Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

Save the Ummah before they start disputing regarding the Qurʾān like how
the Jews and the Christians differed regarding their scriptures.
Thereafter he consulted with the prominent Ṣaḥābah M, like ʿAlī I and
others, who all approbated the compilation. 1
He only advanced in compiling the copies of the Qurʾān in order to repel the dispute
and bickering of the Muslims which was clearly beginning to gain momentum.
This is exactly what an objective outlook to this situation would demand. For
the reason for revealing the Qurʾān in seven Aḥruf (dialects [close translation)
was to make the recitation of the Qurʾān easy for the Arabs who comprised of
various tribes and spoke various lingos and dialects. Hence once this objective
was achieved and because these dialects were not intended in themselves and
the preservation of the Qurʾān was not dependent on them, what importance
then would their existence hold if they became a means of dispute and bickering
amongst the Muslims due to their ignorance. That is why ʿAlī I is reported to
have said:
ل تقولوا لعثمان في إحراق المصاحف إل خيرا
Do not say about ʿUthmān in the matter of burning the (individual) copies
of the Qurʾān but good. 2
He also said:
لو لم يصنعه عثمان لصنعته
If ʿUthmān had not done it, I would have. 3
1 Ibn Abī Dāwūd: al-Maṣāḥif: chapter regarding ʿUthmān I compiling the Maṣāḥif (copies of the
Qurʾān): ḥadīth no. 77. The annotator has deemed its chain of transmission as authentic.
2 Kitāb al-Sunnah of al-Khallāl: ḥadīth no. 351.
3 Al-Maṣāḥif: chapter regarding the agreeing of the people with ʿUthmān regarding the compilation
of the Maṣāḥif: ḥadīth no. 39, 40.
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