Unknown - Qur'an - India - 1751

A fine Qur'anic manuscript on burnished gold paper from a damaged Indian Qur'an dated 1751. The manuscript is written in bold black naskh script, and contains scripture from three Surahs. The leaf present the concluding verses of chapter 105, Al-Fil (The Elephant), the complete text of chapter 106, Quraysh (The People of Quraysh) and the opening 4 verses of chapter 107, Al-Ma'an (Simplest Aid). all the chapter headings are rendered in gold on burnished ground panels.

Chapter 105 verses describes the miraculous destruction of an invading army that intended to destroy the Kaaba in Mecca. Verses 3 to 5 detail how divine intervention thwarted the attackers, reducing them to helpless ruin. Chapter 6 is a short, four-verse Meccan chapter that reminds the Quraysh tribe (the custodians of the Ka'bah) of God’s immense blessings. It urges them to show gratitude and worship Him in return for the safety and prosperity they enjoy. And the first 4 verses of Chapter 107 define true faith by actions rather than mere words.

Despite its Indian origin, this leaf demonstrates a profound debt to Arabic manuscript tradition. The Naskh hand floors the canonical proportional system codified by the Abbasid master calligraphy rather Ibn Muqla which became the standard for Qura='panic copying across the Islamic world. The gilt surah heading panels and geometric border rulings echo conventions developed in mamluk and Ilkhanid Arabic manuscript atelier traditions which Indian scribes absorbed and perpetuated throughout the Mughal period.

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