Who wrote the Quran according to Islam?

According to Islamic belief, no human wrote the Quran. Muslims believe that the Quran is the literal word of God (Allah), revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel over about 23 years. Muhammad then recited these revelations to his followers, who memorized and wrote them down.

Who compiled the Quran into a book?

Early Muslims believe the Quran was compiled into a single collection first during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, shortly after the Prophet Muhammad's death, and later standardized into a single official text during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan. The companion Zayd ibn Thabit is often mentioned as a leading scribe in this process.

What do modern scholars say about who wrote the Quran?

Modern academic scholars study the Quran historically and linguistically. Their views vary: some accept the traditional picture of a 7th-century Arabian origin, with Muhammad as the central transmitter of the text, while others discuss complex processes of composition, editing, and canonization. These academic views differ from confessional Islamic theology and are often debated.

Who Wrote the Quran? History, Beliefs, and Compilation Explained

Q: Did Prophet Muhammad write the Quran?

In Islamic belief, the Prophet Muhammad did not author the Quran. He is seen as the messenger who received and recited God's words, not their writer or originator. Historically, scribes such as Zayd ibn Thabit and other companions wrote the revelations down on various materials and in written collections.

Short answer: According to Islamic belief, no human being wrote the Quran. Muslims believe the Quran is the literal word of God (Allah), revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the Angel Gabriel. The Prophet then recited these verses to his followers, who memorized them and wrote them down. After his death, these revelations were collected and compiled into the book we now call the Quran.

This article explains, in a balanced and SEO-friendly way:

Who “wrote” the Quran according to Islamic belief
How the Quran was revealed, memorized, and written down
The role of early caliphs like Abu Bakr and Uthman
How this differs from modern academic / historical views

1. The Core Islamic Belief: Who Wrote the Quran?

In Islam, the Quran is not seen as a book that a person “sat down and wrote.” Instead, the belief is that the Quran is:

The eternal word of God (Allah)
Revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over about 23 years (610–632 CE)
Delivered by the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel)
Recited by the Prophet to his companions
Memorized and written by many of those companions

Aspect	Islamic View
Author	Allah (God) – not a human author.
Messenger	Prophet Muhammad ﷺ – receives and recites, not “writer” in the modern sense.
Medium	Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) brings revelation from God to Muhammad.
First audience	The Prophet’s companions in 7th-century Arabia, who memorize and write verses.
Final form	Collected and standardized text during the early caliphates (Abu Bakr, Uthman).

So when a Muslim is asked, “Who wrote the Quran?”, the religious answer is usually:

“God revealed the Quran; the Prophet Muhammad delivered it; his companions preserved and compiled it.”

2. How the Quran Was Revealed: A Simple Timeline

From an Islamic historical perspective, the Quran came in stages, not all at once.

Period	What Happened?
610 CE	First revelation in the cave of Hira near Mecca (Surah al-Alaq 96:1–5, according to Islamic tradition).
610–622 CE (Meccan period)	Revelations focus on monotheism, ethics, afterlife, and early community building.
622–632 CE (Medinan period)	Revelations include law, social rules, warfare ethics, and community life in Medina.
632 CE	Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passes away. Muslims believe revelation is now complete.

During this time, verses were:

Memorized by many companions (ḥuffāẓ)
Written on palm leaves, bones, leather, and other materials
Recited regularly in prayers and gatherings, reinforcing memory

3. Who Compiled the Quran? Abu Bakr, Uthman, and the Early Scribes

While Muslims believe the source of the Quran is God, the physical compilation into a single book took place after the Prophet’s death, under the leadership of the early caliphs.

3.1 First Collection under Abu Bakr

According to traditional Islamic sources:

After battles in which many memorizers of the Quran were killed, the caliph Abu Bakr was advised to collect the Quran into one manuscript.
The companion and scribe Zayd ibn Thabit was tasked with collecting written pieces and verifying them against living memorizers.
This collection was kept with Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Hafsa (a wife of the Prophet).

3.2 Standardization under Uthman

Later, during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, variations in recitation and dialect among different regions became a concern. Uthman is traditionally said to have:

Commissioned a small committee (again including Zayd ibn Thabit) to produce a standard written copy.
Sent these standard codices (muṣḥaf) to major cities of the Muslim world.
Asked that other personal copies and partial collections be set aside or destroyed to avoid confusion.

Caliph	Role in the Quran’s Compilation
Abu Bakr	Oversaw the first collection of Quranic material into one manuscript after the Prophet’s death.
Umar	Supported and preserved the collection, later passed to his daughter Hafsa.
Uthman	Standardized the text, produced official copies, and unified the written form to avoid disputes.
Zayd ibn Thabit & other scribes	Acted as scribes and compilers, carefully writing, verifying, and comparing sources.

4. Islamic Belief vs. Academic Scholarship: Different Perspectives

It’s important to distinguish between:

Faith-based (theological) explanations from within Islam
Historical-critical / academic explanations from modern scholarship

Question	Islamic Theological View	Academic / Historical View (Varies)
Who is the author?	Allah (God) – the Quran is divine revelation.	Some see the text as emerging from the preaching of Muhammad in 7th-century Arabia; others debate more complex origins.
Role of Muhammad	Messenger and final Prophet; he recites what is revealed, not a human author.	Viewed as a religious leader and likely primary human transmitter, though details are debated.
Compilation	Collected faithfully by companions; standardized under Uthman without changing divine content.	Studied as a process of collection, editing, and canonization over time; scholars analyze manuscripts, styles, and history.
Reliability	Considered perfectly preserved word of God.	Evaluated using methods from history, philology, and textual criticism.

For believers, the central point is revelation and preservation. For scholars, the focus is often how the text took its written form in history. Both conversations exist side by side, but they answer slightly different questions.

5. FAQ: Common Questions About Who Wrote the Quran

5.1 Did Prophet Muhammad write the Quran?

According to Islam: No. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the recipient and messenger of the Quran, not its human author. Muslims believe he conveyed God’s words exactly as received.

5.2 Was the Quran written during the Prophet’s lifetime?

Yes, but not as one bound book. Verses were:

Memorized widely
Written down on various materials
Arranged and recited under the Prophet’s guidance

The later caliphs then collected these writings and memories into a single, standardized manuscript.

5.3 Who physically wrote the Quran down?

Several scribes from among the Prophet’s companions wrote revelations as they were recited. Famous names include Zayd ibn Thabit, along with others who served as writers of revelation. They did not “compose” the text, but recorded what the Prophet recited.

5.4 Is there only one version of the Quran?

In mainstream Islam, there is believed to be one Quran, though there are recognized qirā’āt (canonical modes of recitation) that differ slightly in pronunciation and some minor wording, all accepted within Islamic tradition. The written consonantal text standardized under Uthman is viewed as the common base.

6. Conclusion: So, Who Wrote the Quran?

How you answer “Who wrote the Quran?” depends on your perspective:

For Muslims: The Quran is authored by God, revealed to Muhammad, preserved by his companions, and compiled by early Muslim leaders without human authorship in the usual sense.
For historians: The Quran is a 7th-century Arabian text linked to Muhammad and the early Muslim community, studied through manuscripts, language, and history.

Both views agree that the Quran is deeply connected to Muhammad and early Islam. They differ on whether the ultimate source is divine revelation or a human religious movement.

If you’re writing for a general audience, it’s usually best to:

State clearly what Muslims believe
Mention that academic perspectives exist and often differ
Be respectful toward religious sensitivities while being honest about history and scholarship

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Category: Religion / History / Islam Tags: #Quran #Islam #IslamicHistory #WhoWroteTheQuran