Redaction and History of the Text

Abstract

In this chapter a detailed history of the redaction and earliest recording of the Qur’an text is given. This history allows the prominent theses about the historical emergence of the text to be examined, and provides a basis on which to interpret the “canonical” Uthmanic text of the Qur’an. Following this, the post-redactional history of the text is reviewed, offering a historical explanation of the processes that have led to the proliferation of the current standardized version. As one of the primary functions of the Qur’anic text is liturgical, standards of recitation have played a central role in the development of the form of the text.