Codicology of the Qur’ānic Manuscripts (17): Qur'ans in Hijazi Script - The Oldest Handwritten Qur'ans"

Document Type : pajoohesh

Author

10.22081/jap.2023.75313

Abstract

Abstract: Ancient Qur'anic manuscripts are generally known as Kufic Qur'ans. Writing the Qur'an in various forms of Kufic script continued until the early 7th century AH. Among these, a category of ancient Qur'anic manuscripts exhibits features rarely seen or entirely absent in other Kufic manuscripts. These Qur'ans, characterized by an overall slant and a tendency to the right, are referred to as Hijazi. This article explores and introduces the most important characteristics of Qur'anic writing in the Hijazi style during the first and early second centuries AH. These features are generally not continued in the Kufic script in subsequent centuries. Therefore, the presence of all or most of these features in an ancient Qur'anic manuscript points to its transcription in the first or early second century AH.

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