An Analytical-Critical Examination of the Views of Sunni Scholars on the Compilation of the Quran

Since the Noble Quran is the most sacred book for Muslims and the final divine scripture, its history and the manner of its compilation and codification have held—and continue to hold—great importance for Muslims. From the early Islamic centuries to the present, hadith scholars and exegetes have researched and discussed the timing and process of the compilation and codification of the Noble Quran within hadith and exegetical sources. Thus, a key topic in Quranic sciences is the history and manner of the compilation and codification of the Noble Quran. In Sunni hadith sources, various reports have been presented regarding the process of compiling and codifying the Quran, some of which have given rise to doubts about the historical authenticity and integrity of the existing Mushaf. The abundance of diverse accounts and historical texts in this area, along with the methods of reasoning and reconciling them, has led to the formation of different views among Sunni scholars of Quranic sciences. Although all Sunni scholars agree that the entirety of the Quranic verses were written down during the lifetime of the Messenger of God on pieces of leather, wood, bone, silk, paper, and the like, they differ regarding the manner and timing of the compilation and codification of these writings, as well as the arrangement of verses and surahs within a single Mushaf. Consequently, many Muslim scholars have sought to clarify and resolve these ambiguities. The present article aims to examine the views of eight prominent scholars in this field and, through analyzing their perspectives, highlight noteworthy points in their positions. These eight Sunni scholars are: Qāḍī ʿAbū Bakr al-Bāqilānī in his book al-Intiṣār li-l-Qurʾān, al-Ḥakīm al-Naysābūrī (one of the leading Sunni figures) in al-Mustadrak ʿalā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn, al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Īmān, al-Qurṭubī in his exegesis al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, al-Khāzin in the third chapter of his exegesis Lubāb al-Taʾwīl fī Maʿānī al-Tanzīl, al-Zarkashī in the section on the compilation of
the Quran in al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, Niẓām al-Dīn al-Naysābūrī in the fourth introduction to his exegesis Gharāʾib al-Qurʾān titled “The Manner of Compiling the Quran,” and al-Zurqānī in the eighth discussion of his book Manāhil al-ʿIrfān. The present research is qualitative and theoretical in nature, conducted with an analytical-critical 
approach using a documentary-library method. The author has descriptively and comparatively analyzed the views of these scholars by examining reliable Sunni sources, and through critical evaluation, has scrutinized the contradictions and argumentative foundations of each perspective. The objective of this study is to elucidate and offer a scholarly critique the evolution of the views of these eight prominent Sunni scholars regarding the compilation of the Quran. Based on the findings of this research, Sunni scholars unanimously affirm the divine and revelatory nature of the Quran, yet they present differing views on the manner and timeline of its compilation process. A comparative examination of hadith, exegetical, and historical sources reveals that reports of the compilation of the Quran are, in some cases, marked by contradictions and inconsistencies, making it difficult to provide a single, definitive account of its stages. Nevertheless, the views and scholarly approaches of these thinkers, despite minor methodological differences, rest on several shared principles: precise historical analysis, reliance on authentic sources, integration of analytical methods, attention to the role of key figures in Quranic history, and defense of the accuracy and integrity of the compilation process. In this way, they have endeavored to present a documented, coherent, and scientific picture of the process of compiling and codifying the Quran, demonstrating that this process played a foundational role in preserving, transmitting, and perpetuating the authenticity of the Quranic text throughout history—a principle that enjoys consensus among all Muslims.