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One of the greatest misconceptions in leadership is believing that documentation is optional.
Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) promised:
"Verily, We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)."
(Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)
"Verily, We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)."(Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)
Yet Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) preserved the Qur'an through means.
During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), every revelation was written down by his scribes while it was also memorized by the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم).
After the Battle of Yamamah, around seventy huffadh were martyred. Fearing that more memorizers could be lost, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) urged Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) to compile the Qur'an into a single manuscript. Zayd ibn Thabit (رضي الله عنه) was appointed to lead the effort, carefully verifying every verse from both written manuscripts and those who had memorized it. Two memorizers recited each verse before it was approved.
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The Sahabah Preserved the Qur'an Through Systems
Years later, during the Khilafah of Uthman ibn Affan (رضي الله عنه), Islam had spread across many lands and differences in recitation began causing disputes. He again appointed Zayd ibn Thabit (رضي الله عنه) to prepare the official mushaf according to the final recitation of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in his last review with Jibril (عليه السلام).
The official mushaf preserved only the final recitation and excluded verses and recitations that had been abrogated.
Copies were then distributed throughout the Muslim world.
Think about this.
Hundreds of companions had already memorized the Qur'an.
Today, millions of Muslims know it by heart.
Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) had already promised to preserve it.
Yet the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) still documented it through writing.
Documentation Preserves Institutions
If the greatest revelation ever sent to mankind was documented despite Allah's promise to preserve it, why do so many Muslims still believe they do not need to document the processes of their businesses, masajid, schools, and organizations?
Knowledge locked inside one person's mind dies with that person.
Knowledge that is documented becomes an institution that can outlive a single person.
What would change in the Muslim world if we preserved our organizations with the same seriousness that the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) preserved the Qur'an?
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