Date

Late 1st century hijra, 710 – 715 CE in the reign of the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid.

Using palaeography, ornamentation and illumination of this manuscript, Hans-Caspar Graf von Bothmer dated it to the last decade of the 1st century of hijra, around 710 – 715 CE, in the reign of the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid. However, the radiocarbon dating of this manuscript suggests a date between 657 and 690 CE.

Description

Surah al-Muddaththir: verse number 56 to end. Surah al-Qiyama: verse number 1 to 26.

Script

Kufic

This monumental Qur’anic manuscript, perhaps one of the most well-studied, had the dimensions of 51 cm in length by 47 cm in width. Its origin appears to be from Syria. Hans-Caspar Graf von Bothmer from the University of Saarland, Germany, studied this manuscript in great deal from the point of view of script, ornamentation and illumination.

Location

Maktabat al-Jami‘ al-Kabir, San‘a’ (Yemen).

Date

1st century hijra.

Size

33 cm. x 26 cm.

Description

Surah al-Shura, Surah al-Zukhruf. Verses number : End of verse 49 of Surah al-Shura to verse 31 of Surah al-Zukhruf and part of 32.

Script

Hijazi.

Two opposite pages of the Qur’an probably copied at the beginning of the first century of hijra. It was written in italic script that was used in copying the Qur’an at that time. The verses divisions also indicate the beginning of the usage of simple ornamentation which is nothing but adjacent strokes.

Location

Maktabat al-Jami‘ al-Kabir, San‘a’ (Yemen).

Date

First half of the 1st century hijra.

Description

Surah al-Sajda: verse number: 20 to Surah al-Ahzab: verse number 6.

Script

Hijazi.

According to Hans-Casper Graf von Bothmer, this palimpsest fragment of a Qur’an can be tentatively dated to the first half of the first century of the hijra. Underneath the bold, dark brown writing, faint light brown traces of an earlier script can be seen. This has been washed off to make the parchment reusable once again.

Location

Maktabat al-Jami‘ al-Kabir, San‘a’ (Yemen).