Uthman ibn Affan (RA) — 3rd Caliph
644–656 CE · The Rightly-Guided Caliphs
Uthman commissions the standardised Mushaf (written Quran) — distributing authoritative copies to all major cities and burning variant manuscripts to ensure textual unity. This single act may be the most consequential preservation effort in human history. Islamic territory continues expanding into North Africa, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.