The Quran is believed by Muslims to be the word of God (Allah) revealed orally to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over approximately 23 years, starting around 610 CE

. Muhammad himself did not write the Quran; rather, he memorized the revelations and dictated them to his trusted companions, who acted as scribes and recorded the verses on various materials such as parchment, palm leaves, and bones during his lifetime

. After Muhammad's death, the first caliph, Abu Bakr, ordered the compilation of these scattered writings and memorized verses into a single manuscript to preserve the Quran

. This task was further standardized under the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, who commissioned copies of the Quranic text to be made and distributed throughout the Islamic empire to ensure uniformity and prevent disputes over its recitation

. Some Shia traditions hold that Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad’s cousin and son- in-law, compiled his own codex of the Quran shortly after Muhammad's death, but the widely accepted Sunni view credits Abu Bakr’s and Uthman’s efforts with the official compilation and canonization of the Quranic text

. In summary:

• The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God via angel Gabriel.
• Muhammad memorized and dictated the revelations to companions who wrote them down.
• After Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr initiated the collection of these writings.
• Uthman ibn Affan standardized and canonized the Quranic text into the form known today

Thus, the Quran is considered by Muslims to be divine revelation received by Muhammad, compiled and preserved by his companions and early caliphs, rather than authored by Muhammad himself or any human author