The Identity of Huzeyme in the Collection of the Qur'an
This work examines the process of compiling the Quran not only as a historical process of writing down a text but also as the institutionalization of the Companions' awareness of the preservation of the divine word. Evaluating the preservation of the Quran through two fundamental security mechanisms: memorization and inscription, the study demonstrates with scientific evidence that the Mushaf is a tool that confirms and records memory, not replaces it. The research examines the identity confusion between Khuzaymah ibn Thabit and Abu Khuzaymah al-Ansari through comparative narration analysis and textual criticism, and clarifies on scientific grounds that the title "zü'ş-şâdatayn" belongs solely to Khuzaymah ibn Thabit. This finding offers the opportunity to reinterpret the "single witness" debates during the compilation of the Quran, situating the formation of the Mushaf as a collective verification process based on the consensus of the Companions rather than individual narrations. The work considers the copying activities during the reign of Uthman as a standardization process of the text rather than a new addition to the Mushaf. By bringing together hadith, tafsir, tafsir methodology, Quranic history, and tabaqat literature, it demonstrates the continuity of the Quranic text in a multifaceted manner.
Ultimately, this study is important both in clarifying Huzeyme's identity and in providing methodological reliability regarding the collection process of the Qur'an.
It aims to make an original contribution to the literature in terms of its contribution. As a result of the comparative examination of hadith, tafsir, tafsir methodology, Quranic history and tabaqat sources, the narrations, despite being numerous and wording different, present a consistent picture with a holistic reading. At-Tawbah 9:128-129 was recorded in the Mushaf during the time of Abu Bakr through the written copy of Abu Huzaima al-Ansari. Al-Ahzab 33:23 was recorded in the first compilation with the written copy of Huzaima ibn Thabit and the witnessing of Zayd ibn Thabit, and was confirmed only during the copying process during the time of Uthman. The title "Dhu'sh-shahadateyn",
It is recorded in the hadiths as a symbol expressing the personal virtue of Huzeyme ibn Sabit; however, it did not play a technical role in the compilation of the Mushaf.
Thus, the authorization of the Mushaf was based on the methodological principles of the collection process and the determinations based on the consensus of the Companions.
Key Words: History of the Qur'an; compilation and copying of the Qur'an; Huzeyme b. Thabit; Abu Huzeyme al-Ansari; Zu'sh-shahadateyn
The Identity of Khuzaimah in the Compilation of the Qur'an
This study approaches the process of the collection (jamʿ) of the
The Quran is not merely as the historical transcription of a revealed text, but
as an epistemological framework that reflects the institutionalization
of the Companions' (ṣaḥāba) consciousness regarding the preservation
of divine revelation. It examines the preservation of the Qur'an
through two complementary mechanisms -memorization (ḥifẓ) and
writing (kitābah) - and demonstrates, through scholarly evidence, that
the muṣḥaf functioned not as a substitute for memorization but rather
as an instrument for its confirmation and authentication.
The research conducts a comparative analysis of the narrations concerning
the identities of Khuzaima b. Thābit and Abū Khuzaima al-
Anṣārī, employing methods of narrative comparison and textual criticism
(naqd al-matn). It establishes, on sound scholarly grounds, that
the epithet “dhū al-shahādatayn” (“the possessor of two testimonies”)
pertains exclusively to Khuzaima b. Thābit. This finding provides a
new interpretive framework for the debates surrounding the “singlewitness”
reports in the Qur'an's collection process, thereby situating
the compilation of the exemption within a collective verification mechanism
grounded in the consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Companions rather than
in individual reports.
The work interprets the copying (istinsākh) activities during the caliphate
of ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān not as additions to the muṣḥaf, but as a
process of standardization of the text. By bringing together the sources
of ḥadīth, tafsīr, tafsīr methodology, Qur'anic history, and ṭabaqāt literature,
the study presents a multidimensional analysis that reveals
the textual continuity of the Quran. Ultimately, it aims to make a distinctive
scholarly contribution by clarifying the identity of Khuzaima
and reinforcing the methodological reliability of the Qur'an's collection
process.
A comparative examination of ḥadīth, tafsīr, tafsīr methodology, and
Qur'anic history and ṭabaqāt sources demonstrate that, despite the
numerical abundance and verbal variations of the narrations, a coherent
and consistent picture emerges when they are read holistically.
Qur'an 9:128–129 (al-Tawbah) was recorded in the muṣḥaf during the
caliphate of Abū Bakr based on the written copy preserved by Abū
Khuzaima al-Anṣārī. Likewise, Qur'an 33:23 (al-Aḥzāb) was registered
in the first collection through the written copy of Khuzaima b. Thābit
and the testimony of Zayd b. Thābit, and was merely verified -rather
than newly added- during the ʿUthmānic recension. The epithet “dhū
al-shahādatayn”, while affirmed in ḥadīth sources as an expression of
Khuzaima b. Thābit's personal virtue, did not denote any technical
function in the process of the Qur'an's compilation. Thus, the authenticity
(mawthūqiyyah) of the muṣḥaf is grounded in methodological
principles and evidentiary practices consistent with the Companions'
collective consensus during the process of collection.
Keywords: History of the Quran; Collection and Standardization of
the Quran; Khuzaima b. Thābit; Abū Khuzaima al-Anṣārī; Dhū al-
Shahādatayn
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