Koran - Safaivid - 1550

A clean, well preserved bi-folio from a 16th Century Qur'an from the Ottoman. The folio contains the first three verses of Chapter 13, Ar-Ra'd (Thunder) and its Surah written in gold thuluth within a plain header framed in gold together with the final verses of the preceding chapter, Yusuf (Joseph).

The first three verses of Chapter 13 contain the "Ta, Seen - "disconnected letters" (known as Muqatta'at) that appear at the beginning of certain Surah. Their specific meaning has not been revealed and is known only to Allah. The others emphasise the divine origin of the Quran, the absolute power of Allah as the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and the signs in nature that point towards His existence and the certainty of the Resurrection. The last verses of Yusuf, summarize the core themes of the entire chapter and deliver a universal message about God's plan, the nature of prophecy, and the truth of the Quran. Specifically they: serve as a strong reminder that worldly security is temporary and that the Day of Judgement could come unexpectedly; instruct the Prophet Muhammad to declare that his path is to call people to the worship of the One God (Allah); provides solace to the Prophet Muhammad and believers that, despite suffering and delay, divine assistance and victory are assured for the righteous, while punishment is inevitable for the guilty; emphasizes that the Quran is not a fabricated tale but a confirmation of previous scriptures, a detailed exposition of all necessary guidance, and a source of mercy for those who believe.

The manuscript written in evenly spaced naskhi in black ink, with the verses marked by simple gold aya containing a blue centre dot and four equally spaced radial markings. A thick gold frame surrounds each folio, with a finer blue outer frame line completing the framing. There are a small number of devotional markings in red within the script.

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