Burning of Original Quran

After the Uthman compilation of the Quran, multiple hadith claim that Marwan personally had the original Quran forcefully confiscated and burned. The narration states that after Zaid ibn Thabit compiled the entire suhuf of the Quran, it was with Abu Bakr until he died in 634 CE, then went to Umar ibn Khattab until he died in 644 CE, and then to Umar's daughter and the prophet's wife Hafsa. When Uthman began his efforts to compilet his mushaf he requested to obtain the Quran from Hafsa. Hafsa reluctantly obliged but was concerned that he would destroy it. He promised to return it, which he did, but then shortly after, Marwan confiscated it and burned it.

Narrated Abdullah, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Malik informed me, from Ibn Shihab, from Salim and Kharija, that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq had collected the Qur'an in parchments, and he had asked Zaid ibn Thabit to look into it. Zaid refused until Abu Bakr sought help from Umar, and then he agreed to do so. Those parchments remained with Abu Bakr until he passed away, then they were with Umar until he passed away, and then they were with Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Then Uthman sent for her, but she refused to give them to him until he promised to return them to her. She sent them to him, and he copied them into these mushafs, then returned them to her. Marwan sent for them, took them, and burned them.

حدثنا عبد الله قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب قال: أخبرني مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن سالم وخارجة أن أبا بكر الصديق كان جمع القرآن في قراطيس وكان قد سأل زيد بن ثابت النظر في ذلك، فأبي حتى استعان عليه بعمر، ففعل، وكانت تلك الكتب عند أبي بكر حتى توفي، ثم كانت عند عمر حتى توفي، ثم كانت عند حفصة زوج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فأرسل إليها عثمان فأبت أن تدفعها إليه حتى عاهدها ليردّها إليها، فبعثت بها إليه فنسخها في هذه المصاحف ثم ردّها إليها حتى نزل مروان حتى أرسل مروان فأخذها فحرقها.

Kitab Al Masahif Ibn Abu Dawud pp. 15-16

Ibn Shihab narrated that Salim bin Abdullah said: When Hafsa passed away, Abdullah bin Umar sent her scrolls to Marwan. Marwan took them and burned them to avoid any discrepancies, following the example of Uthman's compilation of the Qur'an.

قال ابن شهاب: فحدثني سالم بن عبد الله قال: فلما توفيت حفصة أرسل عبد الله بن عمر بحزامها فجاءوا ليبعثوها بها، فأرسلوا حفصة أرسل بها عبد الله بن عمر إلى مروان فأخذها وحرقها فمشى في شيء من اختلاف لما نسخ عثمان ما نسخ رحمه الله عليه.

Kitab Al Masahif Ibn Abu Dawud p. 28

Narrated Abdullah: Muhammad bin Auf narrated to us: Abu al-Yaman narrated to us: Shu’aib narrated to us from al-Zuhri who informed me that Salim bin Abdullah said that Marwan used to send to Hafsa requesting the manuscript from which the Quran was copied, but Hafsa refused to give it to him. Salim said: When Hafsa passed away and we returned from her burial, Marwan sent someone to Abdullah bin Umar requesting that he send him those manuscripts. Abdullah bin Umar sent them to him, and Marwan ordered that they be shredded. Marwan said: "I only did this so that no one would remain with anything of this matter in their heart in the future, or say that there was something in it that was not written."

حدثنا عبد الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن عوف قال: حدثنا أبو اليمان قال: أخبرنا شعيب عن الزهري أخبرني سالم بن عبد الله أن مروان كان يرسل إلى حفصة المصحف التي كتب منها القرآن فيأبى حفصة أن تعطيه إياه. قال سالم: فلما توفيت حفصة ورجعنا من دفنها أرسل مروان بالعزية إلى عبد الله بن عمر ليرسل إليه بتلك الصحف، فأرسل بها إليه عبد الله بن عمر، فأمر بها مروان فشقت. قال مروان إنما فعلت هذا لئلا يكون في قلب أحد بعدهم شيء من هذا الشأن في زمان، أو يقول إنه قد كان شيء منها لم يكتب.

Kitab Al Masahif Ibn Abu Dawud p. 32

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