The Ṣaḥīfa of Medina is preserved thanks to two 9th century historiographers: Ibn Hishām and Abū 'Ubayd. It clearly illustrates, through variants present in both the text and its chain of transmission, the challenges posed by sources that reach us by way of oral tradition. The present study sheds fresh light on the text of one of Islam's most important documents by investigating its nuances, as adding greater clarity to the social and political context of this challenging and important text.