Qur’an, 30th juz’ (Sūrat al-Naba’ to the end)

The Qur’an was first transmitted in the oral tradition with its revelation (in Arabic) to the Prophet Muḥammad from the Archangel Gabriel around 610 CE, continuing until the Prophet’s death in 632 CE. The creation of muṣḥaf, or the compiled written pages of the Qur’an, began shortly thereafter and exemplify the poetic, prosaic, and geometric beauty of this religious text. These elements of the tradition have had a profound impact on language, literature, art, and architecture the world over. 

This example, one of the earliest Qur’ans in the Library’s collection, was likely copied in a Sufi khānqāh, or teaching center, in the Turkish city of Konya, and is elegantly written in two calligraphic styles: thuluth and muḥaqqaq. The text is purposely arranged in a five-line pattern, with the beginning of each verse indicated by gold rosettes, and the fifth and tenth lines of each sūrah, or chapter, by a sunburst motif in the margin. Large-format Qur’ans such as this were typically intended for public use or display, and were central to the practice of faith and the strengthening of communities across the Islamic world.