When Was the Quran Written? Timeline of Revelation, Writing & Compilation

Focus keyword: When was the Quran writtenWhen people ask “When was the Quran written?” they can mean two slightly different things:

When was it revealed? (from a religious, Islamic perspective)
When was it written down and compiled? (from a historical or textual perspective)

This article explains both perspectives clearly and respectfully, giving you a simple timeline of how the Quran went from revelation to written book.

1. Short Answer: When Was the Quran Written?

Stage	Approximate Date (CE)	What Happened?
Revelation period	610–632	Muslims believe the Quran was revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad over about 23 years, starting in Mecca and continuing in Medina.
During the Prophet’s lifetime	610–632	Verses were memorized widely and written down in parts on various materials, but were not yet one bound volume.
First collection	c. 632–634	Under the first caliph Abu Bakr, the Quran was collected into a single manuscript from written pieces and memorizers.
Standardized written text	c. 650	Under the third caliph Uthman ibn Affan, a standardized written version (codex) was produced and sent to major Muslim regions.

So, in short: the Quran was revealed between 610–632 CE, and it was fully compiled and standardized in written form within about 20 years of the Prophet’s death.

2. Islamic Perspective: The Quran Was Revealed, Not “Authored”

According to Islam, the Quran is not a book that any human sat down to write. Instead, Muslims believe:

God (Allah) is the author of the Quran.
The Quran is the literal word of God, not human ideas about God.
It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel (Jibreel).
The Prophet recited the revelations to his followers (companions), who memorized and wrote them down.

From this perspective, asking “When was the Quran written?” is really asking: When was the Quran revealed and then preserved in writing?

3. Revelation Timeline: 610–632 CE

Muslim tradition gives a clear timeline for when the Quran’s revelation started and ended.

Period	Location	Key Features of Revelation
First revelation (around 610 CE)	Cave of Hira, near Mecca	Prophet Muhammad receives the first verses (traditionally from Surah al-‘Alaq) and is commissioned as a Prophet.
Meccan period (610–622 CE)	Mecca	Revelations focus on God’s oneness, the afterlife, moral teachings, and comforting the small early Muslim community.
Medinan period (622–632 CE)	Medina	Revelations include laws, ethics of war and peace, social rules, family law, and community organization.
End of revelation (632 CE)	Medina	With the Prophet’s passing, Muslims believe the Quranic revelation is complete and final.

During these years, the Quran existed primarily as a living, recited text—on the tongues and in the hearts of the believers—while also being written in fragments.

4. How Was the Quran Written During the Prophet’s Lifetime?

The Prophet Muhammad himself is described in Islamic sources as unlettered (not a writer in the usual sense), but he had several companions who served as scribes of revelation.

When verses were revealed, he would recite them to his companions.
Some companions would memorize the verses immediately.
Others would write them down on:
- Parchment or leather
- Flat stones
- Shoulder blades / bone fragments
- Palm leaves

The Prophet is said to have given instructions on:

Where each new verse belongs (which chapter/surah)
Order of verses within chapters

By the time he passed away in 632 CE:

The entire Quran had been revealed.
Many companions had memorized all or most of it.
All of it existed in written pieces, but not yet as one bound book.

5. When Was the Quran First Compiled as a Book?

5.1 First Collection Under Caliph Abu Bakr (c. 632–634 CE)

After the Prophet’s death, early Muslims faced battles where many Quran memorizers were killed. To preserve the text, the first caliph Abu Bakr—on the advice of companions—ordered a formal collection.

Zayd ibn Thabit, a key scribe, was tasked with collecting the Quran from:
- Written fragments
- People’s memories
He reportedly required strong evidence (both written and memorized) before accepting verses into the main collection.
This early compiled manuscript was kept with:
- Abu Bakr
- Then the second caliph, Umar
- Then Umar’s daughter, Hafsa (who was also one of the Prophet’s wives).

5.2 Standardization Under Caliph Uthman (Around 650 CE)

As Islam spread to new regions, differences in dialect and recitation style began to appear. To prevent confusion or dispute, the third caliph Uthman ibn Affan ordered a standardized written version.

A small committee, again including Zayd ibn Thabit, prepared a standard codex using Hafsa’s manuscript and other sources.
Multiple copies of this standard text (muṣḥaf) were produced and sent to major centers of the Muslim world.
Other unofficial written copies were reportedly set aside or destroyed to avoid conflicting versions.

Leader	Approx. Date (CE)	Role in the Quran’s Written History
Prophet Muhammad	610–632	Receives revelation and recites the Quran; companions memorize and write it in parts.
Abu Bakr (1st Caliph)	632–634	Orders first collection into a single manuscript after many memorizers are killed in battle.
Umar (2nd Caliph)	634–644	Preserves the collected manuscript; after his death, it is kept by his daughter Hafsa.
Uthman (3rd Caliph)	644–656	Standardizes the consonantal text, sends official copies to key cities, and unifies the written Quran.

This Uthmanic codex is the basis of all printed Qurans used in the world today, although there are recognized canonical recitation styles (qirā’āt) that exist within this framework.

6. Summary: Full Timeline of When the Quran Was Written

Event	Date (Approx.)	What It Means for “When the Quran Was Written”
Beginning of revelation	610 CE	The Quran begins to be revealed and recited; first verses appear.
End of revelation	632 CE	The entire Quran has been revealed, memorized, and written in parts, but not as one book.
First compiled manuscript	c. 632–634 CE	Abu Bakr orders one collected manuscript based on all sources (memorizers and written pieces).
Standardization of the text	c. 650 CE	Uthman produces standardized copies and sends them across the Muslim world; this becomes the reference text.

So if someone asks “When was the Quran written?”, a concise but accurate answer is:

The Quran was revealed between 610 and 632 CE, and it was fully collected and standardized in written form by around 650 CE under the early caliphs of Islam.

7. FAQ: Common Questions About When the Quran Was Written

7.1 Was the Quran written during Prophet Muhammad’s life?

Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that it was written down in pieces and widely memorized during his life. No, in the sense that the Quran was not yet compiled as a single book in the way we have today.

7.2 Who actually wrote the Quran down?

Muslims believe the Quran’s author is God, not any human. However, human scribes wrote it down. Companions like Zayd ibn Thabit and others served as scribes and later as compilers, while numerous companions memorized the entire text.

7.3 Is the Quran considered fully preserved?

In Islamic theology, yes. Muslims believe that the Quran we have today is the same text revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, preserved through memorization, writing, and early standardization.

7.4 What do historians say about when the Quran was written?

Most historians agree that the Quran is a 7th-century text connected to the Prophet Muhammad and the early Muslim community, and that its written form was stabilized by the mid-7th century (around 650 CE). Academic debates focus on details of how exactly the text was transmitted and standardized, but they generally place the Quran’s written consolidation very close in time to the events it describes compared to many other ancient scriptures.

8. Conclusion: Understanding “When Was the Quran Written”

To answer “When was the Quran written?” accurately, it helps to separate:

Revelation: 610–632 CE — Muslims believe the Quran was revealed by God to Muhammad in this period.
Early writing and memorization: 7th century — Companions memorized and wrote the Quran during and soon after the Prophet’s life.
Compilation and standardization: 632–650 CE — The first caliphs collected and unified the text into the form used worldwide today.

This way you can give a short, clear, and historically grounded answer, while also respecting what Muslims themselves believe about their holy book.⬆ Back to top