4. Reading.

As you read, try to find the information you listed above in the text.

When he was thirteen years old, Zayd bin Thabit (RAA) wanted to fight for the cause of Islam. The Muslim soldiers were preparing for their first battle, the Battle of Badr. Zayd approached the Prophet (SAAS) and asked for his permission to join the Muslim army. He showed the Prophet (SAAS) his sword, which was very long. The Prophet (SAAS) smiled and thanked the boy, but refused to allow him to join the army. Zayd turned and walked away dejected and sad. As he walked away, he stuck his sword in the ground to show his disappointment.

A year later he tried again — this time for the Battle of Uhud. Once again he was rejected. Finally, he got his chance to fight the enemies of Allah (SWT) at the Battle of the Trench, when he was only sixteen years old.

However, it is not as a warrior that Zayd is recognized. He is remembered as a great scholar of Islam. From an early age, he decided to memorise the Quran and learn as much about Islam as possible. After some time, he was able to memorise seventeen surahs of the Quran and could recite them correctly. In addition, he became a very good reader and writer.

He wanted to get closer to the Prophet (SAAS) so that he could work with him. He asked his mother to help him. She spoke to some men of the Ansar about Zayd’s desire. These men then spoke to the Prophet (SAAS) about him. The Prophet (SAAS) asked to see him. He listened to Zayd reciting some surahs he had memorized and noticed that his recitation was clear and beautiful. His stops and pauses indicated clearly that he understood well what he recited.

The Prophet (SAAS) was pleased with Zayd and gave him a job to do. He asked him to learn Hebrew. Zayd quickly learned the language and was able to help the Prophet (SAAS) when he wanted to talk to the Jews. Later the Prophet (SAAS) instructed Zayd to learn Syriac, and he did. Zayd thus became an interpreter for the Prophet (SAAS) in his dealing with people who could not speak Arabic.

Later, when the Prophet (SAAS) trusted him fully, he asked Zayd to record the Divine Revelation. When any part of the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet (SAAS), he often sent for Zayd and instructed him to write down the revelation in front of him. Zayd was not the only one who wrote down the revelations for the Prophet (SAAS). However, he was the one who collected portions of the Quran that were written down by others and arranged them under the supervision of the Prophet (SAAS).

After the death of the Prophet (SAAS), Zayd became an important scholar. When anybody wanted to ask a question about the Quran, they asked Zayd. Many Muslims who had memorised the Quran had died in battle, especially at Yamamah. The first caliph, Abu Bakr (RAA), instructed Zayd to collect all the different parts of the Quran together. He wanted Zayd to put the different parts together to make one complete book.

This was a very difficult task, but Zayd agreed to do it. Zayd had to be very careful because he did not want to make even one small error. When he finally completed the work, he handed it to Abu Bakr, who then gave it to the second caliph, Umar (RAA). Later Umar gave the manuscript to his daughter Hafsah. Hafsah, Umm Salamah, and ‘A’ishah, the Prophet’s (SAAS) wives memorized the Quran.

By the time of the third caliph, Uthman (RAA), Islam had spread very far and wide. Consequently, differences in the reading of the Quran arose. These differences caused disputes and arguments among Muslims in different countries and regions. To overcome the problem, Uthman decided to make as many accurate copies of the Quran as possible. He obtained the manuscript of the Quran from Hafsah and asked Zayd and some other scholars to make accurate copies. Uthman then sent one copy of the Quran to every Muslim province. He gave the order to burn all other copies of the Quran. This was an important order because it ensured that all copies of the Quran were exactly the same.

Every Muslim who picks up a Quran and reads it or hears it being recited owes a great debt of gratitude to Zayd bin Thabit. It was he who helped preserve the Quran in its original form for all time.