# Why wasn't the Quran compiled as a book in the Prophet's time?

*Why the Quran was not compiled as a book in the Prophet's lifetime*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/19/
- Date: 2021-01-12 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (1:16:57–1:20:42)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=4617s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/

**Topics:** Preservation and variant readings; How to read the Quran

**Question as asked:** When the Prophet passed away, didn't it sound like there was an emphasis during his time to preserve the Quran in writing? Hadiths claim it was a difficult feat. Does the Quran declare itself a revelation for all times? Does the language of the Quran lend itself towards universal use or temporal context?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran was written but not bound as a book in the Prophet's lifetime because it was dynamic, allowing variations that did not change its meaning.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he would feel the Quran was not collected as a book because it was dynamic in nature, allowing substitutable variations that did not change the meaning.

**Evidence, his words at 1:18:51:** “i would say that the fact that the quran wasn't all collected as a book was because the quran was dynamic in its nature that it allowed certain” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=4731s)

## Longer summary

A question asks whether there was an emphasis in the Prophet's time on preserving the Quran in writing, whether the Quran declares itself a revelation for all times, and whether its language lends itself to universal or contextual use. Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran does refer to itself many times, and that in the Prophet's time it was written on hide, bone and stone but not collected as a book. He says the Quran has stood the test of time, and that he would feel it was not collected as a book because it was dynamic, allowing substitutable variations in words or vowels that did not change the revelatory meaning. He says kitab in the Quran means scripture rather than a book, and that when something is locked in, part of its spirit evaporates, referring viewers to a Mind Trap discussion on this.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 12:2 (we sent it down as an Arabic Quran) [?] (reference uncertain; possibly https://quran.com/12/2)
- Quran 4:82 (do they not ponder the Quran) [?] (reference uncertain; possibly https://quran.com/4/82)
- kitab (scripture)

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:16:57–1:20:42)

[1:16:17] in that way so and that i find that a very fascinating hadith that the prophet said you know that revelation stops except in a good in except in dreams or you know whether one wants to see as visions but dreams and it's interesting that tying that in with the unconscious um when the prophet all right right i've got to get this back up um when the prophet saw allah passed away didn't it sound like there was an emphasis during his time to preserve the quran

[1:16:57] in writing hadiths claim it was a difficult feat the quran does speak of itself within itself my question to you does the quran declare itself a revelation for all times does the language of the quran lend itself towards universal use of temporal contextual rami is doing it you know that's a a phd right there [Laughter] that's just you know that's it you're done now there's nothing more to do in life

[1:17:34] i've answered this you see there's just so much there uh i'll take a a stab at it you see yes the quran does refer to itself within itself it speaks about innanza quran and arabian and many you know do they know and do they not ponder over it and many countless references to itself within itself that is true um it was not written down during the prophets time that's true as well it was it was written but

[1:18:12] not as a book form that is true so it was people were writing it on you know on leather on they've whatever they could write on sometimes some people wrote on bones they scraped things on etched into it onto stone um i don't know if they were using i don't think they were using uh papyri at that time but that mainly would have been um the hide of certain animals that would be used as a scroll or you know for writing script so people were writing it

[1:18:51] but it wasn't collected as a as a whole so yeah now the question is why wasn't it collected as a book i would feel that look despite in spite of these questions the quran has stood the test of time you know it is here today and yes now there's a difference of how you look at it i would say that the fact that the quran wasn't all collected as a book was because the quran was dynamic in its nature that it allowed certain

[1:19:31] substitutable variations like certain words or certain vowels or certain things which didn't change the the revelatory meaning and in the prophet's lifetime that was allowed so yes and for it to be 3d and dynamic it couldn't be this written book until now uh that we revealed it

[1:20:02] you know we've revealed it that this book this you see kitab isn't you see because kitab in arabic means book so when the quran says kitab you automatically assume book but there it actually means scripture because it wasn't a book so this scripture we revealed it it's you who place it onto the on paper or write it down because there is this see when you lock something in it's this a part of the spirit evaporates i have a whole mind trap with dr khalil and on this do check it out

[1:20:41] i go into much more detail i hope that helps this up okay i've answered that the homosexuality i have a video on it is on the ruling of homosexuality in islam do watch it i do in that video i do go through the detail it is true there is nothing in the quran that um explicitly prohibits just targets homosexuality explicitly so it it may implicitly

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 1zgHntbMPis/s/19. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/19/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.