After the death of Prophet Muhammad, Othman, the third Khalif ("Leader") of the Muslim community, was concerned that several variant versions of the Koran ("Quran") were circulating. He gathered scholars together to compile a definitive text in 651. All other Korans were to be handed in, burnt and replaced by a copy of the new text. Othman's text, known as the Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman, has been the definitive version of the Koran from that day to present.
The Koran contains a universal code of human conduct. It recounts the creation of the World, the stages of the divine revelation, and the place of mankind in the universe and in relation to the Creator. It plays a crucial role in shaping world history and is regarded as profoundly significant by large numbers of people throughout the world. The copy of the Koran inscribed in the International Memory of the World Register in 1997 is the oldest copy of the Koran in existence, being the only survivor of the very first batch of the definitive texts. Othman was reading it when he was assassinated in 656, and his blood flowed out over the pages of the book.