Friday is an important day for Muslims. It is more significant & beneficial than any day of the week. In many Muslim countries Friday is a weekly holiday, people attend the mosque & read the Qu’ran #JummaMubarak
For Friday, a thread on beautiful Qur’anic manuscripts in museums…
1/ Folio from a Manuscript of the Qur'an
Iran, Shiraz, 1550-1575
Ink, colors and gold on paper
2/ Double Folio from a Qur'an
c. 1330-1350, Central Asian or Turkish
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
3/ Closing Prayer in the Jerrāḥ Pasha Qur˒an
Persia, Iran, Shiraz
ca. 1580
1st of 2 pairs of ornamental facing pages that appear at the end of the Jerrāḥ Pasha Qur˒an, made in Shiraz about 1580. It enshrines a prayer written in 12 lines
4/ Qur'an Manuscript, late 18th–early 19th century
India, Kashmir
Illumination found at the opening to 9 of the suras of this Qur'an (al-Fatiha, al-Ma'ida, Yunus, Bani Isra'il, al-Shu'ara, Qaf, al- Falaq & al-Nas) in a palette characteristic of Kashmir
Made for a Muslim ruler in or near Delhi, this copy is one of the oldest surviving Qur’ans from India. The scribe used a distinctive script called Bihari with letters ending in long, swooping lines
Calligrapher: Ahmad Sayri. Qur’an with selection of prayers and a falname; Arabic in black naskh script with white headings in illuminated cartouches in thuluth, muhaqqaq, and nasta’liq script
Produced for a noble patron from either Granada or Valencia, this 13th century Spanish manuscript of the Qur’an, is known as the Pink Qur’an, due to its distinctive tinted paper
11/ Qur'an Manuscript Folio,
Afghanistan, Herat, Safavid period (1501–1722)
Calligraphers who specialized in beautiful writing often dedicated their lives to copying the Qur’an to grow closer to Allah and receive his blessings.
Verses of chapter 1 (Surat al-fatihah) written in Naskh script in black ink with reading marks in red & interlinear gold decoration. Chapter headings & verses are written in Riqa" script in red ink
13/ This exquisite illuminated Qur’an manuscript probably comes from the northeast coast of the Malay peninsula, either from Kelantan in present-day Malaysia, or from Patani in southern Thailand.
This Qur’an was copied in Shiraz, by Muhammad Shafi‘, the most accomplished Persian calligrapher of the 19th century. It is the largest 19th-century Persian Qur’an known.
Dagestan is a republic located in the Russian Federation, & home to a rich manuscript culture. A feature of Daghistani manuscript illumination is the vibrant palette of red, yellow, green, purple & brown.
18/ This 17th-century Chinese Qur’an shows how Islamic styles of calligraphy and illumination were combined with local styles, symbols and aesthetics that came from a very different culture.
Rare copy of the Qur’an produced during Tughluq dynasty (1320–1413) India. After the invasion of Timur in 1398–1399, it was taken to Gwalior Fort in southern Agra, where its colophon was completed
The scribe was a pupil of Hüseyin Vehbi, who lived at Shumen in Bulgaria on the borders of the Dobruja. During the Ottoman period, Shumen was an important provincial centre for the copying, illumination & binding of Qur’ans
The Timurids ruled most of Iran & Central Asia for much of the 15th c. As patrons of the arts they established kitabkhanas (royal library-workshops) in Samarkand & Herat, producing luxurious Qur’ans
In 1807, Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar, was stolen from Senegal & sold into slavery in America. He left behind an autobiography written in Arabic.
To mark the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade & its Abolition, a thread on the remarkable story of Omar…
1/ Written in Arabic and recently acquired by the @librarycongress, "The Life of Omar Ibn Said” is not only a rare handwritten personal story of an American slave, but it's also one of the first intimate accounts of the early history of Muslims in the United States.
@librarycongress 2/ Omar wrote his brief autobiography, 190 years ago, & it spent much of the last century forgotten in an old trunk in Virginia. When he wrote it, Omar was 61 and more than two decades into a long enslavement in America, first in Charleston and then North Carolina
Did you know that in Arabic there are 12 levels of friendship? With every level of friendship there is an Arabic word to describe it.
From Sadeeq to Khaleel it is rare to find all 12 levels of friendship in one person.
For #FriendshipDay the 12 levels of friendship in Arabic...
1/ 𝙎𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙦 (صديق) - a true friend; someone who doesn't befriend you for an ulterior motive. The word "Sadeeq" is commonly translated as truth, so honesty and loyalty is at the core of this friendship
2/ 𝘼𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙨 (أنيس) - someone with whom you're really comfortable and familiar with.
Lubna of Córdoba, originally a slave in the 10th century, rose to become a prominent figure in history.
She served as the secretary to Caliph Al-Hakam II and played a pivotal role in creating the renowned library of Medina Azahara, which housed over 500,000 books.
Moroccan design is all about colour, texture & fluid lines. It is a unique blend of North African, Mediterranean & Islamic styles, creating a distinctive look, which has inspired artists & designers all over the world.
A thread on the art of Moroccan design aesthetics...
1/ City planning, military architecture, urban casbahs, and the intricate beauty of Moroccan carpets, woodwork, and zellij tilework are all part of this distinctive and brilliant world of art.
Moroccan aesthetics continues to influence artists and designers all over the world…
2/ Some of the readily recognized features of Moroccan design include Islamic geometric patterns, vivid colors, and zillij tiles. Zillij tiles are terra cotta tile-work of enamel chips set in plaster to create mosaic geometric shapes…
Arabic calligraphy is the most highly regarded element of Islamic art, as it is the language of Qur’an. The script has the potential for creating ornamental forms
Today, the art of Arabic calligraphy continues. Here are 20 contemporary artists redefining calligraphy
A thread...
1/ Influenced by her British and Pakistani heritage, artist Maaida Noor combines ancient techniques with modern expression. Through her work, she aims to reconnect with nature and spirituality, using harmonious geometries and vibrant colors as her language.
2/ Born in Tehran, @snasernia
began his career primarily as a calligrapher & typography artist. He turns Arabic letters into an abstract language, creating a new concept called Crazy Kufik & deconstructs the rules of Arabic & Persian writing