Question:
The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophetﷺ in chronological order. “Iqra” was the first revelation. Surah Al-Fatihah was not the first to be revealed. The present arrangement of the Qur’an was organized after the death of the Prophetﷺ. Therefore, while reciting the Qur’an in prayer, can we change the order of the surahs? What is the significance of the compilation of the Qur’an by the Caliphs after the Prophetﷺ’s death?
Answer:
As far as the Qur’an is concerned, it was revealed in the form of sound — that is, as recitation — not in written lines. It was not handed down written on paper. Jibreel (Alaihis Salam) did not bring it written and give it as a document. He recited it. He did not say, “Here is Surah Al-Baqarah today, here is Surah Aal Imran tomorrow,” written and handed over. Even if it had been written, the Messengerﷺ of Allahﷻ did not know how to read.
So how did revelation come to him? It came through recitation. As soon as revelation came, the Prophetﷺ would call those who could write and instruct them to write it down. There were many who knew how to write. He would call them and say, “Write this.” So although the Qur’an was not revealed in written form, it was written down immediately under the supervision of the Messengerﷺof Allahﷻ during his lifetime. It was not that writing began only after his death. It was written during his lifetime, under his guidance and according to his instructions.
If a verse was revealed in a particular surah, he would say, “Place this verse after that verse,” or “Place this before that verse.” If it was a short surah, there was no issue — a few verses would be revealed and written together. But in long surahs like Al-Baqarah, Aal ‘Imran, and An-Nisa, all the verses did not come at once. For example, Surah Al-Baqarah has 286 verses; they did not descend in a single instance. Ten verses might come, then five, then fifteen, and so on. Whenever they were revealed, the Prophetﷺ would specify exactly where each verse should be placed within the surah. According to that instruction, the scribes would write them.
During the Prophetﷺ’s lifetime, each surah existed as a separate collection — like individual bundles. Surah Al-Baqarah was one bundle. Surah ‘Aal Imran’ was another. They were not arranged in a single bound book saying “first surah, second surah.” All 114 surahs existed as separate written collections. The Prophetﷺ ensured that all of them were preserved as revelation from Allah. That was the situation when he passed away.
After that, during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, a major battle took place in which many who had memorized the Qur’an were martyred. Umar (Raliallahu Anhu) approached Abu Bakr (Raliallahu Anhu) and said: The Qur’an has been written down during the Prophetﷺ’s lifetime, but since many memorizers have died, there is a danger. We must safeguard it completely.
Why was this necessary? Because when revelation came, the Prophetﷺ would call whoever was available among the scribes. Suppose there were ten scribes in total; perhaps only seven were present in Madinah that day, so those seven would write the verses. The other three, who were absent, would not have written those verses. Later, when new verses were revealed, perhaps another set of scribes would be present. So each individual’s personal manuscript might not contain all verses.
If this was not corrected, each person might claim that what he had was the complete Qur’an, even though some verses were missing from his copy. Therefore, Abu Bakr (RA) assigned Zaid ibn Thabit (RA)to compile the Qur’an completely. He gathered all written materials and also called those who had memorized it. He compared the written copies and cross-checked them with the memorizers. Wherever a verse was missing in someone’s manuscript but present with others, it was added. In this way, each surah was completed in full form. Abu Bakr (RA) did not add or remove anything. He only ensured that every surah was fully and accurately compiled.
Later, during the caliphate of Uthman (RA), Islam had spread many lands. Differences in recitation could lead to confusion. A companion advised Uthman to prepare multiple official copies and send them to different regions so that people would refer to an authenticated master copy. Uthman (RA) agreed. Copies were made from the compilation of Abu Bakr (RA) and distributed.
There was another issue: until then, the surahs existed as complete but separate collections. They were not arranged in a single bound volume in a specific order. Uthman (RA), in consultation with knowledgeable companions, arranged the 114 surahs into a sequence — beginning with Al-Fatihah, followed by Al-Baqarah, Aal ‘Imran, An-Nisa, and so on. This sequence was established through consultation. It was not fixed by revelation from Allah, nor directly ordered by the Prophetﷺ, nor arranged by Abu Bakr (RA). The arrangement of surahs into a specific sequence was done during Uthman’s time.
However, the order of verses within each surah was determined by the Prophetﷺ himself. That order cannot be changed. If verses are rearranged, that would be altering the Qur’an. But changing the order of surahs in recitation does not alter revelation, because the numbering of surahs — first, second, third — is not divinely fixed.
There is evidence for this. In Sahih Muslim, Hudhayfah (RA) narrates that he prayed one night with the Prophetﷺ. After reciting Al-Fatihah, the Prophetﷺ recited Surah Al-Baqarah. After finishing Al-Baqarah, instead of reciting Aal ‘Imran (which in today’s arrangement comes next), he recited An-Nisa. After that, he recited Aal ‘Imran. So he changed the order of the surahs in recitation. This shows that the sequence of surahs is not binding in prayer.
There is also another incident: once during Fajr prayer, the Prophetﷺ omitted a verse while reciting. After the prayer, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b( RA), who had memorized the Qur’an, reminded him. The Prophetﷺ asked, “Did I omit it?” When told yes, he said, “If I forget, remind me.” How could Ubayy detect the omission? Because, the verses within the surah had a fixed order. If verse 12 is missing between 11 and 13, it is noticeable. This proves that the order of verses within a surah is fixed and must not be altered.
Therefore:
- The order of verses within a surah must not be changed.
- The order of surahs in recitation may be changed.
- The verse arrangement was determined by the Prophetﷺ under revelation.
- The surah sequence was arranged later during Uthman(RA)’s time through consultation.
- The Prophetﷺ himself recited surahs in different orders in prayer.
This is the essential matter to understand.