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.
The Compilation of the Qur'an Under 'Uthman
This narration from Mishkat al-Masabih 2221 details the critical moment when Hudhaifa ibn al-Yaman expressed concern about differing Qur'anic recitations among Muslims during military expeditions. Fearing division similar to that which occurred among Jews and Christians regarding their scriptures, he urged Caliph 'Uthman to take decisive action.
The Standardization Process
'Uthman obtained the original compilation from Hafsa, daughter of 'Umar, which was preserved after Abu Bakr's initial collection. He appointed a committee of four distinguished scribes: Zaid ibn Thabit (the original compiler), 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubair, Sa'id ibn al-'As, and 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham.
A crucial directive was given: when disagreements arose in dialect or wording, the committee was to follow the Qurayshi dialect, as the Qur'an was primarily revealed in the language of the Prophet's tribe. This ensured linguistic consistency and preserved the authentic revelation.
Preservation and Distribution
After completing the standardized copies, 'Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa and distributed the new copies to major Islamic centers. He ordered the destruction of all variant copies to eliminate confusion and maintain textual unity across the Muslim community.
Divine Protection of the Text
The incident where Zaid ibn Thabit initially missed a verse (33:23) demonstrates the meticulous verification process. Only when confirmed through multiple memorizers and written fragments was the verse included. This shows the dual protection of the Qur'an through both written compilation and oral transmission (hifz).
Scholarly Significance
This event established the 'Uthmani mus'haf as the standard text, preserving the Qur'an exactly as revealed to Prophet Muhammad. The careful methodology ensured the ummah would remain united upon a single, authentic text, fulfilling God's promise to protect His final revelation.