{"data":[{"id":"86bb7077-9dda-4b2e-8862-858402ea5654","type":"exhibitions","attributes":{"title":"Reading Early Quran Manuscripts","slug":"the-art-of-quran-manuscripts","body":"

Islam is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion with a core sacred book: the Quran. Muslims regard the Quran as a book of divine guidance: a revelation from God (Allah), revealed to the prophet Muhammad ﷺ via the angel Gabriel (Jibrīl) over a period of twenty-three years. The first revelation was received in 609 in the Cave of Hirā’ on the mountain Jabal al-Nūr,when the prophet Muhammad ﷺ was forty years old, and concluded in 632, the year of his death. The Quran and its teachings serve as a primary source of law and guidance for Muslims. Alongside the collected Ḥadīth (traditions based on the sayings and actions of Muhammad ﷺ), the Quran influences all aspects of a Muslim’s worship, daily life and culture. Literally meaning ‘the recitation’, the Quran is recited aloud and committed to memory in its original Arabic across the Muslim world. Passages from the Quran are recited as part of daily prayers, communal worship, during rites of passages, as well as for personal devotional use. Quotations from, and references to, the Quran appear not only in everyday speech and mainstream media but are also selected to adorn buildings in both the public and private sphere, often in beautiful calligraphic script.

With the spread of Islam the text of the Quran began to be copied across vast geographical areas. As the physical embodiment of the revealed Word of God, Muslims treat the written Quran (muṣḥaf) with great veneration and respect. Although its primary value and beauty to Muslims lies in its contents, the guidance of its message, and its unique style of composition, it has also inspired some of the world’s greatest artists to reflect the beauty and clarity of the words of revelation in the form of the written word. The calligraphers and the illuminators who decorated Quran manuscripts (muṣāḥif) created some of the finest manuscripts ever produced and enjoyed a high status amongst artists.

This exhibition will explore the history and compilation of the Quran as a codex and its central place within the Arabic written tradition. Through the study of early Quran manuscripts, it will draw on examples from as early as the 7th century CE (1st Hijri century) - including the so-called 'Birmingham Quran' fragment - to chart developments in Arabic script and the way the Divine Word was presented in its written form.

Curated by: Dr Neelam Hussain

(Header image: f.1v-2r, Mingana Islamic Arabic MS 1572a, Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, Birmingham | Image copyright: Cadbury Research Library)

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