It is stated in Sahih Muslim that those who compiled the Qur'an during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were forty, and some Orientalists have mentioned that this number does not establish mass transmission.
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The questioner : Your Eminence! It is stated in Sahih Muslim: "that the Qur'an was compiled during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by forty"
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : That it is stated in Sahih Muslim: the Qur'an was compiled during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by forty, Abu [so-and-so] and others.
The Shaykh : Jam'ah
The questioner : The compilation of the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : That the Qur'an was compiled during the time of the Messenger.
The questioner : Yes, forty.
The Shaykh : Forty.
The questioner : Forty men.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed
The questioner : And how do we respond to the Orientalists' claim that the Qur'an is not mass-transmitted due to this limitation?
The Shaykh : They compiled it, but those in their time approved of it. And I might entrust the compilation of a book to a specific person, even if people know it; they did not bring forth anything that people would reject; everyone approved of what was compiled.
The questioner : Due to this limitation, they...?
The Shaykh : No, it does not mean that when they compiled it, they were the sole possessors of its knowledge. They were not the sole possessors of its knowledge, but they compiled it, just as if I entrusted, for example, a person to write for me, for example, *Zad al-Mustaqni'*; if I entrusted four people, does it mean that the others did not know about it?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Absolutely not. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), was he among those who compiled it? I ask you, was he among the four or not?
The questioner : He was not among the forty.
The Shaykh : And do you think that anything mentioned by these four was hidden from him?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : He is a scholar, clear?
The questioner : Yes, clear.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : That it is stated in Sahih Muslim: the Qur'an was compiled during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by forty, Abu [so-and-so] and others.
The Shaykh : Jam'ah
The questioner : The compilation of the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : That the Qur'an was compiled during the time of the Messenger.
The questioner : Yes, forty.
The Shaykh : Forty.
The questioner : Forty men.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed
The questioner : And how do we respond to the Orientalists' claim that the Qur'an is not mass-transmitted due to this limitation?
The Shaykh : They compiled it, but those in their time approved of it. And I might entrust the compilation of a book to a specific person, even if people know it; they did not bring forth anything that people would reject; everyone approved of what was compiled.
The questioner : Due to this limitation, they...?
The Shaykh : No, it does not mean that when they compiled it, they were the sole possessors of its knowledge. They were not the sole possessors of its knowledge, but they compiled it, just as if I entrusted, for example, a person to write for me, for example, *Zad al-Mustaqni'*; if I entrusted four people, does it mean that the others did not know about it?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Absolutely not. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), was he among those who compiled it? I ask you, was he among the four or not?
The questioner : He was not among the forty.
The Shaykh : And do you think that anything mentioned by these four was hidden from him?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : He is a scholar, clear?
The questioner : Yes, clear.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.