ذِكْرُ مَا كَانَ يَأْمُرُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِكَتَبَةِ الْقُرْآنِ عِنْدَ نُزُولِ الْآيَةِ بَعْدَ الْآيَةِ

: Yazid al-Farisi said: I heard Ibn Abbas say: I asked Uthman ibn Affan: What moved you to put the (Surah) al-Bara'ah which belongs to the mi'in (surahs) (containing one hundred verses) and the (Surah) al-Anfal which belongs to the mathani (Surahs) in the category of as-sab'u at-tiwal (the first long surah or chapters of the Qur'an), and you did not write "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" between them? Uthman replied: When the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, he called someone to write them down for him and said to him: Put this verse in the surah in which such and such has been mentioned; and when one or two verses were revealed, he used to say similarly (regarding them). (Surah) al-Anfal is the first surah that was revealed at Medina, and (Surah) al-Bara'ah was revealed last in the Qur'an, and its contents were similar to those of al-Anfal. I, therefore, thought that it was a part of al-Anfal. Hence I put them in the category of as-sab'u at-tiwal (the seven lengthy surahs), and I did not write "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" between them.  

قُلْتُ لِعُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ إِلَى بَرَاءَةَ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ وَإِلَى الأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي فَجَعَلْتُمُوهُمَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ { بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ } قَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مِمَّا يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الآيَاتُ فَيَدْعُو بَعْضَ مَنْ كَانَ يَكْتُبُ لَهُ وَيَقُولُ لَهُ ضَعْ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَتَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الآيَةُ وَالآيَتَانِ فَيَقُولُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَكَانَتِ الأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ مَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَتْ بَرَاءَةُ مِنْ آخِرِ مَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهَةً بِقِصَّتِهَا فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ هُنَاكَ وَضَعْتُهُمَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ { بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ }  

"I said to 'Uthman bin 'Affan: 'What was your reasoning with Al-Anfal - while it is from the Muthani (Surah with less than one-hundred Ayat), and Bara'ah while it is from the Mi'in (Surah with about one-hundred Ayat), then you put them together, without writing the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim between them, and you placed them with the seven long (Surah) - why did you do that?' So 'Uthman said: 'A long time might pass upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ without anything being revealed to him, and then sometimes a Surah with numerous (Ayat) might be revealed. So when something was revealed, he would call for someone who could write, and say: "Put these Ayat in the Surah which mentions this and that in it." When an Ayah was revealed, he would say: "Put this Ayah in the Surah which mentions this and that in it." Now Al-Anfal was among the first of those revealed in Al-Madinah, and Bara'ah among the last of those revealed of the Qur'an, and its narrations (those of Bara'ah) resembled its narrations (those of Al-Anfal), so we thought that it was part of it. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, and it was not made clear to us whether it was part of it. So it is for this reason that we put them together without writing Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim between them, and we put that with the seven long (Surahs).'"  

أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ إِلَى الأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى بَرَاءَةَ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهُمَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِمَّا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَانُ وَهُوَ تَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ السُّوَرُ ذَوَاتُ الْعَدَدِ فَكَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّىْءُ دَعَا بَعْضَ مَنْ كَانَ يَكْتُبُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَؤُلاَءِ الآيَاتِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَإِذَا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الآيَةُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَكَانَتِ الأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا أُنْزِلَتْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَتْ بَرَاءَةُ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهَةً بِقِصَّتِهَا فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ قَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ فَوَضَعْتُهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ  

Ibn ‘Abbas ؓ said to us. I said to ‘Uthman bin ʿAffan: What made you take al-Anfal, which is one of al-Mathani (the seven long soorahs), and Baraʿah, which is one of al-Miʿeen (soorahs with one hundred verses or thereabouts), and put them next to one another and not write - Ibn Jaʿfar said: A line between them saying Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem - and you put them with the seven long ones? What made you do that? ʿUthman ؓ said: Sometimes many soorahs would be revealed (incomplete) to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and when something was revealed he would call one of the scribes to write it down for him and say: “Put this in the Soorah in which such and such is mentionedʿ; and verses would be revealed to him and he would say, ʿPut these verses in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned”; and a verse would be revealed to him and he would say: ʿPut this verse in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned.” Al-Anfal was one of the first soorahs to be revealed in Madinah and Baraʿah was one of the last soorahs of the Qurʿan, and the stories and content of the two soorahs were similar. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away without having stated clearly to us that it was part of it, but we thought that it was, hence I put them together and I did not put between them the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem. Ibn Jaʿfar said: I put it with the seven long ones.  

أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى بَرَاءَةٌ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا قَالَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرًا بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطِّوَالِ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ؟قَالَ عُثْمَانُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ مِمَّا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَانُ يُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السُّوَرِ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ وَكَانَ إِذَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّيْءُ يَدْعُو بَعْضَ مَنْ يَكْتُبُ عِنْدَهُ يَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذَا فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَيُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ الْآيَاتُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَيُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ الْآيَةُ فَيَقُولُ ضَعُوا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا وَكَانَتِ الْأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا أُنْزِلَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَبَرَاءَةٌ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ فَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهًة بِقِصَّتِهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ ثَمَّ قَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرًا بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ قَالَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَوَضَعْتُهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطُّوَلِ  

Ibn ‘Abbas ؓ said to us. I said to ‘Uthman bin ʿAffan: What made you take al-Anfal, which is one of al-Mathani (the seven long soorahs), and Baraʿah, which is one of al-Miʿeen (soorahs with one hundred verses or thereabouts), and put them next to one another and not write - Ibn Jaʿfar said: A line between them saying Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem - and you put them with the seven long ones? What made you do that? ʿUthman ؓ said: Sometimes many soorahs would be revealed (incomplete) to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and when something was revealed he would call one of the scribes to write it down for him and say: “Put this in the Soorah in which such and such is mentionedʿ; and verses would be revealed to him and he would say, ʿPut these verses in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned”; and a verse would be revealed to him and he would say: ʿPut this verse in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned.” Al-Anfal was one of the first soorahs to be revealed in Madinah and Baraʿah was one of the last soorahs of the Qurʿan, and the stories and content of the two soorahs were similar. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away without having stated clearly to us that it was part of it, but we thought that it was, hence I put them together and I did not put between them the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem. Ibn Jaʿfar said: I put it with the seven long ones. (Using translation from Aḥmad 399)   

أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى الْبَرَاءَةِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطِّوَالِ مَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَانُ تَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ السُّوَرُ ذَوَاتُ عَدَدٍ فَكَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّيْءُ يَدْعُو بَعْضَ مَنْ كَانَ يَكْتُبُهُ فَيَقُولُ «ضَعُوا هَذِهِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا» وَتَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الْآيَةُ فَيَقُولُ «ضَعُوا هَذِهِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا» فَكَانَتِ الْأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا نَزَلَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَبَرَاءَةُ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ فَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهَةً بِقِصَّتِهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَمِنْ ثَمَّ قَرَنْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ  

Ibn ‘Abbas ؓ said to us. I said to ‘Uthman bin ʿAffan: What made you take al-Anfal, which is one of al-Mathani (the seven long soorahs), and Baraʿah, which is one of al-Miʿeen (soorahs with one hundred verses or thereabouts), and put them next to one another and not write - Ibn Jaʿfar said: A line between them saying Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem - and you put them with the seven long ones? What made you do that? ʿUthman ؓ said: Sometimes many soorahs would be revealed (incomplete) to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and when something was revealed he would call one of the scribes to write it down for him and say: “Put this in the Soorah in which such and such is mentionedʿ; and verses would be revealed to him and he would say, ʿPut these verses in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned”; and a verse would be revealed to him and he would say: ʿPut this verse in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned.” Al-Anfal was one of the first soorahs to be revealed in Madinah and Baraʿah was one of the last soorahs of the Qurʿan, and the stories and content of the two soorahs were similar. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away without having stated clearly to us that it was part of it, but we thought that it was, hence I put them together and I did not put between them the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem. Ibn Jaʿfar said: I put it with the seven long ones. (Using translation from Aḥmad 399)   

أَنْ عَمَدْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَنْفَالِ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَإِلَى بَرَاءَةَ وَهِيَ مِنَ الْمِئِينَ فَقَرَنْتُمْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَمْ تَكْتُبُوا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَوَضَعْتُمُوهَا فِي السَّبْعِ الطِّوَالِ فَمَا حَمَلَكُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِمَّا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ الزَّمَانُ وَهُوَ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السُّوَرِ ذَوَاتِ الْعَدَدِ قَالَ وَكَانَ إِذَا نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّيْءُ دَعَا بَعْضَ مَنْ يَكْتُبُ لَهُ فَيَقُولُ «ضَعُوا هَذِهِ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي فِيهَا كَذَا وَكَذَا» وَكَانَتِ الْأَنْفَالُ مِنْ أَوَائِلِ مَا نَزَلَتْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَتْ بَرَاءَةُ مِنْ آخِرِ الْقُرْآنِ وَكَانَتْ قِصَّتُهَا شَبِيهَةً بِقِصَّتِهَا فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَقُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا أَنَّهَا مِنْهَا فَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ بَيْنَهُمَا سَطْرَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ