Page 186 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

166 THE HISTORY OF THE QUR'ANIC TEXT

author's name. How can such mischievous doings be prevented? In seeking
an answer Muslims devised a working solution long ago, developing a
watertight systemwhich they employed faithfullyfor eight or nine centuries;
only with the weakening of Islam's political arena was this procedure dis-
continued and neglected. Examining this system entails entering the very
heart of how Islamic knowledge was taught and learned.

1. The Hungerfor Information

Before the advent of Islam, sources do not record the existence of any
Arabic books in the Peninsula. The first book in Arabic was in fact the
Qjir'an, its first revealed word being iqra' (\~!: read). With these syllables
the pursuit of knowledge became an obligation: to memorise at least a
few suras by heart, regardless of whether one was Arab or otherwise, so
that the daily prayers could be performed. Upon reaching Madinah the
Prophet hastened to accommodate this need, arranging for schools" and
ordering that anyone with even a minimal amount of knowledge (Js.I.,.-L
....T)J) should pass it on to others. The sixty scribes who worked for him
are a tribute to this burgeoning literacy"
During the time of the Caliphs, and especially the first three till 35
A.H., Madinah served as the religious,military,economic and administrative
centre of the Islamicnation, castingitsinfluencefrom Afghanistan to Tunisia,
and from southern Turkey to Yemen,Muscat, and Egypt. Extensive archives
dealing with these facets of government were established, categorised and
stored during 'Uthman's reign in a Bayt al-Qgriifis (~I.;JI y: archive
house).' Administrative lessons, religious rulings, political and military
strategies, and all of the Prophet's traditions, were passed on to subsequent
generations through a unique system,"

3 For details see M.M. al-A'zami, Studies in Early Hadith Literature, pp.183-199; al-
A'zami, Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, American Trust Publication,
Indianapolis, 1977, pp. 9-31
4 See M.M. al-A'zami, Kuttab an-Nabi, 3rd edition, Riyad, 1401 (1981). This is a
detailed study of the scribes of the Prophet Muhammad.
5 Al-Baladhun, Ansib al-Ashriif, i:22. It appears to have been next to Caliph
'Uthman's house, where Marwan hid himself when the Caliph was assassinated.
6 See for example, Letters of the Second Caliph 'Umar, 'Abdur-Razzaq a~­
San'anl, Musanncf, for example: vol 1, pp. 206-291, 295-6, 535, 537; vol 7, pp. 94,
151,175,178,187,210, ... etc. For further detail see al-A'zami, "Nash'at al-Kitaba
al-Fiqhiyya", Dirasat, ii/2:13-24.