The Gathering of the Qur'an into One Volume (Before the Death of
the prophet)
The influence of the Qur'an, which was revealed in separate chapters
and verses, increased day by day. Its eloquence and miraculous clarity
transfixed the Arabs who attached great importance to fine language; they
came from far and wide to hear and learn a few verses from the Prophet.
However, the notables of Mecca and the leaders of Quraysh, who were idolators
and bitter enemies of the Prophet and of Islam, tried to prevent the people
from getting close to the Prophet; they tried to frighten off the Arabs
by telling them the qur'an was magic.
Despite this people came, unknown to friends, family and servants, in
the dark of night to a place near the Prophet's house and listened to the
prophet reading the qur'an.
The efforts of the early Muslims in listening to, memorizing and recording
the Qur'an were stimulated by another motive: they valued the Qur'an as
a sacred document, being the word of God; they were also obliged to read
the chapter "al- Fatihah" and a portion of another part of the Qur'an during
their prayers. It was also the Qur'an through which the Prophet had been
commanded to instruct people in the laws of islam .
This study and devotion to the Qur'an became more ordered and comprehensive
after the Prophet emigrated to Medina and formed an independent Muslim
community. He ordered a considerable number of The companions to recite
the Qur'an and to learn and teach the laws which were being revealed daily.
So important was this activity that, according to special permission granted
by God in chapter "Repentance," verse 122, these scholars were relieved
of their obligation to fight jihad (so called holy war).
Since most of the Prophet's companions, (in particular those who had
emigrated from Mecca to Medina), were unable to read or write, the Prophet
ordered them to learn from the Jewish prisoners-of-war the simple writing
of the time. thus a group of the companions gradually became literate.
Those of this group who engaged in the recitation of the Qur'an, learning
by heart the chapters and verses were called qurra'; it was from amongst
this group that forty (some report seventy) died as martyrs in an accident
called bi'r ma'unah.
The Qur'an was recorded, as it was revealed, on tablets, bones and the
wide flat end of the date palm fronds. There is no doubt that most chapters
were in use amongst early Muslims since they are mentioned in numerous
sayings by both Sunni and Shiiah sources, relating the Prophet's use of
the qur'an as a call to islam, the making of prayer and the manner of recitation.
Similarly, one comes across names of chapters in traditions which describe
the time when the Prophet was still alive, namely the very long chapters
and al-fatihah .