Early Qur’ānic Manuscripts: An Overview by Professor François Déroche
To reconstruct the Qur’ān’s historical journey to the modern period, the most precious physical source we have at our disposal are the actual vessels of the Qur’ānic text itself – Qur’ānic manuscripts. In chapter two, Professor François Déroche, the world expert on Qurānic Manuscripts, who has produced pioneering work in this field provides a comprehensive overview of early Qur’ānic manuscripts.
In particular he draws attention to the earliest extant manuscripts in our possession. These extant manuscripts were composed primarily on parchment, or animal skin, and stored in depositories where manuscripts which were no longer in use were stored in the various heartlands of the Muslim world such as Damascus, Qayrawān, Fustat and Ṣanʿā’.
Through radiocarbon (C14) dating, these early manuscripts can be roughly dated from the middle of the first/seventh century to the middle of the sec- ond/eighth century. Professor Déroche looks at the history of the discovery and study of these early manuscripts in the West.
The figures that were involved in this process, the activities they undertook with these manuscripts, and the current state of the field. He discusses some of the problems that working with these manuscripts entails, such as the process of dating these manuscripts, and the role palaeography and radiocarbon dating have played in this process of the eventual dating of these manuscripts to as far back as the second half of the first/seventh century.
The difficulties in reconstructing where these actual manuscripts were produced is also considered, since even if they were found in depositories in Damascus, Qayrawān, Fustat or Ṣanʿā’, this does not entail that they were originally produced in these regions.
The chapter then looks closely at some of the technical material aspects of these early Qur’ānic manuscripts, including the kind of writing surfaces and ink that were used, the size and format of the manuscript, the types of quires and bindings which were used, and the setting and ruling of the pages.
The chapter also gives a broad overview of the technical typology that is adopted in categorising the various styles of scripts which were utilised in writing the Qur’ān, such as Ḥijāzī and late Ḥijāzī.
The chapter then includes a comprehensive overview of the internal features of these specific Qur’ānic manuscripts. More specifically, looking at orthographical practice and the way various letters and words were copied by these scribes, the development of verse and chapter division, and the use of illuminations.
This excerpt is from The History of the Qur'an - Approaches and Explorations
Compiled by Redhwan Karim
Paperback - 9781847742346
Hardback - 9781847742353
The Qur'an's history, from its origins to its modern transmission, is a complex and understudied topic. This book delves into various stages of the Qur'an's history, examining its earliest manuscripts, variant readings, and translations.
It explores the unique orthography of the Qur'an, the codification process, and the theories of Muslim scholars on variant readings. By focusing on understudied aspects of the Qur'an's transmission, this work makes significant contributions to the field of Qur'anic studies.
The book features contributions from F. Redhwan Karim, François Déroche, Éléonore Cellard, Yousry Elseadawy, Nazir Khan, Ammar Khatib, M.A.S Abdel Haleem, Zahed Fettah, Yasir Qadhi, Khairil Husaini Bin Jamil, Stephen Cúrto, Meysam Kohantorabi and Afsan Redwan.
