66/2. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4984 — Qur’an in the Dialect of Quraish
The Qur'an was revealed in the language of Quraish and the Arabs
قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا}، {بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ}.
Hadith About the Qur’an in the Dialect of Quraish
Sahih Bukhari : 4984
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4984
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، وَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ فَأَمَرَ عُثْمَانُ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ وَسَعِيدَ بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ وَعَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ أَنْ يَنْسَخُوهَا، فِي الْمَصَاحِفِ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ إِذَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ أَنْتُمْ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ فِي عَرَبِيَّةٍ مِنْ عَرَبِيَّةِ الْقُرْآنِ فَاكْتُبُوهَا بِلِسَانِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ بِلِسَانِهِمْ فَفَعَلُوا.
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
The Caliph `Uthman ordered Zaid bin Thabit, Sa`id bin Al-As, `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair and `Abdur- Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham to write the Qur'an in the form of a book (Mushafs) and said to them. "In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit (Al-Ansari) regarding any dialectic Arabic utterance of the Qur'an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, for the Qur'an was revealed in this dialect." So they did it.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4984In-book reference : Book 66, Hadith 6USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 507
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4984
This Hadith is about writing the Qur’an in the dialect of Quraish. Anas bin Malik reports that Caliph Uthman ordered Zaid bin Thabit, Sa’id bin Al-As, Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, and Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham to write the Qur’an in Mushafs. He told them that if they differed with Zaid about any Arabic wording of the Qur’an, they should write it in the dialect of Quraish, because the Qur’an was revealed in that dialect. The report ends by saying they did so. The lesson is focused and practical: when preparing the Mushafs, the instruction was to follow the dialect linked in the Hadith to the revelation of the Qur’an. This Hadith about the Uthmanic Mushaf also shows organized work and clear guidance.
What we learn from this hadith
- Uthman assigned known individuals to write the Qur’an in Mushafs.
- If disagreement arose in Arabic wording, they were told to use the dialect of Quraish.
- The Hadith states that the Qur’an was revealed in the dialect of Quraish.
