How was the Quran compiled into the single text used today?

The Quran was revealed orally over twenty-three years and was memorized by many companions and recorded on various materials, including parchment, palm leaves, flat stones, and bone, during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime, though it had not yet been gathered into one bound volume. After the Battle of Yamamah in 633 CE, in which a significant number of Quran memorizers (huffaz) were killed, Umar ibn al-Khattab grew concerned about the risk of losing the text and urged Caliph Abu Bakr to authorize a formal compilation. Abu Bakr commissioned Zayd ibn Thabit, the Prophet's ﷺ former scribe, to collect the verses into a single authoritative manuscript, cross-checking written fragments against the memorized recitations of multiple companions. This manuscript passed from Abu Bakr to Umar and then to Umar's daughter Hafsah. As Islam spread rapidly under the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, regional differences in recitation began causing disputes among Muslims from different provinces. Around 650 CE, Uthman had Zayd ibn Thabit lead a committee to produce standardized copies based on Hafsah's manuscript, which were sent to major cities while divergent copies were withdrawn. This Uthmanic recension remains the basis of the Quran read worldwide today.

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