Does Uthman burning the Mushafs and uniting the Muslims upon one Mushaf indicate that the Quran has not reached us in its entirety?

"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran, and indeed, We will be its guardian."

"Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it. It is a revelation from a Lord who is All-Wise, Praiseworthy."

"Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation."

The basis of evidence: Allah has guaranteed the preservation and collection of the Quran. Therefore, nothing of what Allah intended to remain recited until the Day of Resurrection can be lost. The Quran that we possess today is the same Quran that Allah revealed to His Prophet ﷺ and which the Companions, the Tabiin, and those who came after them transmitted through Tawatur, both through memorization and writing.

Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه narrated: "Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman came to Uthman ... Hudhayfah became alarmed by their differences in recitation, so Hudhayfah said to Uthman: 'O Commander of the Believers! Save this Ummah before they differ concerning the Book as the Jews and Christians differed.'" Uthman رضي الله عنه then requested the written sheets that were in the possession of Hafsah and instructed four Companions to copy them into Mushafs. He then sent copies of these Mushafs to the different regions. At the end of the Hadith, it is mentioned: "And he sent to every region a Mushaf from what they had copied, and ordered that all other Quranic materials, whether written on sheets or in Mushafs, be burned."

The basis of evidence: Uthman did not compile the Quran independently from the beginning. Rather, he relied upon the written sheets that had been compiled during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and were in the possession of Hafsah bint Umar. He instructed that copies be made from these sheets and sent to the different regions, then ordered the removal of the other Mushafs to prevent differences.

It is authentically reported that Ali bin Abi Talib رضي الله عنه said: "Do not say anything about Uthman except good. By Allah, he did not do what he did concerning the Mushafs except after consulting a group of us." He then mentioned that Uthman consulted the Companions regarding uniting the Muslims upon one Mushaf and that they agreed with him.

The basis of evidence: Uthman did not undertake this action independently. Rather, he consulted the Companions, who agreed with him, including Ali bin Abi Talib رضي الله عنه. Ibn Masud رضي الله عنه objected to certain procedures involved in the compilation. However, this does not invalidate the agreement of the Companions regarding the Mushaf upon which the Muslim Ummah eventually settled.

"We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth one better than it or similar to it."

"We will make you recite, and you will not forget, except what Allah wills."

Therefore, not everything that has been established as having been recited during a particular stage of revelation must necessarily be part of the Quran whose recitation was finalized toward the end of the Prophet's life. The scholars have discussed this matter when explaining the differences between the personal Mushafs of the Companions.

Zayd رضي الله عنه said: "So I began searching for the Quran and collecting it from palm stalks, thin stones, and the memories of men." The written sheets then remained with Abu Bakr, followed by Umar, and subsequently with Hafsah رضي الله عنهم

The basis of evidence: The preservation of the Quran did not depend upon a single Mushaf that could be lost through burning. Rather, it was preserved in the memories of the Companions and recorded in written sheets. It was then transmitted to the Muslim Ummah through direct learning and Tawatur.

"When Uthman رضي الله عنه learned of the differences among the people, and Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه came to him and said, 'Save the people,' he consulted the Companions who were present during his time, such as Ali, Talhah, Al-Zubair رضي الله عنهم , and others. They advised him to unite the Quran upon one Harf so that the people would not differ."

"Uniting the people upon one Harf was a good deed, and Uthman رضي الله عنه and the Companions deserve to be thanked for it, as it facilitated matters, made things easier, and eliminated the causes of disagreement among the Muslims."

The basis of evidence: Uthman's رضي الله عنه intention was to preserve the Quran and maintain the unity of the Muslims. He did not intend to remove or alter anything from the Quran.

"If a Mushaf is in a condition where it can no longer be used because it has become torn, then it may either be buried in a clean place or burned. Both of these methods were practiced by the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."

He also mentioned that the Companions burned the Mushafs when they united the Muslims upon the Mushaf of Uthman. The basis of evidence: Burning the pages of Mushafs for a legitimate Islamic purpose does not constitute disrespect toward the Quran or the destruction of the preserved speech of Allah.

He authenticated the chain of narration of the report from Ali bin Abi Talib رضي الله عنه concerning the Companions' agreement with Uthman رضي الله عنه regarding the compilation of the Mushafs. This is mentioned in Fath Al-Bari (8/634).

This demonstrates that Uthman's رضي الله عنه action was undertaken in consultation with the Companions and was not an independent decision intended to remove anything from the Quran.

A fatwa titled "Uthman's رضي الله عنه compilation of the Quran, the Companions' consensus regarding the Quran he compiled, and refuting certain doubts" explains that Uthman relied upon the written sheets compiled during the time of Abu Bakr. He had copies made from these sheets, sent the Mushafs to the various regions, and removed the other Mushafs to eliminate the causes of disputes and differences.