In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

The Holy Qur'an Al-Kareem

The words and sentences which were revealed from God to The Holy Prophet
Mohammad(pbuh) during his Prophethood are known as the Qur'an.

The Holy Qur'an was existing during the life time of The Holy Prophet(pbuh) in the
form of an arranged book as approved by The Holy Prophet himself, from the saying
of The Holy Prophet that:

"Gabriel would place before me, the Qur'an for review once a year but this year
he did it twice which indicates that the time of my departure is close at hand."

It is quite evident that the Divine Author and The Holy Prophet(pbuh) both have
guarded the Qur'an so much that no adulteration of any kind whatsoever shall take
place thereafter by any profane hand, and that the Qur'an recived its complete
arrangement and order not later than about three months before the departure of The
Holy Prophet(pbuh)

It is with reference to this revealed book which existed in the complete form, with in
the reach of the people that The Holy Prophet(pbuh) addressing his followers
declared:

"I leave amongst you Two Great Things, The Book of God and my Ahlu Bayt."

And it was with reference to the complete Book of God, in the hand of the Muslims at
the time of the departure of The Holy Prophet(pbuh) that Umar, the second Calipha
dared to reply against the demand from The Holy Prophet(pbuh) for paper and ink,

"Hasbuna Ketabu-Allah!" (Sufficient is for us The Book of God)

This clearly and doubtlessly proves that a version of the Qur'an, in its complete and
duly arranged form, was existing among the people, within the reach of the common
man, as were the Ahlu Bayt(as) who were left by The Holy Prophet(pbuh) with The
Qur'an, as otherwise all these references to the Book of God become meaningless.

The Muslims were attracted to The Holy Qur'an as the word of God, from the time of
its revelation to The Holy Prophet(pbuh) and its recreation to the people The Holy
Qur'an itself from the time of its revelation encouraged the people in various ways to
learn, read, recite and to memorise it and to ponder over every word of it and to
mindfully listen to it is recited

When One recites The Qur'an, One should first get ready to read The Book by
disassociating One's self from anything and everything which would cause the least
diversion of tought or the distraction of attention.
"And when the Qur'an is recited, give ear to it and pay heed, that ye may obtain
mercy."

Qur'an: 7 verse: 204, and it also says,

"And when thou recitest the Qur'an seek refuge in Allah from Satan the
outcast."

Qur'an: 16 verse: 98

In short the student of the Holy Qur'an will then realise the amount of importance and
care which has been attached to the Holy Qur'an by its Author; and as a natural
consequenceof it. The Muslim, who rightly believe that Allah(swt) is The Author of
Qur'an, and pays the utmost devotion to the Holy Book and cairied out the
commandments as required of them.

They learn, and even encourage their children learn to recite it off by heart and put it
glorious wise words into writing.

The Holy Qur'an was current, in use during the lifetime of The Holy Prophet(pbuh)
amongest the Muslims in the whole of the Muslim World with a vehement desire on
the part of both the men and the women believers and even of their children, who
were anxious to own it by all means possible, in writing it and mostly by learning off
by heart.

There were also the chosen scholars among the early Muslims whom The Holy
Prophet(pbuh) had entrusted with the duty of the recording The Qur'an as it was
revealed and recited by him then, and there the foremost of them was Ali Ibin Abe
Taleb(as) and besides him were Jafar Ibin Abe Taleb, Abdullah Ibin Masoud, Mas'ab
Ibin Umair, Ubayy Ibin Kaab'b, Ma'az Ibin Jabal, Salim Mawla Hozaif and many
others.

These people used to record the Qur'an in writing under the direct command and the
personal supervision of The Holy Prophet(pbuh), in his very presence, then and there
as it was revealed, putting each part of it in its relevant place as commanded by The
Holy Prophet(pbuh), and recite their writen manuscripts back to Him then and there at
that moment earn His approval. These scribes were considered to be in charge and had
the responsibility of teaching the Qur'an to the others.

They were considered as the masters and the teachers of the Holy Qur'an, from whom
the Muslims directly or indirectly learnt the Qur'an during the life time of The Holy
Prophet(pbuh) and thereafter.

These people and thousands of the prominent Sahabah (Cormpanions) who were
interested in learning the Holy Qur'an and its commentary and their disciples like
Abdullah Ibin Abbas and the others, all lived through out the intermediary period
between the departure of The Holy Prophet(pbuh) from this world and the award of
the official assent by the third Caliph Uthman to the present version and taught the
Muslims throughout the length and breadeth of the then fast expanding Muslim
Empire.
And the people of the various racesy creeds and different shades of opinion had learnt
The Holy Book off by heart and taken it down in writing for their own use. It is
enough to estimate the popularity of the Qur'an among the Muslims, that in one single
battle of 'Yamamah', which took place only about six months after the death of The
Holy Prophet(pbuh), seven hundred, 'Huffaz' (those who learnt the Koran off by heart)
were killed in a single day's fighting.

Also it has been declared by The Holy Prophet(pbuh) and his cousin Imam Ali(as) and
the Succeeding Eleven Imams(as) of the Holy Household(as) that any narration
attributing any utterance action or endorsement to them, which disagrees with The
Holy Qur'an is to be considered as spurious and be rejected.

It meant that The Qur'an, as the standard and the criterion for the verification of
falsehood and truth in other statments and narrations, did exist within the reach of the
public throughout the ages down to 260 AH.

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