- Hazrat Ali
- Hazrat Umar
- Hazrat Usman
- Hazrat Abu Bakar
The first complete compilation of the Quran into a single, unified book form was undertaken on the orders of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (r. 632-634 CE), and was physically carried out by Zayd ibn Thabit (r.a.), the primary scribe of the Revelation.
This critical initiative began after the Battle of Yamamah (633 CE), where a significant number of Muslims who had memorized the Quran (huffaz) were martyred. Fearing the potential loss of the divine text, Caliph Abu Bakr, urged by `Umar ibn al-Khattab (r.a.), commissioned the project. Zayd ibn Thabit, who had personally recorded verses under the direct guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was tasked with the immense responsibility. He did not rely solely on his own memory or written fragments but meticulously collected and cross-verified verses from a wide range of sources—including written fragments on parchment, stone tablets, and palm leaves—and, crucially, from the memories of surviving huffaz. This process resulted in a single, authoritative master copy, known as the Suhuf (pages), which was entrusted to the custody of the Caliph.
It is important to distinguish this initial compilation from the later official standardization. The Suhuf of Abu Bakr remained with him and then his successor, Umar, and later his daughter, Hafsa. During the caliphate ofUthman ibn Affan (r.a. 644-656 CE), due to divergences in recitation in newly conquered lands, this original manuscript was retrieved from Hafsa to serve as the basis for producing standardized copies, which were then distributed to major Muslim centers. Thus, while Abu Bakr oversaw the first complete compilation into one volume, `Uthman was responsible for its canonical standardization and mass distribution.