Unknown - Qur'an - Bihar India - 1425

A miniature bi-folio from a Quran originating in the state of Bihar, India, circa 1425, with historical repairs to the edges, which do not intrude upon the scripture, but stabilise the folio. The folio contains scripture from chapter 27, An-Naml (The Ants) v.30-40. V-30-3 are the most interesting, describing the exchange between Prophet Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Specifically,
Verse 30: The Queen informs her court of a letter received from Solomon, notable for beginning "In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful".
Verse 31: Solomon's letter commands the Queen and her people to abandon their arrogance and submit to him as Muslims.
Verse 32: The Queen consults her advisors, stating she will not make a decision without their counsel.
Verse 33: Her council emphasizes their military strength but defers the final decision to the Queen.
Verse 34: The Queen wisely observes that conquering kings often ruin cities and humble the elite, suggesting caution.
Verse 35: She decides to send a gift to Solomon to gauge his true intentions.
Verse 36: Upon receiving the gift, Solomon rejects it, stating that Allah has given him something better and that the Queen and her people are the ones who value such gifts.

These verses highlight key themes such as wise leadership, the preference for diplomacy over conflict, and the importance of monotheism over material wealth.

It is written in a Arabic naskh script, with black ink and red diactritical markings to guide the devotee through prayer. In this case there are 17 lines of fine script with gold 'aya' marking the verses and several 'Allah' in gold thuluth font. The folio has two marginal illuminating the text, the first of which adorns the opening verse 30, "In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful", with the second marking the 35th verse.

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