to preserve the purity of the Meccan dialect of the book. Another proof that some change was made is afforded by the statement that on this occasion Zaid recollected a verse which was not in the first copy, and which he had himself heard Muḥammad recite. He did not, however, venture to insert it merely on his own authority, but searched until he found another man who could recite it from memory. When this was done, the verse was entered in Sûratu’l Aḥzâb. Then “ ʽUthmân1 returned the sheets to