and I said, “This man recited in a manner to which I objected and the other entered and recited in a manner different from his.” The Prophet then commanded them to recite, and when they had done so he expressed approval of both of them. This made me inclined to tell him he was wrong, even to an extent I had never reached in the pre-Islamic period; and when God’s messenger noticed how I was affected he gave me a pat on the chest, whereupon I broke into a sweat and was filled with fear as though I were looking at God. He then said to me, “A message was sent to me, Ubayy, to recite the Qur’ān in one mode, but when I replied that I wished matters to be made easy for my people, a second message instructed me to recite it in two modes. Again I replied that I wished matters to be made easy for my people, and a third message instructed me to recite it in seven modes, I being told at the same time that I might ask something for each reply I had received. I therefore said, ‘O God, forgive my people. O God, forgive my people;’ and I have delayed the third request till the day when all creatures, even including Abraham, seek my intercession." Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «أَقْرَأَنِي جِبْرِيل على حرف فَرَاجعه فَلم أزل استزيده ويزيدني حَتَّى انْتهى إِلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ» . قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ تِلْكَ السَّبْعَةَ الْأَحْرُفَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ فِي الْأَمْرِ تَكُونُ وَاحِدًا لَا تَخْتَلِفُ فِي حَلَالٍ وَلَا حرَام

Ibn ‘Abbās reported God’s messenger as saying, “Gabriel taught me to recite in one mode, and when I replied to him and kept asking him to give me more he did so till he reached seven modes." Ibn Shihāb said he had heard that those seven modes are essentially one, not differing about what is permitted and what is prohibited. (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: لَقِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جِبْرِيلَ فَقَالَ: " يَا جِبْرِيلُ إِنِّي بُعِثْتُ إِلَى أُمَّةٍ أُمِّيِّينَ مِنْهُمُ الْعَجُوزُ وَالشَّيْخُ الْكَبِيرُ وَالْغُلَامُ وَالْجَارِيَةُ وَالرَّجُلُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَقْرَأْ كِتَابًا قَطُّ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّد إِن الْقُرْآن أونزل عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِأَحْمَدَ وَأَبِي دَاوُدَ: قَالَ: «لَيْسَ مِنْهَا إِلَّا شَافٍ كَافٍ» . وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِلنَّسَائِيِّ قَالَ: " إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ أَتَيَانِي فَقَعَدَ جِبْرِيلُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَمِيكَائِيلُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَقَالَ جِبْرِيلُ: اقْرَأِ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ قَالَ مِيكَائِيلُ: اسْتَزِدْهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَة أحرف فَكل حرف شاف كَاف "

Ubayy b. Ka‘b told of God’s messenger meeting Gabriel and saying, “I have been sent, Gabriel, to a people who are unlettered, among whom are old women and old men, boys and girls, and men who have never read a book.” He replied, “The Qur’ān, Muhammad, has been sent down in seven modes." In a version by Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd he said, “They include only what is sufficiently health-giving.” In a version by Nasā’i the Prophet is quoted as saying that Gabriel and Michael came to him, and when Gabriel had sat down at his right and Michael at his left, Gabriel told him to recite the Qur’ān in one mode, and Michael told him to ask more, till he reached seven modes, each mode being sufficiently health-giving. Tirmidhī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّهُ مَرَّ عَلَى قَاصٍّ يَقْرَأُ ثُمَّ يَسْأَلُ. فَاسْتَرْجَعَ ثُمَّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «مَنْ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ فليسأل الله بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَجِيءُ أَقوام يقرؤون الْقُرْآنَ يَسْأَلُونَ بِهِ النَّاسَ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ

‘Imran b. Husain said that when he came upon a story-teller who was reciting the Qur’ān and then asking for payment he first uttered the words, “We belong to God and to Him do we return” and then told that he had heard God’s messenger say, “When anyone recites the Qur’ān, let him ask a reward for it from God, for people will arise who will recite the Qur’ān and ask a reward for it from men.” Ahmad and Tirmidhī transmitted it.

عَن بُرَيْدَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ يَتَأَكَّلُ بِهِ النَّاسَ جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَوَجْهُهُ عظم لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ لحم» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

Buraida reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone recites the Qur’ān seeking thereby to get a living from people, he will come on the day of resurrection with his face as a fleshless bone.” Baihaqi trans­mitted it in Shu’ab al-īmān.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَعْرِفُ فَصْلَ السُّورَةِ حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Ibn ‘Abbās said that God's messenger did not know where sūras were to be separated till “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,” was sent down. Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ قَالَ: كُنَّا بِحِمْصَ فَقَرَأَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ سُورَةَ يُوسُفَ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: مَا هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ. فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: وَاللَّهِ لَقَرَأْتُهَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: «أَحْسَنْتَ» فَبَيْنَا هُوَ يُكَلِّمُهُ إِذْ وَجَدَ مِنْهُ رِيحَ الْخَمْرِ فَقَالَ: أَتَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَتُكَذِّبُ بِالْكِتَابِ؟ فَضَرَبَهُ الْحَد

When we were in Hims Ibn Mas’ūd recited sūra Yūsuf (Quran, 12) and a man declared that it was not sent down like that. To this ‘Abdallāh replied, “I swear by God that I recited it in the time of God’s messenger and he told me I had done it well.” While speaking to him he noticed the smell of wine on him, so he said, “Do you drink wine and declare the Book false?” and then gave him the prescribed beating. (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ: أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مَقْتَلَ أَهْلِ الْيَمَامَةِ. فَإِذَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ عِنْدَهُ. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِنَّ عُمَرَ أَتَانِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْقَتْلَ قَدِ اسْتَحَرَّ يَوْمَ الْيَمَامَةِ بِقُرَّاءِ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنِ اسْتَحَرَّ الْقَتْلُ بِالْقُرَّاءِ بِالْمَوَاطِنِ فَيَذْهَبُ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ تَأْمُرَ بِجَمْعِ الْقُرْآنِ قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ هَذَا وَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ فَلم يزل عمر يراجعني فِيهِ حَتَّى شرح الله صَدْرِي لذَلِك وَرَأَيْت الَّذِي رَأَى عُمَرُ قَالَ زَيْدٌ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ شَابٌّ عَاقِلٌ لَا نَتَّهِمُكَ وَقَدْ كُنْتَ تَكْتُبُ الْوَحْيَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَتَتَبَّعِ الْقُرْآنَ فَاجْمَعْهُ فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ كَلَّفُونِي نَقْلَ جَبَلٍ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ مَا كَانَ أَثْقَلَ عَلَيَّ مِمَّا أَمَرَنِي بِهِ مِنْ جمع الْقُرْآن قَالَ: قلت كَيفَ تَفْعَلُونَ شَيْئا لم يَفْعَله النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. قَالَ هُوَ وَاللَّهِ خير فَلم أزل أراجعه حَتَّى شرح الله صَدْرِي للَّذي شرح الله لَهُ صدر أبي بكر وَعمر. فَقُمْت فَتَتَبَّعْتُ الْقُرْآنَ أَجْمَعُهُ مِنَ الْعُسُبِ وَاللِّخَافِ وَصُدُورِ الرِّجَال حَتَّى وجدت من سُورَة التَّوْبَة آيَتَيْنِ مَعَ أَبِي خُزَيْمَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ لَمْ أَجِدْهَا مَعَ أَحَدٍ غَيْرِهِ (لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ) حَتَّى خَاتِمَةِ بَرَاءَةَ. فَكَانَتِ الصُّحُفُ عِنْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ عِنْدَ عُمَرَ حَيَاته ثمَّ عِنْد حَفْصَة. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Abū Bakr sent for me after the slaughter of those who fought at al-Yamāma and ‘Umar b. al-Khattāb was with him. Abū Bakr told me that ‘Umar had come to him and drawn attention to the extensive slaughter among Qur’ān readers at the battle of al- Yamāma, saying he was afraid that if readers continued to be killed in large numbers at other battles a large amount of the Qur’ān would be lost, and that he therefore thought he should give command that the Qur’ān be collected. He had asked. ‘Umar how he could do a thing which God’s messenger had not done, and ‘Umar, swearing by God that this was best, had kept at him till God made him inclined to do that, and he came to hold ‘Umar’s opinion about the matter. Zaid told how Abū Bakr said to him, “You are an intelligent young man whom we do not suspect and you have been writing down the revelation which came to God’s messenger, so search for the Qur’ān and collect it,” adding: I swear by God that if they had imposed on me the transportation of a mountain it would not have been a heavier load for me than the collecting of the Qur’ān which he ordered me to undertake. I asked how they could do a thing which God’s messenger had not done and Abū Bakr, swearing by God that this was best, kept at me till God made me in­clined to do what He had made Abū Bakr and ‘Umar inclined to do. I therefore searched for the Qur’ān and collected it from leafless palm branches, white stones and the breasts of men till I found the end of sūra at-Tauba (Qur’ān, 9) with Abū Khuzaima al-Ansārī, not having found it with anyone else: "A messenger from among yourselves has come to you . . .” to the end of Barā'a* (Qur’ān, 9 128-129). The sheets were deposited with Abū Bakr till God took him, then with ‘Umar during his lifetime, then with Hafsa, ‘Umar’s daughter. *Tauba and Barā’a are alternative titles of sūra 9. Bukhārī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ: أَنَّ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ الْيَمَانِ قَدِمَ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ وَكَانَ يُغَازِي أَهْلَ الشَّامِ فِي فَتْحِ أَرْمِينِيَّةَ وَأَذْرَبِيجَانَ مَعَ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ فَأَفْزَعَ حُذَيْفَةَ اخْتِلَافُهُمْ فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ فَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ لِعُثْمَانَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَدْرِكْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْتَلِفُوا فِي الْكِتَابِ اخْتِلَافَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى فَأَرْسَلَ عُثْمَانُ إِلَى حَفْصَةَ أَنْ أَرْسِلِي إِلَيْنَا بِالصُّحُفِ نَنْسَخُهَا فِي الْمَصَاحِفِ ثُمَّ نَرُدُّهَا إِلَيْكِ فَأَرْسَلَتْ بِهَا حَفْصَةُ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ فَأَمَرَ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزبير وَسَعِيد بن الْعَاصِ وَعبد الرَّحْمَن بْنَ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ فَنَسَخُوهَا فِي الْمَصَاحِفِ وَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ لِلرَّهْطِ الْقُرَشِيِّينَ الثَّلَاثِ إِذَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَاكْتُبُوهُ بِلِسَانِ قُرَيْشٍ فَإِنَّمَا نَزَلَ بِلِسَانِهِمْ فَفَعَلُوا حَتَّى إِذَا نَسَخُوا الصُّحُفَ فِي الْمَصَاحِفِ رَدَّ عُثْمَانُ الصُّحُفَ إِلَى حَفْصَةَ وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى كُلِّ أُفُقٍ بِمُصْحَفٍ مِمَّا نَسَخُوا وَأَمَرَ بِمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فِي كُلِّ صَحِيفَةٍ أَوْ مُصْحَفٍ أَنْ يُحْرَقَ قَالَ ابْن شهَاب وَأَخْبرنِي خَارِجَة بن زيد بن ثَابت سَمِعَ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ فَقَدْتُ آيَةً مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ حِينَ نَسَخْنَا الْمُصْحَفَ قَدْ كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْرَأُ بِهَا فَالْتَمَسْنَاهَا فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مَعَ خُزَيْمَةَ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ (مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا الله عَلَيْهِ) فَأَلْحَقْنَاهَا فِي سُورَتِهَا فِي الْمُصْحَفِ. رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ

Being alarmed at their difference in reading the Qur’ān he said to ‘Uthmān, “Commander of the faithful, set this people right before they disagree about the Book in the manner of the Jews and the Christians.” ‘Uthmān therefore sent a message to Hafsa asking her to send the sheets to him so that they might make copies of them, after which he would return them to her. Hafsa sent them to ‘Uthmān and he commanded Zaid b. Thābit, ‘Abdallāh b. az-Zubair, Sa'īd b. al-‘Ās and ‘Abdallāh b. al-Hārith b. Hishām who made copies of them. ‘Uthmān gave instructions to the three members of Quraish that when they and Zaid b. Thābit disagreed about anything in the Qur’ān they were to write in the dialect of Quraish, for it came down only in their dialect. They did so, and when they had made several copies of the sheets ‘Uthmān returned the sheets to Hafsa. He then sent a copy of those which they had transcribed to every region, giving orders that every sheet or volume which contained a part of the Qur’ān in different form should be burned. Ibn Shihāb said he was told by Khārija b. Zaid b. Thābit that he heard Zaid b. Thābit say that when they transcribed the Qur’ān he failed to find a verse in al-Ahzāb which he had heard God’s messenger reciting. He therefore sought it and found it with Khuzaima b. Thābit al-Ansārī, “Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with God” (Qur’ān, 33:23). They then added it to its sūra in the copy of the Qur’ān. Bukhārī transmit­ted it.

وَعَن ابْن عَبَّاس قَالَ: قلت لعُثْمَان بن عَفَّان مَا حملكم أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى بَرَاءَةٍ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَئِينِ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلم تكْتبُوا بَينهمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهَا فِي السَّبع الطول مَا حملكم على ذَلِك فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِمَّا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَان وَهُوَ تنزل عَلَيْهِ السُّور ذَوَات الْعدَد فَكَانَ إِذا نزل عَلَيْهِ الشَّيْء دَعَا بعض من كَانَ يَكْتُبُ فَيَقُولُ: «ضَعُوا هَؤُلَاءِ الْآيَاتِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا» فَإِذَا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْآيَةُ فَيَقُولُ: «ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا» . وَكَانَتِ الْأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا نَزَلَتْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَتْ بَرَاءَة من آخر الْقُرْآن وَكَانَت قصَّتهَا شَبيهَة بِقِصَّتِهَا فَظَنَنْت أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَمْ يبين لنا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ قَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلِمَ أكتب بَينهمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ

Ibn 'Abbas said he asked ‘Uthmān what had induced them to deal with al-Anfāl (Qur’ān, 8) which is one of the Mathānī* and with Barā'a which is one with a hundred verses, joining them without writing the line contain­ing "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,” and putting it among the seven long ones. When he asked again what had induced them to do that, ‘Uthmān replied, "Over a period sūras with numerous verses would come down to God’s messenger, and when some­thing came down to him he would call one of those who wrote and tell him to put these verses in the sūra in which such and such is mentioned, and when a verse came down he would tell them to put it in the sūra in which such and such is mentioned. Now al-Anfāl was one of the first to come down in Medina and Barā’a was among the last of the Qur’ān to come down, and the subject-matter of the one resembled that of the other, so because God’s messenger was taken without having explained to us whether it belonged to it, for that reason I joined them without writing the line containing ‘In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, and put it among the long sūras.'’ *Sūras with less than a hundred verses, but more than those in al mufassal. Ahmad, Tirmidhī and Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.