Zayd ibn Thabit

Zayd ibn Thabit was an ansar, one of the early converts in Medina who aided Muhammad's mission. He became the prophet's chief recorder, writing down Quranic revelations as they were delivered. He joined the Muslim army at 19. After Muhammad's death in 632, Caliph Abu Bakr gave him the order to compile the Quran from its dispersed sources—fragments inscribed on whatever surface was at hand, alongside oral transmission from those who'd memorized passages. The work made him the foremost Quranic expert of his generation, and he spent his later years reciting the text he'd assembled.