Zayd ibn Thabit reported: Abu Bak sent for me after the people of Al-Yamamah were killed and Umar ibn al-Khattab was with him. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Umar came to me and said that many reciters of the Quran were killed in the fighting at Al-Yamamah, saying: I am afraid more reciters will be killed in battles to come and much of the Quran will be lost, and I think you should order for the Quran to be compiled. I said to Umar: How can you do something that was not done by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him? Umar said: By Allah, this will be a good thing. Umar continued to appeal to me until Allah opened my heart to that and I saw the good in it that Umar saw.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4701
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari
عَنْ زَيْد بْن ثَابِتٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مَقْتَلَ أَهْلِ الْيَمَامَةِ فَإِذَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ عِنْدَهُ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِنَّ عُمَرَ أَتَانِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْقَتْلَ قَدْ اسْتَحَرَّ يَوْمَ الْيَمَامَةِ بِقُرَّاءِ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ يَسْتَحِرَّ الْقَتْلُ بِالْقُرَّاءِ بِالْمَوَاطِنِ فَيَذْهَبَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ تَأْمُرَ بِجَمْعِ الْقُرْآنِ قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ عُمَرُ هَذَا وَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عُمَرُ يُرَاجِعُنِي حَتَّى شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرِي لِذَلِكَ وَرَأَيْتُ فِي ذَلِكَ الَّذِي رَأَى عُمَرُ
4701 صحيح البخاري كتاب فضائل القرآن باب جمع القرآن