Changes

==Oldest copy known today==

==Oldest copy known today==

Several manuscripts, including the [[Samarkand manuscript]], are claimed to be the original copies sent out by Uthman<ref>[http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Text/Mss The Qur'anic Manuscripts], ''islamic-awareness.org'', retrieved April 2, 2006</ref> in the 7th century CE. Some non-Muslim scholars, however, doubt that any of the Uthmanic originals remain.  

Several manuscripts, including the [[Samarkand manuscript]], are claimed to be the original copies sent out by Uthman<ref>[http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Text/Mss The Qur'anic Manuscripts], ''islamic-awareness.org'', retrieved April 2, 2006</ref> in the 7th century AD. Some non-Muslim scholars, however, doubt that any of the Uthmanic originals remain.  

Having studied early Quran manuscripts [[John Gilchrist (Islamic Studies)|John Gilchrist]] states: "The oldest manuscripts of the Quran still in existence date from not earlier than about one hundred years after Muhammad's death." ("Jam' Al-Qur'an", page 153) He comes to this conclusion because two of the oldest manuscripts, the Samarqand and Topkapi codices are both written in the [[Kufic|Kufic script]]. It "can generally be dated from the late eight century depending on the extent of development in the character of the script in each case." (Ibid. page 146)  

Having studied early Quran manuscripts [[John Gilchrist (Islamic Studies)|John Gilchrist]] states: "The oldest manuscripts of the Quran still in existence date from not earlier than about one hundred years after Muhammad's death." ("Jam' Al-Qur'an", page 153) He comes to this conclusion because two of the oldest manuscripts, the Samarqand and Topkapi codices are both written in the [[Kufic|Kufic script]]. It "can generally be dated from the late eight century depending on the extent of development in the character of the script in each case." (Ibid. page 146)  

As for the copies that were destroyed, Islamic traditions say that [[Abdallah Ibn Masud]], [[Ubay Ibn Ka'b]], and [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Ali]], Muhammad's son-in-law, had preserved versions that differed in some ways from the Uthmanic text. Muslim scholars record certain of the differences between the versions; those recorded consist almost entirely of orthographical and lexical variants, or different verse counts. All three (Ibn Masud, Ubay Ibn Ka'b, and Ali) are recorded as having accepted the Uthmanic text as authoritative.

As for the copies that were destroyed, Islamic traditions say that [[Abdallah Ibn Masud]], [[Ubay Ibn Ka'b]], and [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Ali]], Muhammad's son-in-law, had preserved versions that differed in some ways from the Uthmanic text. Muslim scholars record certain of the differences between the versions; those recorded consist almost entirely of orthographical and lexical variants, or different verse counts. All three (Ibn Masud, Ubay Ibn Ka'b, and Ali) are recorded as having accepted the Uthmanic text as authoritative.

Uthman's version was written in an older Arabic script that left out most vowel markings; thus the script could be interpreted and read in various ways. This basic Uthmanic script is called the [[rasm]]; it is the basis of several traditions of oral recitation, differing in minor points.The Quran is always written in the Uthmanic [[Rasm]](Rasm al Uthman). In order to fix these oral recitations and prevent any mistakes, scribes and scholars began annotating the Uthmanic rasm with various [[Diacritic|diacritical marks]] indicating how the word was to be pronounced. It is believed that this process of annotation began around 700 CE, soon after Uthman's compilation, and finished by approximately 900 CE. The Quran text most widely used today is based on the [[Rasm Uthmani]](Uthmanic way of writing the Quran) and in the Hafs tradition of recitation, as approved by [[Al-Azhar University]] in Cairo in 1922. (For more information regarding traditions of recitations, see ''Quranic recitation'', below.)

Uthman's version was written in an older Arabic script that left out most vowel markings; thus the script could be interpreted and read in various ways. This basic Uthmanic script is called the [[rasm]]; it is the basis of several traditions of oral recitation, differing in minor points.The Quran is always written in the Uthmanic [[Rasm]](Rasm al Uthman). In order to fix these oral recitations and prevent any mistakes, scribes and scholars began annotating the Uthmanic rasm with various [[Diacritic|diacritical marks]] indicating how the word was to be pronounced. It is believed that this process of annotation began around 700 AD, soon after Uthman's compilation, and finished by approximately 900 AD. The Quran text most widely used today is based on the [[Rasm Uthmani]](Uthmanic way of writing the Quran) and in the Hafs tradition of recitation, as approved by [[Al-Azhar University]] in Cairo in 1922. (For more information regarding traditions of recitations, see ''Quranic recitation'', below.)

== References ==

== References ==