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Why Did the ʿUthmanic Codex Use Tābūt Instead of Tābūh?

23 June, 2026
Q Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. Our esteemed teacher—thank you very much for all that you do in spreading beneficial knowledge. I have a point to raise and a question, if you would kindly answer it, regarding an issue in the history of the writing and copying of the Qur’an during the ʿUthmānic codification. The matter concerns the statement of the Caliph ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, to the committee tasked with copying the Qur’an: “If you (i.e., you Qurashīs) differ with Zayd, then write the text according to the tongue of Quraysh, for the Qur’an was revealed in their tongue, which is the most eloquent of the tongues of the Arabs.” Then, as I understand it, they did not differ until they reached the verse containing the word “tābūt,” where a disagreement arose concerning the form of the word. The committee then returned to the Caliph, and he commanded that it be written with a final open tāʾ (a normal “t”), not according to what Zayd al-Anṣārī preferred, namely the form “tābūh” with a tāʾ marbūṭah. My question is: Why did the Caliph command them to revert to the tongue of Quraysh in cases of disagreement when there was already a Prophetic reference point firmly established in the Sunnah—namely, the Bakrī–Ṣiddīqī codex—which must have contained the correct orthography of the word tābūt? So why did the disagreement occur in the first place? Another question: Why was the form “tābūh” not written in one of the ʿUthmānic codices sent to some regions, and “tābūt” in another, so long as both are sound transmissions from the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Surely Zayd al-Anṣārī would not have chosen the tāʾ marbūṭah form without prior hearing or Prophetic approval—is that not so? If there is any confusion or misunderstanding in what I have presented, I kindly request correction and clarification. May Allah reward you with goodness.

Answer

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
23 June, 2026

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

Why Was Tābūt Written in the ʿUthmanic Mushaf?

  1. The disagreement involved spelling, not revelation.
  2. The scribes copied from Hafsah’s codex.
  3. ʿUthman instructed them to use the Quraysh dialect.
  4. The goal was one written standard.
  5. Authentic recitations remained preserved.
  6. The standard prevented future disputes.


Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

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Your concern would not be relevant once the pertinent facts are properly examined.

The committee disagreed over a single word: At-Tabut.
It was not about the Qur’an itself, but rather about spelling and dialect.

They were copying from the codex kept by HafSah, which traced back to the time of Abu Bakr. At that time, writing depended on what the eye saw, what the ear heard, and how people spoke. Different Arab tribes pronounced and wrote certain words differently, and this was one of those cases.

When the issue arose, `Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allh be pleased with him) issued clear instructions. He stated that the word should be written in the dialect of Quraysh, as the Qur’an was first revealed in their tongue. He was not dismissing what others had learned from the Prophet (peace be upon him); he was establishing a single, recognized standard for writing.

The word  At-Tabut was not originally Arabic. It came from another language and had been adapted by Arabs in various ways. Zayd ibn Thabit, a reliable scribe in Madinah, used one form, while the Qurashis used another. Both forms were known and utilized.

However, `Uthman was considering more than just one word. Islam had spread, and regional copies were emerging, leading to different writing habits. If this trend had continued, confusion would have ensued, and disputes would have arisen later.

As caliph, his duty was to ensure unity. He standardized the written form of the Qur’an to prevent the community from fracturing. There would be one spelling in the official Mushaf and one written standard.

This decision did not eliminate other recitations; variations in reading remained. However, the writing had to be uniform. The Rasm he approved was broad enough to encompass the accepted readings while maintaining the stability of the page.

This was an act of care, not control; wisdom, not rejection.
It demonstrates how the early community protected the Qur’an—faithful to what the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught and mindful of future generations.

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Almighty Allah knows best.

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada