Zaid b. Thabit said: “The Prophet died and the Qur’an had not been assembled into a single place.” (p. 118, Ahmad b. `Ali b. Muhammad al `Asqalani, ibn Hajar, "Fath al Bari", 13 vols, Cairo, 1939/1348, volume 9, page 9)
Zuhri reports, 'We have heard that many Qur'an passages were revealed but that those who had memorized them fell in the Yemama fighting. Those passages had not been written down, and following the deaths of those who knew them, were no longer known; nor had Abu Bakr, nor `Umar nor `Uthman as yet collected the texts of the Qur'an.
“During the battle of Yamama, 450 reciters of the Quran were killed.” (The True Guidance, An Introduction To Quranic Studies, part 4 [Light of Life - P.O. BOX 13, A-9503 Villach, Austria], p. 47- citing Ibn Kathir’s Al-Bidaya wa al-Nibaya, chapter on Battle of Yamama)
Muhammad's child wife said this after Muhammad died:
"The verse of the stoning and of suckling an adult ten times were revealed, and they were (written) on a paper and kept under my bed. When the messenger of Allah expired and we were preoccupied with his death, a goat entered and ate away the paper."
References: Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. vol. 6. page 269; Sunan Ibn Majah, page 626; Ibn Qutbah, Tawil Mukhtalafi 'l-Hadith (Cairo: Maktaba al-Kulliyat al-Azhariyya. 1966) page 310; As-Suyuti, ad-Durru 'l-Manthur, vol. 2. page 13
As to the Taurat (Torah), Jewish scribes painstakingly copied it via a system of checking, double checking and adding each letter on each line. Any attempt to change something in the Torah would have resulted in immediate discovery and condemnation. And copies of the Torah from around the world agree exactly.
This same quality of transmission cannot be said of the Islamic Qur'an. The Islamic Qur'an was written down from 3rd and 4th hand accounts; and from a few thoughts written on scrap papers --and compiled over 150 years after Muhammad died in 632 A.D. The oldest Qur'an dates from around 790 A.D. (after Jesus), and it is in the British Library. That's 158 years after Muhammad’s death. See corrupted Qur'an here .
Muslims often claim that the manuscript of the Qur'an housed in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the oldest sources. Muslims say it dates from around 650 A.D. There is an insurmountable problem with this. This document is written in Kufic (also known as al-Khatt al-Kufi) script. Coins in the British Museum show that the first coins using the Kufic script date from the mid to end of the 8th century (750-800 A.D.). The only script used during and after Muhammad's days was the Jazm script.
The Samarkand (aka: Othman Koran) manuscript in the Soviet Library in Tashkent, Uzbekistan also uses the Kufic script, indicating late 8th century. Many believe it is the oldest in existence. Only About one-third of the original survives.
The library where the Koran is kept is in an area of old Tashkent known as Hast-Imam, well off the beaten track for most visitors to this city. It lies down a series of dusty lanes, near the grave of a 10th century scholar, Kaffel-Shashi.
This Samarkand codice manuscript is considerably incomplete. It only begins in the middle of verse 7 of Suratul-Baqarah (the second Surah) and from there on numerous pages are missing. The next oldest Muslim manuscripts are also from the 8th-century. One is written in al-ma'il script and the other in Kufic. Neither of these correspond precisely to today's Qur'an. Also, scraps found in Yemen differ and contradict today's Qur'an so badly, that Muslims try to hide this. These Yemeni Qur'an scraps are actually the oldest found, and it is Hijazi. Hijazi (Makkan or Madinan) script, is the script in which the earliest masahif of the Qur'an were written. So, your guess is as good as mine who in addition to Muhammad made up the Qur'an.
Considering the complete absence of external and internal evidence that should effectively verify the revelatory character of the Qur'an, we find it very hard, if not impossible, to accept the Qur'an as a Message sent by God. This is particularly so, because the Qur'an contradicts earlier revelation, the evidence for the origin of which is given in Qur'an/Koran Suras below.
Ask a Muslim, by whom, and when were the Christian and Jewish Scriptures corrupted? You will get a blank stare. Muslims only know is that this lie has been "drilled" into them since childhood.
Even though their own prophet completely attested to the genuineness and authenticity of the Old and New Testaments, Islam makes the claim that they have been corrupted. Why? Because the Qur'an erroneously contradicts them both. And Islamic clerics know it. In Muslim cleric minds this also relieves them of Muhammad's statements such like:
Muslims who have received the Qur'an have no solid grounds of faith, and that the foundation of the Muslim faith is insecure and insufficient and the Muslim religion is futile, unless they observe and follow the Taurat (Torah) and the Gospel (Injil).
Many Muslims Imams and Mullahs falsely point to Sura 2:140 to try and prove that Jews and Christians had corrupted their Scriptures. Referring to the Jews, this sura says; "...who is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah?...?" Yet, nowhere does this Sura state that the Jews and Christians corrupted their scriptures. Muslim clerics need to point to something because they know that the Jewish Torah and Christian Gospels badly contradict the Islamic Qur'an. The fact that Muhammad and Allah told Muslims to believe in the Torah and Christian Gospels is a very bad dilemma for these professionals who wish to continue making a good living in Islam.
Suras 6:34, 6:115, 10:64 and 50:28,29 clearly says to Muslims, "No change can there be in the words of Allah" and that Allah cannot alter (or abrogate) his words." So the Torah and Christian Gospels are correct, because Allah did verify this fact -- this clearly makes the Muslim Qur'an false; because it contradicts Allah.
As you can see from these verses below in the Qur'an (Koran), the Gospel of Jesus and the Jewish Torah are the divine Word of Allah, and Muhammad commanded the reading of the Holy Injil (Gospel of Jesus) and the Torah (Taurat) as part of Islam.
As a Good Muslim - Have you read the Gospel of Jesus?
The Gospel of Jesus and Old Testament (Torah): "Guidance and Light"
- Sura 2:87 - And most certainly We gave Musa the Book and We sent apostles after him one after another; and We gave Isa, the son of Marium, clear arguments and strengthened him with the holy spirit,
- Sura 3:48 - And He (Isa/Jesus) will teach him the Book and the wisdom and the Tavrat (Torah) and the Injeel (Christian Gospel).
- Sura 3:50 - And a verifier of that which is before me of the Taurat (Torah) and that I may allow you part of that which has been forbidden t you, and I have come to you with a sign from your Lord therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah and obey me.
- Sura 5:44 - "Surely We revealed the Taurat (Torah/Bible Old Testament) in which was guidance and light", with it the prophets who submitted themselves....
- Sura 5:46 - And We sent after them in their footsteps Isa, son of Marium, verifying what was before him of the Taurat (Jewish Torah) and We gave him the Injeel (Christian Gospels) in which was guidance and light, and verifying what was before it of Taurat and a guidance and an admonition for those who guard (against evil).
- Sura 5.68 - Say: O followers of the Book! you follow no good till you keep up the Taurat and the Injeel and that which is revealed to you from your Lord;
- Sura 6.154: Again, We gave the Book (Torah) to Musa to complete (Our blessings) on him who would do good (to others), and making plain all things and a guidance and a mercy, so that they should believe in the meeting of their Lord.
- Sura 6.155: And this (Torah) is a Book We have revealed, blessed; therefore follow it and guard (against evil) that mercy may be shown to you.
- Sura 29:46 "And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one;
- Sura 32:23 - And certainly We gave the Book to Musa, so be not in doubt concerning the receiving of it, and We made it a guide for the children of Israel.
- Sura 43:63 - When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: "Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me.
- Sura 46:12 we are told.... "And before it the Book of Musa (Moses) (Torah) was a guide and a mercy: and this is a Book verifying (it) in the Arabic language that it may warn those who are unjust and as good news for the doers of good......"