Muslims believe Laylat al-Qadr, is the night God first revealed the Qurʾān to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), through the angel Gabriel. It takes place on one of the final 10 nights of Ramadan.
For #LaylatalQadr here are 23 Qur’anic manuscripts in museums & collections.
A thread…
1/ Folio from Qur’an, 1075-1100 Saljuq
Iran @NatAsianArt
Sura al-Ma'ida (the Table spread) 5:34 and part of 35, recto begins with "illalladhina"; verso: sura 5:parts of 35 and 36, verso begins with "waja[a]hidu; Arabic in black eastern kufic (New Style) #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
2/ Folio from Qur’an, 9th - 10th century
North Africa @brooklynmuseum
The “Blue” Qur’an, named after the rich, indigo-dyed parchment used for its folios, is arguably one of the most extraordinary luxury manuscripts ever created #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
3/ Folio from Qur’an, c. 19th century
Malay Peninsula, Terengganu
Asian Civilisations Museum
Gold played an important, possibly role in defining the aesthetics of Qur’anic calligraphy from Terengganu (eastern Malaysia). #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
Shiraz was a significant and highly prolific center for the production of luxury manuscripts, including copies of the Qur’an, some of which were intended for export. #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
5/ Folio from Qur’an, 19th century
Ottoman, Turkey @Sothebys
Written in naskh in black ink, ruled in gold, black & red, verses separated by gold and polychrome rosettes #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
6/ Folio from Qur’an, 1640–41
Pre-Partition India @KhaliliOnline
The scribe was ‘Abd al-Haqq Amanat Khan Shirazi, who was particularly famous as a calligrapher and designed the inscriptions for the Taj Mahal at Agra, retired to a village near Lahore #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
7/ Folio from Qur'an, 14th century
Egypt or Syria @metmuseum
Mamluk Qur’an manuscript, surat al-Maryam written in naskhi script inside cloud-bands, a device inspired by Chinese art, against a hatched background #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
8/ Leaf from Qur'an, 3rd century AH/CE 9th
Middle East @walters_museum
Written in Early Abbasid (Kufic) script in dark brown ink & vocalized with red & green dots. #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
9/ Folio from Qur'an, 1053/1643
Beijing, China
credit @CellardEleonore
Women calligraphers copying the Qur'ān are well known but female names are rarely found in manuscripts. This copy has the name of calligrapher Ama Allāh Nūr al-'ilm bint Rashīd al-Dīn #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
Dagestan is a republic located in the Russian Federation & home to a rich & distinctive manuscript culture. Start of Surah Maryam, with calligraphic treatment of the 'mysterious letters', at the #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
11/ Folio from Qur'an, c. 1360-1380
Cairo, Egypt @CBL_Dublin
Closing pages from a Mamluk Qur'an with chapter 113 and 114 in muhaqqaq script. #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
12/ Folio from Qur'an, 1307–8
Baghdad, Iran @metmuseum
During the Ilkhanid period a series of magnificent large‑scale Qur'an manuscripts were produced. This can be directly linked to royal patronage; the size, quality of their paper & splendid calligraphy #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
13/ Folio from Qur'an, Hafsid dynasty, early 9th/15th
National Library of France
Purple Quran’ from the collection of the National Library of France. Made in Maghreb, written with silver ink on dyed paper. #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
14/ Folio from Qur'an, 16th century
Ottoman, Turkey @NatAsianArt
15/ Folio from Qur'an, 1232-1492 CE
Spain @ChristiesInc
The Andalusian Pink Qur’ān, written in Maghribi script on large dyed paper, is attributed to the Nasrid sultans of Granada, who used to write their letters on colored papers varying from red to pink #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
16/ Folio from Qur'an, 14th century
Cairo, Egypt @librarycongress
The first chapter of the Qur’an, al-Fatihah (The Opening). The script in the main text frame is in naskh, a cursive style preferred in Qur’ans made in Cairo during the 14th-15th centuries #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
18/ Leaf from Qur'an, 8th/9th c.
Hast Imam Library, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The Samarkand Kufic Qur’an was thought to be one of the oldest copies. The date the it was written varies between 595 AD – 855 AD. Most researchers agree it was written in 8th/9th c. #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
19/ Folio from Qur'an, 19th Century
Banten, Java, Indonesia.
National Library of Indonesia, Jakarta
A fine example of Islamic illumination in South East Asia, with distinctive use of black and red #Ramadan#LaylatulQadr
20/ Folio from Qur'an, 1246 AH/1831 AD
Kashmir @Sothebys
Copied by Muhammad Hasan lines to the page, written in naskh in black ink within clouds against a gold ground, the Persian interlinear in red nasta’liq #Ramadan#LaylatalQadr
21/ Folio from Qur'an, c. 1330-1350
Central Asia @philamuseum
Early Muslim settlers from central and western Asia carried Islamic book traditions into India, especially in the form of Qur'ans, such as the one from which these pages come #Ramadan#LaylatalQadr
22/ Folio from Qur'an, 14th century
Mamluk, Egypt @NatAsianArt
Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur'an; left -hand half of a double-page frontispiece; Sura al-Baqara (the Cow), sura heading in white kufic with gold rosette verse markers #Ramadan#LaylatalQadr
23/ Folio from Qur'an, Late 16th century
Deccan (Golconda) @MorganLibrary
This magnificent leaf originally must have faced a page that began with Muḥammad's first revelation (610), sura 96.1—5 (Iqraa, or "Read!" or "Proclaim"), also known as al-˓Alaq #Ramadan#LaylatalQadr
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In the Islamic holy book, the Qur’an a chapter is dedicated to the bee, called An-Nahl. This literally translates to ‘The Bee’ & it describes the bee’s way of life, & how Muslims should be more like them.
For #WorldBeeDay we are celebrating the bee in Islam 🐝
A thread…
1/ Al Nahl, Chapter 16, 68-69, talks about a variety of topics, but Allah specifically chose the title The Bee to catch the attention of the readers. Bees are said to be Allah’s miracles; the way they function and how they behave, are to be held as an example #WorldBeeDay
2/ The significance of Al Nahl as Chapter 16 is important. The only verse in this chapter that mentions bees is made up of 16 words & 16 different Arabic letters. Coincidentally, female bees have 16 pairs of chromosomes, whereas males have 16 chromosomes #WorldBeeDay
Cats in Egypt have had a longer history than they have had in almost any other part of the world. Egypt was likely the first place where cats were domesticated 10,000 years ago & are still much loved today
It’s Caturday & to celebrate the weekend, a thread on the cats of Cairo…
1/ Cairo has a long history of caring for cats, which goes all the way back to the origins of the city and is firmly rooted in Egyptian culture, Islamic beliefs and sense of practicality #Caturday
2/ In Islam, cats are considered clean animals & the only animal to allowed to enter the Great Mosque of Mecca. There are many stories in the history books referencing Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) love of cats
A cat sleeping on Aq Sunqur Shrine in the Blue mosque, Cairo
#Caturday
Japan, renowned for its rich cultural heritage & deep historical roots, has gently incorporated Islam into its societal fabric. The story of Islam's introduction to Japan is one of cultural exchange & mutual respect.
A thread on Islam & Mosques in Japan...
1/ Islam made its way to Japan through various channels, including trade, academic exchanges, and diplomatic relations. As early as the 8th century, Japan interacted with Islamic civilizations via trade routes linking it to the Muslim world.
2/ However, it wasn't until the modern era that Islam became more visible in Japan.
Ever wondered who paved the way for the age of algorithms?
It was a 9th-century Muslim genius, mathematician, geographer & astronomer, Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi - also known as the Father of Algebra
A thread on the incredible Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi…
1/ Even the term algorithm is Al-Khwarizmi translated into Latin!
The scientist and mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi lived from 780 to 850 AD in Persia and Iraq.
2/ Al-Khwarizmi's most significant contribution to mathematics was the development of algebra. His book, "Kitab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala" (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing), introduced systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations.
Latinized names of scholars who worked within Islamic culture and wrote mostly in Arabic.
Some are amongst the greatest minds in human history.
A thread…
1/ Ibn Sinã
Latinized
Avicenna
(11th c. CE)
The Muslim world's preeminent philosopher/physician, flourishing during the Islamic Golden Age. His book Qanün ut-Tibb influenced Europe until the 16th c. Of Persian birth but wrote mostly in Arabic.
2/ Ibn Rushd
Latinized
Averroës
(12th c. CE)
Arab Andalusian polymath who wrote on many subjects, including philosophy and medicine. The most influential commentator on Aristotle, he was known in the West as the 'Father of Rationalism.'
Turkey is a treasure trove of architectural wonders, natural beauty & ancient history. The country is at the point where Europe & Asia collide - it is this transcontinental culture-clash that enriches Turkey’s heritage.
A thread on Turkey’s beautiful cities & villages...
1/ Safranbolu A town in the Black Sea region of northern Turkey, once a stop on the trade route between Europe and the Orient. Its Ottoman architecture includes the old Çarşı district, with hundreds of preserved, red-roofed Ottoman houses on cobblestone streets
1.1/ Safranbolu is more of a museum-city, with its cobblestone streets, hill houses & natural beauty evidence of its worthiness of being declared a cultural asset. It was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites due to its well-preserved Ottoman era houses & architecture