Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 7191

Abu Bak رضی اللہ عنہ sent for me owing to the large number of casualties in the battle of Al-Yamama, while `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ was sitting with him. Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said (to me), `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ has come to my and said, 'A great number of Qaris of the Holy Qur'an were killed on the day of the battle of Al-Yamama, and I am afraid that the casualties among the Qaris of the Qur'an may increase on other battle-fields whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost. Therefore I consider it advisable that you (Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ ) should have the Qur'an collected.' I said, 'How dare I do something which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?' `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ said, By Allah, it is something beneficial.' `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ kept on pressing me for that till Allah opened my chest for that for which He had opened the chest of `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ and I had in that matter, the same opinion as `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ had." Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ then said to me (Zaid رضی اللہ عنہ ), "You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). So you should search for the fragmentary scripts of the Qur'an and collect it (in one Book)." Zaid رضی اللہ عنہ further said: By Allah, if Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ had ordered me to shift a mountain among the mountains from one place to another it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur'an. Then I said (to `Umar and Abu Bakr), "How can you do something which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not do?" Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ said, "By Allah, it is something beneficial." Zaid added: So he (Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ ) kept on pressing me for that until Allah opened my chest for that for which He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ and `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ , and I had in that matter, the same opinion as theirs. So I started compiling the Qur'an by collecting it from the leafless stalks of the date-palm tree and from the pieces of leather and hides and from the stones, and from the chests of men (who had memorized the Qur'an). I found the last verses of Sirat-at-Tauba: ("Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves--' (9.128-129) ) from Khuza`ima or Abi Khuza`ima رضی اللہ عنہ and I added to it the rest of the Sura. The manuscripts of the Qur'an remained with Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ till Allah took him unto Him. Then it remained with `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ till Allah took him unto Him, and then with Hafsa bint `Umar رضی اللہ عنہ . Muhammad bin Obaidullah states that '' اللِّخَافُ '' means gravels.