Did Zayd ibn Thabit Lose Quran Verses? Refuting the “Missing Verses” Doubt from Sahih al-Bukhari

This page from Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 66: Virtues of the Qur’an) contains historical narrations regarding the compilation and standardization of the Quranic text during the eras of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.

1. The Initial Compilation under Abu Bakr

The top narrative details the first official compilation of the Quran following the Battle of Yamama.

• The Task: Zayd ibn Thabit notes that Abu Bakr commanded him to locate and collect the Quran. Zayd expressed how immense this responsibility was, stating that moving a mountain would have been easier than compiling the Quran.

• The Methodology: Zayd gathered the text from various materials including palm stalks, thin white stones, and from the memories of men.

• The Final Verses of Surah At-Tawbah: Zayd highlights that he found the last verses of Surah At-Tawbah (“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves…”) solely with Abu Khuzaima al-Ansari.

• Preservation: The compiled sheets (Suhuf) remained with Abu Bakr until his death, then with Umar ibn al-Khattab, and subsequently with Umar’s daughter, Hafsah.

2. Hadith 4987: Standardization under Uthman ibn Affan

This section covers the secondary standardization of the Quran into an official codex (Mus-haf).

• The Incident: Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman returned from military campaigns in Armenia and Azerbaijan, deeply alarmed by the regional differences in Quranic recitation among Muslims. He urged Caliph Uthman to unite the community before they disputed over their scripture like previous nations.

• The Process: Uthman borrowed the original Suhuf from Hafsah and commissioned a committee—consisting of Zayd ibn Thabit, Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Sa’id ibn al-Aas, and Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith—to copy them into standardized volumes.

• The Rule of Dialect: Uthman instructed the three Quraishi committee members that if they disagreed with Zayd ibn Thabit on any linguistic point, they must write it in the dialect of the Quraish, as the Quran was revealed in their tongue.

• Distribution: Once master copies were made, the original sheets were returned to Hafsah. Uthman dispatched a standardized copy to every Muslim province and ordered all other variant manuscripts or fragments to be burned.

3. Hadith 4988: The Missing Verse of Surah Al-Ahzab (Highlighted)

This specific entry focuses on a detail during the Uthmanic standardization process.

• The Missing Text: Zayd ibn Thabit narrates that while they were copying the sheets into master volumes, he noticed a missing verse from Surah Al-Ahzab that he used to hear the Prophet Muhammad recite.

• The Retrieval: After searching, he found it exclusively written with Khuzaima ibn Thabit al-Ansari.

• The Verse: The text retrieved was: “Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah…” (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:23). It was then officially integrated into its proper place within the chapter.

4. Hadith 4989: Chapter on the Scribes of the Prophet

The final section marks the beginning of Chapter 4, titled “The Scribes of the Prophet”. It initiates an identical chain of narration where Zayd ibn Thabit recounts being summoned by Abu Bakr following the heavy casualties at the Battle of Yamama to begin the textual collection process.

The highlighted passage is from Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65 (Book of Prophetic Commentary on the Qur’an - Kitab At-Tafsir). It records the firsthand account of Zayd ibn Thabit regarding the exact methodology and materials used during the primary collection of the Quranic text under the direction of Caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Core Narrative Details

• The Command and Execution: > Following the consensus reached between Abu Bakr and Umar to preserve the scripture, Zayd ibn Thabit states: “So, I started locating the Quranic material and collecting it…” >

• The Physical Mediums of Collection: > The text specifies the primary raw materials from which the verses were gathered and cross-referenced:

  • Parchment and scraps: Pieces of skin, cloth, or available writing materials (Al-Riqa’).

  • Shoulder blades: Scapula bones of animals used for writing (Al-Aktaf).

  • Stalks of palm trees: Leaf-free palm branches (Al-Usub).

  • The memories of men: The oral preservation kept within the breasts of the companions (Sudur al-Rijal).

• The Final Verses of Surah At-Tawbah: > Zayd explicitly notes a unique archival detail regarding the conclusion of Surah At-Tawbah (9:128):

  • He discovered the final two verses of this chapter exclusively in written form with a companion named Khuzaima al-Ansari.

  • He states clearly that he could not find these specific verses written down with anyone else at that exact moment.

  • The specific text recovered begins with the verse: “Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty…”

This passage addresses a specific textual variant in the narrations concerning the preservation of the Quran by Zayd ibn Thabit, highlighting a potential scholarly contradiction regarding where a particular verse was found.

Key Details of the Narrative

• The Missing Verse of Surah Al-Ahzab: > Zayd ibn Thabit states that during the collection process, he noticed a missing verse from Surah Al-Ahzab that he used to hear the Prophet Muhammad recite.

• The Source (Khuzaima): > They searched for it and found it explicitly with Khuzaima, whom the Prophet Muhammad had uniquely decreed that his solitary testimony was equivalent to the testimony of two men.

• The Specific Verse: > The verse in question is: “Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah…” (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:23).

• The Textual Conflict Raised: > The author notes that a reader might perceive a contradiction between this narration and previous accounts. Earlier accounts stated that the verses found uniquely with Khuzaima were actually the concluding verses of Surah At-Tawbah, rather than this verse from Surah Al-Ahzab. The text concludes by raising the critical question: “Which of the two accounts is more accurate?”

This passage provides the definitive scholarly answer to the question raised previously regarding where the missing verses were found and with which companion named Khuzaima.

Key Clarifications

• Both Accounts are Correct: > The text resolves the apparent contradiction by stating: “The answer is: Both accounts are correct…”

• The Distinction of Events and Eras: > The text explains that these were two separate historical events that took place under different Caliphs:

  • During the era of Abu Bakr: The final two verses of Surah At-Tawbah were the ones found uniquely with Khuzaima.

  • During the era of Uthman: The specific missing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab was the one found written with him.

This text block provides a profound scholarly commentary concerning how the missing verses were preserved, clarifying what “finding them exclusively with Khuzaima” actually implies textually and contextually.

Key Interpretations

• Refuting Complete Textual Absence: > The author notes: “If you object by saying that the missing verse found with Khuzaima is the end of Surah At-Tawbah, I reply that there is no absolute proof to limit the text exclusively to him in an absolute sense…”

• No Issue with Dual Documentation: > The text states there is no theological or historical issue in both missing sections being found written down with him specifically, separate from other companions.

• The Two Different Copying Phases: > The distinction lies in the nature of the textual transcription itself during the different compilation eras:

  • The First Instance (Abu Bakr’s Era): This occurred during the transfer of the text from raw materials like palm stalks (Al-Usub) onto the primary loose sheets (Al-Suhuf).

  • The Second Instance (Uthman’s Era): This occurred during the formal transcription and standardization from those primary sheets (Al-Suhuf) into the master official codices (Al-Masahif) once the precise verification of the content was completed.

This section delivers the final critical breakdown that completely untangles any remaining confusion regarding the identity of the companions involved, the specific verses they held, and the evidentiary standards met for each.

Key Clarifications

• Two Distinct Companions and Surahs: > The text explicitly divides the two scenarios to show there is no overlap or contradiction:

  • The Verse in Surah At-Tawbah: This was found with Abu Khuzaima, a well-known member of the Ansar whom Anas ibn Malik recognized and about whom Anas said, “We inherited him.”

  • The Verse in Surah Al-Ahzab: This was found with Khuzaima ibn Thabit, who is an entirely different individual from Abu Khuzaima. Thus, because the stories involve different people and different chapters, there is no complication or ambiguity.

• The Difference in Eyewitness Testimony: > The commentary provides the underlying legal and historical proof for how each verse was validated:

  • For the Verse in Al-Ahzab: Both Zayd ibn Thabit and Khuzaima ibn Thabit had personally heard this verse directly from the Prophet Muhammad, meaning there were already two direct witnesses to its auditory recitation.

  • For the Verse in At-Tawbah: This verse was established solely based on the written testimony of Abu Khuzaymah alone. This was accepted because the contextual evidence (Qarina) regarding the descriptions of the Prophet within the verse itself was so overwhelmingly definitive that it completely substituted for the need to seek out an additional human witness.

• The First Mentioned Khuzaymah: In the context of finding the end of Surah At-Tawbah, the companion referred to is Abu Khuzaymah bin Aws bin Zayd bin Asram (from the Banu Malik bin An-Najjar branch of the Ansar). He participated in the Battle of Badr and subsequent battles, and passed away during the caliphate of Uthman. This identification is supported by Ibn Abd al-Barr.
• The Second Mentioned Khuzaymah: In the context of finding the missing verse from Surah Al-Ahzab, the companion is Khuzaimah bin Thabit bin Al-Fakah bin Tha’labah (from the Khatmah branch of the Aws tribe). He is famously known as Dhu al-Shahadatayn (the one whose testimony is equal to two men). He also fought at Badr and later battles, and was martised during the Battle of Siffin while fighting alongside Ali bin Abi Talib.

• Meaning of the Missing Verse: The second point of the argument states that regarding the verse from Surah Al-Ahzab (“Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah…”), Zayd bin Thabit’s statement means he simply could not find it written down with anyone else except Khuzaymah bin Thabit Al-Ansari.
• Evidence of Written Form vs. Memorization: Zayd’s choice of the word “lost” (faqa’dtu) implies that he already knew and memorized the verse himself. It was a known verse to him; he merely lacked the written record of it until he found it with Khuzaymah. Otherwise, if it wasn’t already known, Zayd wouldn’t have realized a verse was missing in the first place.

• Nature of the Missing Verse: The correct answer indicated by the text is that when Zayd bin Thabit noted he “lost” the verse, it means he found it missing in written form, not that its existence was lost or forgotten.
• Evidence of Memorization: On the contrary, the verse was completely memorized and preserved by Zayd himself, as well as by other companions. This is further proven by his own statement during the compilation of the Qur’an: “So I followed up tracking the Qur’an, collecting it from parchment, scapula bones, and palm stalks…” which will be elaborated on in the chapters regarding the virtues of the Qur’an.

The text addresses a question regarding how a specific verse could be added to the official Mushaf (compiled Quranic text) if a prerequisite for accepting Quranic verses is total mutawatir transmission (widespread concurrent narration).

The response explains that the verse was already well-known and documented in terms of its exact wording and placement within its respective chapter. The companions specifically sought out its written form, as it had originally been transcribed directly in the presence of the Prophet Muhammad.

Furthermore, the passage notes that the core objective was verification through searching for the written copy, while exploring whether the condition for accepting a verse relies strictly on it being mutawatir through written records, or if oral memorization suffice. It concludes that the physical absence of a written record at a particular moment does not negate its status as mutawatir, provided that memorizers still retained it or remembered it later.

Abu Muhammad states that the explanation of what was mentioned earlier is explicitly stated within this Hadith itself. This is because Zayd related that he heard this specific verse directly from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, meaning that the verse was already retained in memory and known by Zayd as well.

The phrase regarding the missing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab being found only with Khuzaymah means that Zayd was searching for the original written copy that was transcribed directly under the instruction of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It does not mean the verse was verified based solely on the testimony of a single person.

This is because Zayd had already heard the verse from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and knew its exact placement within Surah Al-Ahzab. The tracking and verification process was strictly intended to locate the physical, written records for verification, rather than initiating new knowledge, as the Great Quran was already fully memorized and preserved by Zayd and other companions. This is supported by the authentic narration of Anas, which confirms that four individuals from the Ansar—Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Zayd ibn Thabit, and Abu Zayd—had completely collected and memorized the Quran during the lifetime of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

The phrase indicating that a verse was missing and only found with a specific person means that the compiler sought to copy the Quran from the original texts written directly under the command of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It does not mean the verse itself was unknown, as it was already memorized by the compiler and others.

This interpretation is preferred over the view mentioned by Makki and others, which suggests that the companions had temporarily forgotten the verse, only to remember and document it after finding it preserved in writing by that specific individual who had heard it directly from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

The explanation of this point is that the two concluding verses of Surah At-Tawbah were not established based on the testimony of Abu Khuzaymah alone. Rather, they were verified by mass-transmitted reports from numerous companions who had memorized them in their hearts, even if they had not written them down on their own parchments.

When Zayd stated that he did not find these two verses with anyone else, it means he could not find them written down with anyone except Abu Khuzaymah. Therefore, what Abu Khuzaymah uniquely possessed was the written record of these verses, not the memorization of them. Writing is not a prerequisite for a text to be considered mutawatir (mass-transmitted); the actual requirement is that it is narrated by a group large enough to preclude any possibility of collusion or fabrication, even if not a single one of them had written it down.

Consequently, the written document held by Abu Khuzaymah Al-Ansari served as an extra layer of verification and precaution that went above and beyond the requirements of mutawatir transmission. Therefore, his unique possession of the physical manuscript cannot be used to undermine the mutawatir status of the verses.

Zayd’s statement, “I did not find it with anyone except Khuzaymah,” does not indicate that the Quran was established based on a solitary report. This is because Zayd himself had previously heard the verse and knew its exact placement in Surah Al-Ahzab through the teaching of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Similarly, other companions had also heard it, though some may have subsequently forgotten it until it was mentioned again. Therefore, the tracking and verification process involving different individuals was meant for corroboration and verification, not for initiating new knowledge.

A question is raised: If a necessary condition for validating the Quran is its mutawatir (mass-transmitted) status, how can this status be established if a verse is found with only one individual?

The response clarifies that “not finding it with anyone else” means it could not be found written down in anyone else’s possession. Furthermore, the temporary absence of a physical manuscript or written record does not disprove its mutawatir nature, nor does it imply that the verse cannot be considered mutawatir if memorizers had temporarily forgotten it and then recalled it later.

The text emphasizes a highly important and cautious condition applied during the compilation of the Book of Allah: the requirement of two witnesses for any brought text. For anyone presenting a portion of the Quran—whether preserved in their memory or written on a parchment—two witnesses had to testify that it was indeed part of the Quran.

This verification by the two witnesses was achieved in one of three ways:

• Both witnesses had memorized that specific Quranic text themselves.

• The text brought by the person was memorized and matched a written copy transcribed directly in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

• More perfectly, both witnesses had personally been present during the revelation of that specific text and its subsequent recording in front of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

In summary, the verification process relied on three combined elements:

• (a) The text must be written in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

• (b) The text must be memorized and received either directly from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or from someone who received it directly from him.

• (c) Two witnesses must testify to both of the aforementioned conditions.

Thirdly, the previous statements made by Zayd regarding the end of Surah At-Tawbah and the verse of Surah Al-Ahzab do not imply a lack of mutawatir (mass-transmission) status. Even if it is assumed for the sake of argument that Abu Khuzaymah and Khuzaymah were unique in recalling these verses from memory, the most this indicates is that they were the ones to initially initiate the reminder. Following their reminder, the remaining companions—who formed a group large enough to preclude any possibility of collusion or fabrication—recalled what they had forgotten. Consequently, these verses were documented in the manuscripts and pages only after their collective mutawatir status was securely established among the group.

Abu Bakr’s Constitution for Writing the Manuscripts:

Zayd followed a precise, meticulous method established for him by Abu Bakr and Umar to ensure the absolute safeguarding and preservation of the Book of Allah. This method relied on extreme verification, utmost caution, and comprehensive tracking. Zayd did not merely rely on what he had memorized in his heart, what he had personally written down, or what he had heard with his own ears.

Instead, he committed himself to compiling the text by relying on two primary sources:

• First: The written material recorded directly in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

• Second: The verses preserved through memorization within the hearts of men.

To demonstrate his extraordinary caution and vigilance, he would not accept any written text unless two just witnesses testified that it had indeed been recorded in the direct presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Regarding the narration by Az-Zuhri from Kharijah from his father concerning the verse of Surah Al-Ahzab and its subsequent addition to its respective chapter: the claim that this occurred during the compilation of Uthman is questionable.

Instead, this event actually took place during the compilation initiated by Abu Bakr As-Siddiq. This is explicitly clarified in other variants of the narration reported by Az-Zuhri from Ubayd ibn As-Sabaq from Zayd ibn Thabit, where Zayd states, “So we added it to its Surah in the Mushaf.” Furthermore, this verse was fully integrated within the text of the chapter and was not merely an added note or footnote in the Uthmanic manuscripts.