Table of Contents
The Living Preservation of the Qur’an
The Qur’an in Hearts Before Pages
From the very beginning of Islam, the primary way the Qur’an was preserved was through memorization. The Qur’an introduced itself as a recited book. The word “Qur’an” itself comes from the meaning “recitation,” which shows that its first home is not paper but the hearts and tongues of people.
Allah mentions the Qur’an as something recited aloud and listened to, not just silently read.
“So when the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.”
(Qur’an 7:204)
The Prophet ﷺ received revelation through Jibril عليه السلام and would recite it immediately, out of eagerness to preserve it. Allah reassured him that this preservation is guaranteed.
“Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it. Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation. So when We have recited it, then follow its recitation.”
(Qur’an 75:16–18)
Here Allah clearly takes responsibility for gathering and preserving the Qur’an in the heart of the Prophet ﷺ. This divine promise is part of a greater promise of protection for the Qur’an.
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will surely preserve it.”
(Qur’an 15:9)
The preservation of the Qur’an therefore began in the heart of the Messenger ﷺ himself, before it ever appeared on any page.
The Prophet ﷺ as the First Memorizer
The Prophet ﷺ did not only receive the verses, he memorized them and repeated them constantly in his prayers, his nightly worship, and his teaching of the companions. Jibril عليه السلام would revise the Qur’an with him regularly.
“Jibril used to meet him every night in Ramadan and revise the Qur’an with him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
In the final year of his life, the Prophet ﷺ reviewed the Qur’an with Jibril twice, which shows that the text was complete and carefully fixed before his passing.
Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Jibril would revise the Qur’an with me once every year, and this year he revised it with me twice, and I do not think except that my term has come close.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
This yearly review confirmed the arrangement of the verses in their surahs and strengthened the memorization of the Prophet ﷺ and his closest companions.
The Companions as Carriers of the Qur’an
The companions of the Prophet ﷺ were very eager to learn the Qur’an directly from him. They memorized it verse by verse and surah by surah. Many of them became known specifically as “Qurrā’” which means reciters of the Qur’an, people who memorized and recited it correctly.
Allah praised those who commit His Book to memory and act upon it.
“Rather, it is clear verses in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge. And none reject Our verses except the wrongdoers.”
(Qur’an 29:49)
This verse points to an important fact. The true “location” of the Qur’an is the hearts of the believers, especially the people of knowledge, not just physical pages. The companions understood this and dedicated their lives to memorizing and living the Qur’an.
Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه described how they used to learn:
“We used to learn ten verses of the Qur’an from the Prophet ﷺ and we would not go beyond them until we had learned what they contain of knowledge and action.”
(Reported by Aḥmad)
This method of learning slowly and with understanding helped them preserve not only the words, but also the meaning and practice of the Qur’an.
Among the famous companions known for their recitation and memorization were Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī, Ibn Masʿūd, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, Zayd ibn Thābit, Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī, and many others رضي الله عنهم. The Prophet ﷺ himself pointed to some of them as leading reciters.
“Take the Qur’an from four: from Ibn Umm ʿAbd (Ibn Masʿūd), Muʿādh ibn Jabal, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, and Sālim the freed slave of Abū Ḥudhayfah.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
This shows that memorization was already wide and well-established among different companions during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ.
The Practice of Memorization in the Early Community
Memorization of the Qur’an was not seen as a special role for a few people. It was a common goal in the Muslim community. Children and adults would memorize portions according to their ability. Many companions reached complete memorization of the Qur’an, and others memorized large portions.
The status of the memorizer of the Qur’an was raised by the Prophet ﷺ. He showed that those who carry the Qur’an in their hearts are given honor in this life and in the hereafter.
“The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
He also gave leadership in some matters, such as leading the prayer, to the one who had most Qur’an.
“The people should be led (in prayer) by the one who has the most Qur’an.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
When the martyrs of the battle of Uḥud were buried, he asked which of them had more of the Qur’an, and gave that person priority in the grave.
“He used to ask about the one who had more Qur’an, then he would put him first in the grave.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
This shows that memorization was common enough that even among a group of martyrs, many had memorized large amounts, and it also shows the great rank of those who carry the Qur’an.
The Prophet ﷺ also described how the Qur’an elevates a person in the hereafter according to what he memorized and acted upon.
“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: ‘Recite and rise, and recite as you used to recite in the world, for your rank will be at the last verse you recite.’”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd)
The title “companion of the Qur’an” here refers to the one who has memorized it and lives by it, which again highlights the central role of memorization in the preservation of the Qur’an.
Written Preservation in the Time of the Prophet ﷺ
Although memorization was the main method, the Qur’an was also written down from the very beginning. The Prophet ﷺ had a group of official scribes who would write revelation as it was received. Among the most famous were Zayd ibn Thābit, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān and others رضي الله عنهم.
Whenever new verses were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ would call the scribes and instruct them where to place each verse inside the existing surahs. This showed that the arrangement of verses within surahs was based on revelation, not human decision.
ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه narrated: “When something was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would call one of those who used to write and say, ‘Put these verses in the surah in which such-and-such is mentioned.’”
(Reported by Abū Dāwūd)
The materials used at that time included parchment, leather, thin stones, shoulder blades of animals, palm stalks, and anything suitable for writing. There was no single bound copy that contained the entire Qur’an during the life of the Prophet ﷺ. Instead, different portions were written in different places, while the whole Qur’an was fully preserved in the hearts of the Prophet ﷺ and many of his companions.
The Prophet ﷺ also forbade writing his sayings mixed together with the Qur’an, in order to keep the Qur’an clearly separate and distinct.
“Do not write from me anything. Whoever has written anything from me other than the Qur’an, let him erase it.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
This protected the written Qur’an from confusion with hadith and is another form of careful preservation.
Recitation and Writing Together
The preservation of the Qur’an was never left to writing alone, nor to memorization alone. Both methods were used together, and each one confirmed the other. The companions would write what they heard, then recite it back to the Prophet ﷺ to make sure it was correct. They would also compare with each other and listen to reciters known for their precision.
The Prophet ﷺ himself would recite aloud to the companions, and some of them would recite back to him. This mutual recitation further secured accuracy.
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged the recitation of the Qur’an in a beautiful and careful manner.
“The one who is proficient in the Qur’an will be with the noble and righteous scribes (the angels), and the one who reads the Qur’an and stammers in it, finding it difficult, will have two rewards.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
This hadith shows that careful recitation and learning are acts of worship that are rewarded, and it also shows that the Qur’an was meant to be recited regularly so that it would remain preserved.
The Martyrs of al-Yamāmah and the Importance of Ḥuffāẓ
After the death of the Prophet ﷺ, during the caliphate of Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه, there was a major battle known as the battle of al-Yamāmah. In this battle, many companions who had memorized large portions of the Qur’an were martyred. This event made the companions realize the importance of gathering the written Qur’an in one place, even though it was safe in the hearts of many.
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه urged Abū Bakr to start a project of collecting the Qur’an into a single written copy, out of fear that if many ḥuffāẓ died in future battles, people might become careless and lose some written records, even though Allah has promised to preserve His Book.
This step belongs to the later detailed topic of compilation, but here it is enough to see that the wide existence of ḥuffāẓ and written pieces of the Qur’an together made that effort possible. It was not an attempt to rebuild a lost text, but to gather a perfectly preserved recitation from many reliable memorizing and written sources.
The Role of Ḥuffāẓ Until Today
From the time of the companions until now, the Muslim community has continued the tradition of preserving the Qur’an in hearts first and then in written form. In every generation, there are countless people who memorize the entire Qur’an from cover to cover, starting often at a young age and then revising it throughout their lives.
The Prophet ﷺ described how a person who carries the Qur’an must honor it in his own character.
“Indeed, Allah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
The one who memorizes the Qur’an but does not act upon it or respect it is warned, while the one who memorizes it and lives by it is raised in rank. This spiritual responsibility makes memorization not only a means of preservation, but also a path of personal transformation.
The Qur’an also warns against forgetting or neglecting the revelation after it has been given.
“And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Indeed, Allah is Subtle and All-Aware.”
(Qur’an 33:34)
Muslim homes over the centuries have echoed with the sound of Qur’an recitation, revision, and memorization. This continuous recitation in prayers, in daily reading, in schools and mosques, has made the Qur’an the most memorized book on earth.
The Qur’an clearly describes itself as easy to remember for those who seek to remember it.
“And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”
(Qur’an 54:17)
This repeated verse in the same surah shows that one of the special qualities of the Qur’an is its memorability. Its style, rhythm, and structure are all part of Allah’s plan to make it easy to learn and preserve.
The continuous chain of memorization from the Prophet ﷺ, to the companions, to every generation of ḥuffāẓ until today, together with accurate written copies, is a central part of how Allah has fulfilled His promise: “Indeed, We will surely preserve it” (Qur’an 15:9).
Writing as Support to the Living Recitation
The written Qur’an in the Prophet’s time functioned as a strong support to the living recitation. Scribes recorded every revealed verse, the Prophet ﷺ supervised their writing and placement, and companions used these written portions along with their memorization.
Writing gave a fixed reference that could be returned to. Memorization ensured that the Qur’an was never dependent on physical materials that could be lost or damaged. Together, they formed two powerful and balanced methods of preservation.
Later, the gathering of these writings into a single copy and the standardization during the caliphate of ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه, which is discussed in its own chapter, was built on this foundation of memorization and early writing that began in the time of the Prophet ﷺ.
In this way, from the very first verse to our present day, the Qur’an has been preserved in the most complete way, in hearts by memorization and on pages by writing, both guided and protected by Allah.