?–656 CE · Third Rashidun caliph
Uthman ibn Affan
'Uthman's standardisation of the Qur'anic text is corroborated within a century by material evidence: the Sanaa palimpsest's lower text remains recognisably the same Qur'an despite variant readings, and Marijn van Putten's linguistic work on shared spelling idiosyncrasies across every regional manuscript tradition points to one single written archetype underlying all later copies. His assassination in 656 also marks the point classical sources associate with the introduction of the maqsura, a screened enclosure in congregational mosques originally built for rulers' physical protection during prayer.
Content referencing this person
- Research Paper
Islam: History, Authority and the Development of Islamic Tradition
A historical-critical review of the Qur'an and Hadith as sources of religious authority in Islam, distinguishing established fact, scholarly consensus, majority and minority opinion, disputed claims, and theological interpretation at every step.
- Article
Islam: A Reader's Guide to the Qur'an, Hadith and Early Islamic History
A plain-language companion to Revert Way's academic review of the Qur'an and Hadith: the same evidence, sources, and arguments, with every technical term and historical figure introduced on first use.