How did Muhammad’s revelations become the Qur’an?

According to Islamic tradition, the Qur'an consists of revelations received by Muhammad in separate passages, often as isolated verses or groups of verses, throughout his prophetic career. These revelations were frequently delivered as auditions, with the archangel Gabriel conveying the divine message.12

During Muhammad’s lifetime, these proclamations were preserved in the memories of his followers and recorded on various materials, such as palm branches and stones. Following the Prophet's death, concerns arose that knowledge of the revelations might be lost after many who had memorized them were killed in battle. Consequently, a complete written collection was initiated. A companion of the Prophet, Zayd ibn Thabit, compiled these proclamations onto parchment.1

To ensure consistency and prevent divergences in recitation, the third caliph, Uthman, ordered that copies of this collection be distributed throughout the Islamic realm and that alternative versions be destroyed. This standardized text, known as the rasm, is widely considered by scholars to have been established by approximately 650 CE.1