Part I: Origins of the Text: Prophecy, Memory, and Early Codices
Before the Qur'an was a standardized text, it was a living revelation—oral recitations, memorized verses, and scattered written fragments preserved by the diverse community that first received them. This section explores the earliest layers of Qur'anic history: the Prophet Muhammad's role in arranging revelations, the urgent compilation efforts following his death, and the political and theological forces that shaped what would become the definitive text. These foundations reveal not a static manuscript handed down unchanged, but a sacred word carefully preserved through human memory and devotion, shaped by real people navigating the challenges of transmission across time and space.