Unknown - Qur'an - Herat - 1460

Qur'an - Herat - Timurid - AD1460. This 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.

The leaf contains scripture from the Medinian Surah Al-Ma'idah (The Spread Table), v.45-48. The passage completes the "eye for and eye" law of retribution (verse 45 - marked by the illuminated gold medallion in the margin), then affirms that Allah sent Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam, confirming the Torah and bringing the Gospel (injil) as guidance and light (verse 46), and intructs the people of the Gospel to judge by what Allah revealed therein (verse 47). it confirms that the Quran was sent as a confirming, guarding criterion over previous scriptures, commanding judgement by Allah's revelation rather than by human desires (verse 48).

This passage affirms a continuous chain of divine revelation - Torah, Gospel, Quran - each confirming the last wile calling humanity to justice, mercy and truth. It teaches believers that law must rest on divine guidance and urges all towards righteous competition in good deeds.

The leaf contains 14 lines of elegant naskhi script in black ink and in an educated calligraphic hand. However, the calligrapher has added a one in the right margin to complete the verse - an unusual thing to do. Multiple free-hand 'aya' in a simple gold spiral mark out the verses. The leaf has a single marginal(Juz) in gold marking the final th verse division of the Chapter. The leaf is fully framed in gold and blue lines.

This is a good clean copy and very well preserved for its age dating from around the time of the fall of Constantinople to Islam in 1453.

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