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How the first revealed chapter of the Quran was revealed

Question

Assalamu Alaykum, 1-When the angel Gabriel (Jibril) PBUH asked prophet Muhammad PBUH to read the first revealed chapter of the holy Quran and said read, did he have The Quran written on a paper or a tablet? 2- What is the oldest Quran in the world and where is it located? Thank you

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

The angel Jibreel (Gabriel)  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention did not have any written papers when he came down to our Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) with the revelation and ordered him to recite; rather, Jibreel  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention taught him from what he learnt by heart so that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) would recite after him and follow his recitation.

The statement of the angel Jibreel  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) ‘Recite’ in the Prophetic narration should not constitute a problem for you because recitation [or reading] refers to pronouncing the words – whether it is written words or words that one learnt by heart. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

· {So when We have recited it [through Jibreel], then follow its recitation.} [Quran 75:18]

{So when you recite the Quran, [first] seek refuge in Allaah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].} [Quran 16:98], which means that if you want to recite the Quran, say: “I seek refuge in Allaah from the accursed devil". Of course, it is well known that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) was unlettered and he could neither read nor write.

As for the oldest Mus-haf (the Arabic text of the Quran) – as far as we know – it is the Ottoman Mus-haf in Istanbul, Turkey.

Allaah Knows best.

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