Islamic manuscripts

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Islamic manuscripts had a variety of functions ranging from Qur'anic recitation to Scientific notation. These manuscripts were produced in many different ways depending on their use and time period. Parchment (vellum) was a common way to produce manuscripts. [1] Manuscript creators eventually transitioned to using paper in later centuries with the diffusion of paper making in the Islamic empire. When Muslims encountered paper in Central Asia, its use and production spread to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and North Africa during the 8th century. [2]

Contents

Scripts

Kufic script, 8th or 9th century (Surah 48: 27-28) Qur'an. Folio from a Koran (8th-9th century).jpg
Kufic script, 8th or 9th century (Surah 48: 27–28) Qur'an.

The development of scripts in the Islamic empire, demonstrates the transition from an oral culture to convey information to a written form. Traditionally speaking in the Islamic empire, Arabic calligraphy was the common form of recording texts. Calligraphy is the practice or art of decorative handwriting. [3] The demand for calligraphy in the early stages of the Islamic empire (circa 7–8th century) can be attributed to a need to produce Qur'an manuscripts. During the Umayyad period, Kufic scripts were typically seen in Qur'an manuscripts. [3]

However, Arabic  was only one of the scripts used for recording religious manuscripts. In the Indian subcontinent, for example, Nizari Ismailis utilized the Khwajah Sindhi (Khojki) script, which was closely associated with their identity. [4] The specific form of this script was exclusively used by Nizari Ismailis, who were known as Khwajahs or Khojas. Recording religious literature in this script had the added benefit of preserving it from potentially hostile eyes.

Genres

Islamic manuscripts include variety of topics such as religion, medicine, astrology, and literature.

Religious Manuscripts

Blue Qu'ran, 9-10th century manuscript Der blaue Koran,Kairouan.JPG
Blue Qu'ran, 9–10th century manuscript

A common religious manuscript would be a copy of the Qur'an, which is the sacred book of Islam. The Qur'an is believed by Muslims to be a divine revelation (the word of god) to Muhammad, revealed to him by Archangel Gabriel. [5] Qur'anic manuscripts can vary in form and function. Certain manuscripts were larger in size for ceremonial purposes, others being smaller and more transportable. An example of a Qur'an manuscript is the Blue Qur'an. The Blue Qur'an is ceremonial in nature, which a Hafiz would utilize. It has gold Kufic script, on parchment dyed blue with indigo. [6] Many Qur'an manuscripts are divided into 30 equal sections (juz) to be able to be read over the course of 30 days. [7] The Chinese practice of writing on paper, presented to the Islamic world around the 8th century, enabled Qur'ans to begin to be written on paper. The decrease in production costs of Qur'an manuscripts due to the transition from parchment to paper enabled Qur'ans to be utilized more frequently for personal use/worship, rather than just ceremonial settings. [3]

Within the Nizari Ismaili Community, manuscripts were recorded in the Khwajah Sindhi (Khojki) script, as mentioned above. A common type of literature recorded in this script is known as Ginans. These are commonly in the form of devotional hymns recited by members of the community. The script also preserves other types of religious literature, such as songs of devotions in praise of Prophet Muhammed and legends about the Prophets. [4]

Evolution of Qur'anic Calligraphy and Technique

Hijazi script from an 8th century Qur'anic manuscript Hijazi script - Qur'anic verses.jpg
Hijazi script from an 8th century Qur'anic manuscript

Manuscripts of the Qu'ran have been created and copied since the Umayyad period (661-750.) [8] Over the course of this period, copies of Qur'anic manuscripts were produced in Damascus and were named the "Damascus papers." [8] Some parts of the Damascus Papers contained hijazi script which was unique to each calligrapher's writing style. [8] Hijazi script disregarded the use of short vowels and was created to serve as a memory aid to reciters. [8] Manuscripts with Hijazi script also utilized the rules of scripto continua and displayed no decoration or ornamentation. [9] Under the reign of Umayyad caliph, Abd-al-Malik (685-705), Qur'anic script was standardized and inserted onto other surfaces such as marble as a way to promote Arabic in the region. [8] One example of marble inscription is seen inside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. [8] When paper-making set its course towards central Asia, paper became the preferred material setting for Qur'anic manuscripts. The use of paper amplified the development of new writing styles and motivated calligraphers to heighten the manuscripts' aesthetic appeal. Kufic script had been used as the main style of scripture until about 1200. After [9] the turn of the 13th century, calligraphers began to prefer writing styles such as naskh to transcribe the Qu'ran. [8] Before the fourteenth century, calligraphers were responsible for both the text and illumination of Qur'anic manuscripts until the artwork became more complex and required its own specialist. [8]

Structure and Order of Qur'anic Manuscripts

In the making of Qur'anic manuscripts, early calligraphers used a strict set of geometric rules. For example, each page had a space reserved for writing which was divided into perfectly equal and parallel lines depending on thickness of the pen. [10] A set of key ratios was also used to determine the box's width and height. [10] After the structure of the text box was determined, calligraphers followed an interline system to write out the script. [10] Early Qur'anic manuscripts did not have a direct textual structure. To amplify oration and make recitation easier, illuminators created a decorative vocabulary. At first, the illuminators differentiated each surah by pairing it with a unique geometric band. [8] Subsequently, a more complex system was put in place in order to organize the Qur'an's contents and help individuals read and recite the text. This system included motifs (aya), chapters (surah), and primary divisions (juz) that are seen between each thirty sections and organize the singular text into different parts. [8] The Qur'an now contains 114 surahs with a range of three to 268 verses. [8]

Evolution of Illumination

Single-volume Qur'an 15th century manuscript from the Timurid Dynasty Khalili Collection Islamic Art qur 0323 fol 3b-4a.jpg
Single-volume Qur'an 15th century manuscript from the Timurid Dynasty

During the recitation of Qur'anic manuscripts, the frontispiece was presented to the audience in order to display the beautiful illumination. These illuminations usually use geometry, and nature as inspiration and don't display any sort of iconography due to the values of Islam. [11] Early illuminators had to create the perfect sense of symbolism and ornamentation to represent each section of text while keeping the text as the main focal point. [11] In the eighth century, when the Qur'an was first produced as a codex, ornamentation was already included in the design. [8] The entire frontispiece of the Qur'an usually contained illumination as well as the borders of the first few folios, the last folios, and the titles of each chapter in the text. [8] The use of illuminated medallions also became popular after the tenth century to indicate each fifth and tenth verse within the text. [8] Around the eleventh century, only the first and last folios out of the entire text were illuminated. The illuminations were typically applied in gold and incorporated geometric and vegetal designs. [8] During the reign of the Mamluk and Ilkhanid dynasties (1250-1517), paper became more accessible and allowed for the production of larger scale Qur'ans. [8] This influenced illuminators to add more complex designs and new motifs. Qur'anic manuscripts produced by Mamluks were noted for gilded foliate scrollwork as well as star-shaped and hexagonal motifs. [8] The Ilkhanid dynasty was responsible for adapting their geometric vocabulary to different sized manuscripts and sense of lavishness in design. [8] The Timurid dynasty (1370-1507) introduced a style of illumination that included fine gilded leaves and stems, red florets, and diamond shaped medallions on a dark-blue background. [8] An example of this style of illumination is seen in this single-volume Qur'an that was made between 1480 and 1500. Manuscripts from the Safavid dynasty (1500-1700) is known for their fine golden and floral scroll illuminations with lapis backgrounds. [8] Additionally, the Safavid dynasty is also known for the Shiraz manuscripts which were large in size and elaborate in design. [8] Illuminators from the Ottoman Empire (1400-1700) were influenced by Timurid illumination and followed their gold and blue floral style. [8] Ottoman illuminators also incorporated rose, hyacinth, and tulip motifs into their illuminations. The Ottomans also built a manufacturing studio in Istanbul where illuminated Qur'ans were produced into the beginning of the twentieth century. [8]

Scientific Manuscripts

Book of the Fixed Stars, 12th century scientific manuscript Book of the Fixed Stars Auv0218 gemini.jpg
Book of the Fixed Stars, 12th century scientific manuscript

Many early illustrated Arabic manuscripts are affiliated with scientific subjects. Scientific manuscripts discuss a variety of topics including but not limited to astronomy, astrology, anatomy, botany, and zoology. [12] The development of early illustrated scientific manuscripts began under the Islamic Abbasid dynasty in Baghdad in approximately the mid-8th century. The development of new scientific work starting to translation of old Greek scientific and learned works, and the make pure original scholarship in science, medicine, and philosophy in Arabic. [13] An example of an Arabic scientific manuscript is the Book of the Fixed Stars by Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi. This manuscript is a catalog of stars and their constellations, commissioned by the patron the Buyid prince Adud al-Dawla. [13] The Book of the Fixed Stars based most of its content on Ptolemy's Mathēmatikē Syntaxis (Almagest), which was translated from Greek to Arabic during the 9th century. Al-Sufi's included his own observations of Ptolemy's material into this manuscript as well. [14]

The Scientific Manuscripts of Timbuktu

One of the most significant examples of scientific Islamic manuscripts comes from the Timbuktu Manuscripts. [15] The creation of these manuscripts range from the 13th to the 20th century, with most of them being made during the Mali Empire (1230-1672). [16] Within these manuscripts, there is discussion of several scientific concepts including mathematics, astronomy, astrology, and medicine. Although these are scientific manuscripts, many of them include poetic structure. One example of these scientific manuscripts is Manuscript no. 2262, a work that discusses ideas about astronomy. This manuscript discusses the intersection between solar and lunar calendars. More specifically, this manuscript instructs the reader on how to determine January first of the Islamic Lunar Year 1023. Additionally, the manuscript discusses the process of determining whether or not it is leap year. [17]  Another example is Manuscript no. 1045, entitled by scholars as "The Treatment of Illnesses, Internal and External." [18] In this manuscript, the author discusses medical ideas such as: the use of plants for treating illnesses, the use of minerals and their medicinal powers, and the use of animal organs in certain healing processes. Timbuktu Manuscripts are unique due to the sheer volume of manuscripts discovered and their wide range of concepts including concepts of philosophy that contradicted common ideas about Islamic framework. [19]

Collections

Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library

The Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library has a collection of 25,000 Islamic Manuscripts. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] including Padshahnama,Tareek ke khandan e timuriya, Divān of Hafez, Safinatul Auliya and Sahih al-Bukhari, [22] hand-transcribed by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yazdan Bakhsh Bengali in Ekdala, eastern Bengal. The manuscript was a gift to the Sultan of Bengal Alauddin Husain Shah. [25] It is also the only library in the world to have the original manuscripts from the Caliphate of Cordoba. It presently has the best collection of Islamic manuscripts. [26] [27]

Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library

The Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library is a collection of thousands of Islamic manuscripts from Timbuktu. [28] [29] They were moved to Bamako for safekeeping due to the Mali War. [28]

The Zaydani Collection

The Zaydani Library or Zaydani Collection (Arabic : الخزانة الزيدانية) is a collection of manuscripts belonging to Sultan Zidan Abu Maali of the Saadi dynasty that is located at El Escorial in Spain. [30]

Cambridge University Library

In the 1630s Cambridge University founded a Professorship in Arabic. The Cambridge University Library collection started with the donation of the Quran by William Bedwell. Since then it has grown to over 5,000 works. It includes collections of Thomas Erpenius, J.L.Burckhardt, E.H.Palmer and E.G. Browne. [31]

The British Library

The British Library hold a collection of almost 15,000 works in 14,000 volumes. In 1982 the collections of the India Office Library were transferred to the British library. [32]

University of Michigan

One of the largest collections in North America is at the University of Michigan which holds 1,800 text contained in over 1,100 volumes. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuscript</span> Document written by hand

A manuscript was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has come to be understood to further include any written, typed, or word-processed copy of an author's work, as distinguished from the rendition as a printed version of the same.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calligraphy</span> Visual art related to writing

Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illuminated manuscript</span> Manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration

An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the practice continued into secular texts from the 13th century onward and typically include proclamations, enrolled bills, laws, charters, inventories and deeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic calligraphy</span> Artistic practice of calligraphy in Islamic contexts

Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy. It is known in Arabic as khatt Arabi, which translates into Arabic line, design, or construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sankoré Madrasah</span> Ancient center of learning in Timbuktu, Mali

Sankoré Madrasa is one of three ancient centers of learning located in Timbuktu, Mali. It is believed to have been established by Mansa Musa, who was the ruler of the Mali Empire, though the Sankoré mosque itself was founded by an unknown Malinke patron. The three mosques of Sankoré: Sankoré, Djinguereber, and Sidi Yahya comprise the University of Timbuktu. The madrasa went through multiple periods of patronage and renovation under both the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire until the Battle of Tondibi in 1591 led to its looting. Madrasa (مدرسة) means school/university in Arabic and also in other languages that have been influenced by Islam.

Thuluth is an Arabic script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new script by curved and oblique lines. In Thuluth, one-third of each letter slopes, from which the name comes. An alternative theory to the meaning is that the smallest width of the letter is one third of the widest part. It is an elegant, cursive script, used in medieval times on mosque decorations. Various calligraphic styles evolved from Thuluth through slight changes of form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Hamdullah</span>

Sheikh Hamdullah (1436–1520), born in Amasya, Ottoman Empire, was a master of Islamic calligraphy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maghrebi script</span> Form of Arabic script

Maghrebiscript or Maghribi script refers to a loosely related family of Arabic scripts that developed in the Maghreb, al-Andalus (Iberia), and Bilad as-Sudan. Maghrebi script is directly derived from the Kufic script, and is traditionally written with a pointed tip, producing a line of even thickness.

The history of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, is the timeline and origin of the written compilations or manuscripts of the Quran, based on historical findings. It spans several centuries, and forms an important major part of the early history of Islam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mashq</span>

Mashq is one of the oldest calligraphic forms of the Arabic script. At the time of the emergence of Islam, this type of writing was likely already in use in various parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It is first attested during the reign of caliph Umar, making it one of the earliest forms of Arabic script, along with Hijazi and Kufic. It was used in most texts produced during the first and second centuries after the Hijra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanaa manuscript</span> Early Quranic palimpsest

The Sanaa palimpsest or Sanaa Quran is one of the oldest Quranic manuscripts in existence. Part of a sizable cache of Quranic and non-Quranic fragments discovered in Yemen during a 1972 restoration of the Great Mosque of Sanaa, the manuscript was identified as a palimpsest Quran in 1981 as it is written on parchment and comprises two layers of text. The upper text largely conforms to the standard 'Uthmanic' Quran in text and in the standard order of chapters, whereas the lower text contains many variations from the standard text, and the sequence of its chapters corresponds to no known Quranic order. A partial reconstruction of the lower text was published in 2012, and a reconstruction of the legible portions of both lower and upper texts of the 38 folios in the Sana'a House of Manuscripts was published in 2017 utilising post-processed digital images of the lower text. A radiocarbon analysis has dated the parchment of one of the detached leaves sold at auction, and hence its lower text, to between 578 CE and 669 CE with a 95% accuracy. The earliest leaves have been tested at three laboratories and dated to 388-535 CE. Other folios have similar early dates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ibn al-Bawwab</span> Arabic calligrapher and manuscript illuminator (d. 1022)

Ibn al-Bawwāb, also known as Ali ibn-Hilal, Abu'l-Hasan, and Ibn al-Sitri, was an Arabic calligrapher and illuminator who lived in Baghdad. He is the figure most associated with the adoption of round script to transcribe the Qur'an. He most likely died around 1022 CE in Baghdad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottoman illumination</span> Painted or drawn decorative art in books or sheets

Turkish or Ottoman illumination covers non-figurative painted or drawn decorative art in books or on sheets in muraqqa or albums, as opposed to the figurative images of the Ottoman miniature. In Turkish it is called “tezhip”, meaning “ornamenting with gold”. It was a part of the Ottoman Book Arts together with the Ottoman miniature (taswir), calligraphy (hat), bookbinding (cilt) and paper marbling (ebru). In the Ottoman Empire, illuminated and illustrated manuscripts were commissioned by the Sultan or the administrators of the court. In Topkapi Palace, these manuscripts were created by the artists working in Nakkashane, the atelier of the miniature and illumination artists. Both religious and non-religious books could be illuminated. Also sheets for albums levha consisted of illuminated calligraphy (hat) of tughra, religious texts, verses from poems or proverbs, and purely decorative drawings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library</span> National library in Bihar, India

Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library, in Patna, Bihar, is one of the national libraries of India. It was founded in 1842 by Sir Muhammed Bakhsh and opened to the public on the 28th of October in 1891 by The Honourable Dr. Justice Sir Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh. Its collection started with 4,000 of Bakhsh's own manuscripts, of which he inherited 1,400 from his father, Sir Mohammed Bakhsh, a lawyer from Patna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Quran</span> Early Quranic manuscript

The Blue Quran is an early Quranic manuscript written in Kufic script. The dating, location of origin, and patron of the Blue Quran are unknown and have been the subject of academic debate, though it is generally accepted that the manuscript was produced in the late 9th to mid-10th century in either Kairouan, Tunisia or Cordoba in Umayyad Spain. The manuscript is among the most famous works of Islamic calligraphy, notable for its gold lettering on a rare indigo-colored parchment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Quran manuscript</span> Hijazi-script Quranic manuscript

The Birmingham Quran manuscript is a single sheet of parchment on which two leaves of an early Quranic manuscript or muṣḥaf have been written. In 2015, the manuscript, which is held by the University of Birmingham, was radiocarbon dated to between 568 and 645 CE. It is part of the Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts, held by the university's Cadbury Research Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early Quranic manuscripts</span> Documentary texts in Islamic studies

In Muslim tradition the Quran is the final revelation from God, Islam's divine text, delivered to the Islamic prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Gabriel). Muhammad's revelations were said to have been recorded orally and in writing, through Muhammad and his followers up until his death in 632 CE. These revelations were then compiled by first caliph Abu Bakr and codified during the reign of the third caliph Uthman so that the standard codex edition of the Quran or Muṣḥaf was completed around 650 CE, according to Muslim scholars. This has been critiqued by some western scholarship, suggesting the Quran was canonized at a later date, based on the dating of classical Islamic narratives, i.e. hadiths, which were written 150–200 years after the death of Muhammad, and partly because of the textual variations present in the Sana'a manuscript. With the discovery of earlier manuscripts which conform to the Uthmanic standard however, vast majority of Western revisionist theories regarding the historical origins of the Quran has fallen out of favor and been described as "untenable".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabic miniature</span> Small paintings on paper

Arabic miniatures are small paintings on paper, usually book or manuscript illustrations but also sometimes separate artworks that occupy entire pages. The earliest example dates from around 690 AD, with a flourishing of the art from between 1000 and 1200 AD in the Abbasid caliphate. The art form went through several stages of evolution while witnessing the fall and rise of several Islamic caliphates. Arab miniaturists absorbed Chinese and Persian influences brought by the Mongol destructions, and at last, got totally assimilated and subsequently disappeared due to the Ottoman occupation of the Arab world. Nearly all forms of Islamic miniatures owe their existences to Arabic miniatures, as Arab patrons were the first to demand the production of illuminated manuscripts in the Caliphate, it wasn't until the 14th century that the artistic skill reached the non-Arab regions of the Caliphate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nassar Mansour</span> Arab calligrapher

Nassar Mansour, , is an artist, calligrapher, academic and designer in the field of Islamic Arts, specializing in Islamic Calligraphy. He is considered to be one of the most accomplished contemporary Arab calligraphers today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fal-i Qur'an</span>

A fal-i Qur'an is a divinatory Qur'an used to predict and interpret the future for the user. The word fal-i comes from Persian and means divination. Islamic divinatory and occult practices grew in popularity during the Safavid Empire's rule, and manifested through practices such as astrology, geomancy, and the use of fal-i Qur'ans. The use of the fal-i Qur'an draws on previous practices across religions of using holy books for bibliomancy. Engaging in these divinatory tools allowed users to interpret events in their lives and offer advice. Fal-i qur'ans are often associated with falnama, decorated fortune telling books. A fal-i Qur'an is made up of a standard Qur'an with a divination chart, also referred to as a divination grid, at the end. The divination charts found in fal-i Qur'ans consist of a letter table and corresponding explanations which users can understand by following specific steps, to answer and offer advice to posed questions. The majority of fal-i Qur'ans still extant today are from the Safavid period, therefore created in the Safavid Quranic style. Safavid Qur'ans covered a range of styles from simple handwritten copies to very ornate and decorated versions with various colors.

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