The word Quran is from, which is meant to be read, as the Holy Quran is the only book that is read the most in the world, so it is called Quran. The Holy Quran is the last book of Allah, which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad(s), the Messenger of Allah. It is the message of Allah Almighty revealed through the angel Hazrat Jibrael . The Holy Quran was revealed gradually by Allah over a period of twenty-three (23) years according to circumstances and needs. The Holy Quran will remain the source of guidance for all the ages and all races of humans till the Day of Judgement. It is the miracle of the Holy Quran that the reciter does not suffer from boredom, but finds new pleasure and satisfaction every moment.
i. The Safest Book
The proof of the authenticity of the Holy Quran is that every letter of it is preserved despite the passage of fourteen centuries. Like the words of the Holy Quran, the information described in it is also a proof of the miracles of the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran is the only book in the world which is preserved till today in the same way it was revealed. The Holy Quran is a source of guidance and learning for humans until the Day of Judgment, so Allah Almighty took responsibility for its protection and said:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكَرَوَإِنَّالَهُ لَحفِظُونَ
Translation:
"Indeed it is We Who have revealed it and it is indeed We Who are its guardians." (Surah Al-Hijr: 9)
iii. Universality of the Holy Quran
The Holy Quran is the last and universal book of Almighty Allah just as the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (sas) is the last prophet of Allah and his prophethood is for the whole universe. In the same way, the book that was revealed to him is also the source of growth and guidance for all mankind. The Holy Quran is not a guide for any particular nation or time, but for all mankind until the Day of Resurrection.
iv. Gathering and Compilation of the Quran during the Prophethood
Most of the companions of the Holy Prophet (s) memorized the Holy Quran verbally in the life of the Holy Prophet (su). Immediately after the revelation of the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet (s) used to make a special arrangement for inscription of the Quranic verses. The Holy Quran was completely written in his lifetime. In the era of Prophethood itself, the Holy Quran was generally written on stone slabs, leather pieces, palm bark and camel's shoulder, which were specially prepared for such writings. In this way, the Holy Quran was not only memorized but also put down into written form in different locations in the life of the Holy Prophet
v. Compilation and Editing of the Holy Quran during the time of the Companions
Even though the Holy Quran was available in full book form during the life of the Holy ),but the publication and distribution of the Holy Quran under the patronage of the government had not started. The need to collect the Holy Quran under government patronage was felt during the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq when hundreds of the hufaaz of the Holy Quran were martyred in the battle of Yamama. With the help of Allah, the Muslims were victorious in this war. However, at that time, it was felt that if the hufaaz continued to be martyred in the same way in the future, it was feared that any part of the Holy Quran would be lost. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq started the compilation and editing of the Holy Quran with the advice of Hazrat Umar Farooq and other esteemed companions was chosen by Hazrat Abu Bakr reciter of the Quran, Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit to complete this great work.
Hazrat Zaid Bin Thabit used to pen down the Holy Quran during the period of Prophethood. The committee headed by Hazrat Zaid Bin Thabit , continuously and with great effort, compiled the Quran in the form of a Mushaf. This copy of the Holy Quran was in the possession of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique, which was transferred to Hazrat Umar Farooq after his death, and after the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar Farooq, it came under the custody of Umm al-Momineen Hazrat Hafsa . During the caliphate of Hazrat Usman , when there was a dispute over the recitation of the Holy Quran in different readings and accents, he prepared copies of that Holy Quran kept by Umm al-Momineen Hazrat Hafsa (JAN) and sent them to different provinces and Muslims were united on one recitation.
