Write about the ways in which the Qur'an was compiled and preserved after the Prophet's death.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. During the time of the Prophet (pbuh) the Qur'an was written on pieces of animal skin and on parts of bone but mainly was memorised by the Companions.
2. During Abu Bakr's caliphate, many Companions who had memorised the Qur'an died at the Battle of Yamama. 'Umar, worried that the words of the Qur'an would be lost due to Companions dying of old age/in battle, suggested to Abu Bakr that the Qur'an should be compiled into one book.
3. Abu Bakr hesitated, saying he could not do something the Prophet (pbuh) had not done; he eventually agreed and called Zayd ibn Thabit to collect all the verses that had been written. Zayd was also reluctant initially and he compared the task to carrying a mountain on his shoulders.
4. A proclamation was made in the mosque and all manuscripts were collected. Zayd used to test each verse against his own memory and that of others including 'Umar. Only those verses were included which were testified by at least two witnesses confirming that they were written in the presence of the Prophet (pbuh). Zayd was a hafiz himself, yet he only included a verse into the master copy once he had verified its authenticity. 'Umar was part of the process.
5. The verses were written in the order that the Prophet (pbuh) had given, but the Suras were written on separate sheets; this copy was verified by the committee and was kept with Abu Bakr during his lifetime, after which it passed to 'Umar, and then to 'Umar's daughter Hafsa.
6. During 'Uthman's time as caliph, Islam had spread to other areas. Hudhaifa, while on campaign in Armenia and Azerbaijan, reported to 'Uthman that people were reciting the Qur'an in a different dialect in different parts.
7. 'Uthman summoned Zayd and with other Companions they set about compiling one book in the Qurayshi dialect, using the Mushaf of Hafsa. 'Uthman then checked and approved the final version. This new copy was sent around the various provinces of the expanding Muslim world. He ordered for any other copies to be collected and burnt. For this he is known as 'Jami al-Qur'an'.
8. The Qur'an is available in print and online. This is useful in various ways as it is there as a book so that Muslims can read the Qur'anic text and engage with a hard copy in their actual lives rather than having only a virtual copy.
9. As a book it comes in various sizes, and it can be used in homes or carried with a person to read wherever they go. It has also been made available in different languages, and in Braille, making it more accessible to Muslims.
10. Being available online opens up the Qur'an to Muslims in a different way. Again, provided a person has a phone/device, they can access the Qur'an while they are travelling but without the need for carrying a book.
11. Some candidates may address this question in a wider way by commenting on online interpretations of the Qur'an. These online resources mean that Muslims have access to an abundance of information, such as various Qur'an commentaries (tafsir) and different Qur'an recitations. The drawback to this is there are often not enough checks to ensure the accuracy of information, and so 'authentic' sites would have to be used.