CH:4 - SCRIBES OF THE DIVINE REVELATION

Tasks performed by the Prophet’s scribes during his lifetime

2022 – May June – 11

Q5 (a) Write about the various tasks performed by some of the Prophet’s Companions as his Scribes. [10]
(b) What are the benefits of the Qur’an being available to everyone on the internet? [4]
2017 – May June – 12
Q5 (a) Outline the tasks performed by the Prophet’s scribes during his lifetime. [10]
(b) The scribes had the Prophet as a source of information. How useful is the internet as a source of
information about Islam? [4]
2014 – May June – 11
Q5 (a) Write briefly about the tasks carried out by the Scribes of the revelation at the time of the Prophet
[10]
(b) Explain the importance of the principles employed by the compilers of the Qur’an at the time of the
Caliphs. [4]
PARAGRAPH 1 – (INTRODUCTION)

The revelation started in the year 620 AD in the month of Ramadhan through Jibreel (AS) on Prophet
(SAW). He was 40 years old at that time. He was unlettered so he instructed his companions to write down
the revelation when he received it. And they say, "Legends of the former peoples which he has written
down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." (ref – Al-Furqan 25:5) The scribes of
the divine revelation were the people who were instructed by Prophet (SAW) to write down the Quran. They
also wrote down treaties, letters & response to the letters. Allah has called them just, pious & honorable
in the Quran. ‘In Records held in honor. Exalted, purified. In the hands of ambassadors. Honorable
and obedient.’ (Abasa 18: 13-16). Quran was written in its entirety during the Prophet’s time even though
it was not compiled in book form – the scribes wrote down the verses on number of materials like
parchments, bone, dried leaves, animal skin etc. The complete Quran was revealed in the span of 23 years.

PARAGRAPH 2 – (Names of Makkan and Madinan scribes – various tasks performed by them)

Prophet (SAW) had about team of 40 scribes. Most important scribes of Prophet (SAW) were Abu Bakr
(RA), Umar bin Khattab (RA), Uthman bin Affan (RA), Ali bin Abi Talib (RA), Abdullah bin Masud &
Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan and all these were from Makkah. From Madinah the prominent scribes were
Zaid ibn Thabit, Muadh ibn Jabal & Ubbay ibn Ka’ab and some others. Some were official scribes who
wrote down letters and responded to the letters for Prophet (SAW) like Ubbay ibn Ka’b & Abdullah ibn
Masud. Ali (RA) was an important scribe and wrote treaties for the Prophet and he was the scribe of treaty
of Hudaybiyah. Zayd ibn Thabit was told by Prophet (SAW) to learn how to write Hebrew & Syriac to
appoint him as an interpreter & also to write treaties when dealing with non-Arabs. Some became scribes
as they kept their own personal copies of the revelation for example Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al’Aas. He once
sought Prophet (SAW)’s specific permission asking, ‘May I write down everything I hear from you in
the states of contentment and anger?’ He replied, ‘Yes, for I speak nothing but the truth.’ The
scribes also knew the circumstances of revelations for example Abdullah ibn Masud (RA) said: ‘By Him
besides whom there is no god, no verse of the Book has been revealed without my knowing where
it was revealed and the circumstances of its revelation.’

PARAGRAPH 3 (Methodology & sequence)

Prophet (SAW) had the revelation imprinted on his heart after receiving it and then he dictated it to his
companions. The revelation could be revealed at any time so he always used to have one scribe near him
to write down the revealed text. To ensure the authenticity of what they have written, the scribes used to
read it back to Prophet (SAW) so he used to correct if there were any errors. Also those companions who
had their personal copies read it to Prophet (SAW) to ensure its purity from errors and these texts were
later used to verify the one copy complied in the time of Abu Bakr. Some companions, who did not write
down the revelations, had memorized them instead and their versions were used to verify the written copies
after the Prophet’s death. The Prophet used to instruct the scribes about the sequence in which a
revealed verses were to be placed in a particular Sura (chapter). In this manner, the Prophet arranged the

Compiled by: Ms Ayesha Saulat 2023

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text of the Qur’an in a systematic order till the end of the chain of revelations. Zayd ibn Thabit reported,
“We used to compile the Qur’an from small manuscripts in the presence of the Messenger of God”.
PARAGRAPH 4 ( Zayd’s methodology – conclusion)

Zayd bin Thabit who was the neighbor of Prophet (SAW) and also the chief of scribes relates the
methodology: "I used to write down the revelation for the Prophet (SAW). When the revelation came
to him he felt intense heat and drops of perspiration used to roll down his body like pearls. When
this state was over I used to fetch a shoulder bone or a piece of something else. He used to go on
dictating and I used to write it down. When I finished writing the sheer weight of transcription
gave me the feeling that my leg would break and I would not be able to walk anymore. When I
finished writing, he would say, 'Read!' and I would read it back to him. If there was an omission
or error he used to correct it and then let it be brought before the people." This whole systematic
method shows the utmost care taken in preserving the verses of the Quran. The Prophet (SAW) also used
to instruct about the shape of the letters & even the cut of the pen point. The Quran in its present form is
the reflection of the devotion and diligence of these scribes.

Compiled by: Ms Ayesha Saulat 2023

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