Unknown - Qur'an - Herat - 1460

Qur'an - Herat - Timurid - AD1460. This is a manuscript leaf from a Koran scribed shortly after Shah Rukh’s reign at a time of great political turmoil. It was relatively small for ease of carriage, thus was most likely for private use.

It contains scripture from chapter 47, Surah Muhammad, v.19-26, which move from a command to affirm God's oneness and seek forgiveness, into a sharp and searching examination of the hypocrites in the early Muslim community. When a Surah commanding real commitment is revealed, those with diseased heats recoil as if facing death and God reminds the faithful that sincere obedience and righteous speech would have served then far better. The hypocrites are challenged with a devastating question - whether if they turn away they will simply spread corruption and be identified as those whom God has cursed. It asks whether they are prepared to reflect on the Quran or whether they have 'locks on their hearts'. These verses carry a powerful moral message that sincerity of faith is tested by action not words.

There are 14 lines of evenly spaced and elegant naskhi script in black ink and in an educated calligraphic hand. Multiple free-hand 'aya' in a simple gold spiral mark out the verses. Two marginal mark the 15th and 20th verses respectively. The leaf is fully framed in gold and blue lines.

There is some devotional use staining bottom left through page turning but otherwise this is a good clean copy and well preserved for its age dating from around the time of the fall of Constantinople to Islam in 1453.

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