Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:Abu Bakr sent for me owing to the large number of casualties in the battle of Al-Yamama, while `Umar was sitting with him. Abu Bakr said (to me), `Umar has come to my and said, 'A great number of Qaris of the Holy Qur'an were killed on the day of the battle of Al-Yamama, and I am afraid that the casualties among the Qaris of the Qur'an may increase on other battle-fields whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost. Therefore I consider it advisable that you (Abu Bakr) should have the Qur'an collected.' I said, 'How dare I do something which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?' `Umar said, By Allah, it is something beneficial.' `Umar kept on pressing me for that till Allah opened my chest for that for which He had opened the chest of `Umar and I had in that matter, the same opinion as `Umar had." Abu Bakr then said to me (Zaid), "You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). So you should search for the fragmentary scripts of the Qur'an and collect it (in one Book)." Zaid further said: By Allah, if Abu Bakr had ordered me to shift a mountain among the mountains from one place to another it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur'an. Then I said (to `Umar and Abu Bakr), "How can you do something which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?" Abu Bakr said, "By Allah, it is something beneficial." Zaid added: So he (Abu Bakr) kept on pressing me for that until Allah opened my chest for that for which He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr and `Umar, and I had in that matter, the same opinion as theirs. So I started compiling the Qur'an by collecting it from the leafless stalks of the date-palm tree and from the pieces of leather and hides and from the stones, and from the chests of men (who had memorized the Qur'an). I found the last verses of Sirat-at-Tauba: ("Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves--' (9.128-129) ) from Khuza`ima or Abi Khuza`ima and I added to it the rest of the Sura. The manuscripts of the Qur'an remained with Abu Bakr till Allah took him unto Him. Then it remained with `Umar till Allah took him unto Him, and then with Hafsa bint `Umar.
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 7191
In-book reference
Book 93, Hadith 53
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 301
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
'Ubayd ibn as-Sabbaq related that Zayd ibn Thabit said, "After the slaughter in the war of Yamama, Abu Bakr sent for me while 'Umar was with him. Abu Bakr said, ''Umar has come to me and said, "Many Qur'an reciters were killed in the Battle of Yamama and I fear that many Qur'an reciters will be killed in other places and so much of the Qur'an will be lost. I think that you should collect the Qur'an together." I asked, "How can I do something which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not do?" 'Umar said, "By Allah, it is better." 'Umar kept at me about it until Allah opened my breast to what He had opened 'Umar's breast. I now think the same as 'Umar.'" Zayd said, "Abu Bakr said, 'You are an intelligent young man and we have no doubts about you. You used to write down the revelation for the Messenger of Allahmay Allah bless him and grant him peace. Therefore you are to search out the Qur'an and collect it." Zayd said, "By Allah, if he had obliged me to move one of the mountains, that would not have been weightier for me than what he commanded to do of collecting the Qur'an. I asked, 'How can the two of you do something which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not do?' Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, it is better.' He continued to keep at me until Allah opened my breast to what Allah had opened the breasts of Abu Bakr and ''Umar and I thought the same as them. So I began to search out the Qur'an and collect it from palm stalks, bits of parchments, smooth stones, and the breasts of men until I found two ayats of Surat at-Tawba: 'A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you...' (9:128) with Khuzayma or Abu Khuzayma. I added it to its sura. The pages remained with Abu Bakr while he was alive until Allah Almighty took him to Him, and after that with Hafsa bint 'Umar.'" Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd said that lakhaf mean khazaf (earthenware).
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 7191
In-book reference
Book 93, Hadith 53
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 301
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih
