Question
Has the Qur’an been changed?
Short Answer
No. Muslims believe that Allah has preserved the Qur’an He revealed. The Qur’an itself contains Allah’s promise to preserve it, and authentic reports show that the revelation was both memorized and written during the lifetime of Muhammad ﷺ, then carefully collected and copied by his Companions after his death.
Why This Question Matters
This question can refer to two related but different things. One is theological: did Allah promise to preserve His final revelation? The other is historical: how was the Qur’an transmitted from the time of Muhammad ﷺ to the Muslim community after him? Islam has evidence relevant to both questions.
Islamic Perspective
Allah states that He revealed the Reminder and that He will preserve it. During the lifetime of Muhammad ﷺ, the Qur’an was memorized by his Companions and revelation was also written down by appointed scribes such as Zayd ibn Thabit. After the Prophet ﷺ died, Abu Bakr commissioned Zayd to collect the Qur’an from written materials and from those who had memorized it. These collected sheets later remained with Hafsah. During the caliphate of Uthman, those sheets were used to prepare copies of the mushaf, which were then sent to Muslim regions. These authentic reports distinguish preservation and transmission from authorship: the Companions were collecting and copying revelation they had already received, not composing a new text.
Key Points
- Allah promises to preserve the Qur’an.
- The Qur’an was memorized during the lifetime of Muhammad ﷺ.
- Revelation was also written down during his lifetime.
- Abu Bakr commissioned a careful collection of the Qur’an after the Prophet’s death.
- The collected sheets were later used under Uthman to prepare and distribute mushafs.
- The Companions were preserving and transmitting revelation, not authoring it.
Supporting Evidence
- Qur’an 15:9 states that Allah revealed the Reminder and that He will preserve it.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4989 records Zayd ibn Thabit saying that he used to write revelation for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4990 records the Prophet ﷺ instructing that revealed wording be written down by Zayd.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4986 describes Abu Bakr commissioning Zayd to collect the Qur’an from written materials and from those who knew it by heart, with the resulting sheets later kept by Hafsah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4987 describes Uthman obtaining Hafsah’s sheets, commissioning copies into mushafs, and sending copies to Muslim regions.
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