Unknown - Quran - Chinese - 1760

A folio from an 18th Century Chinese Qur'an (circa 1760), which contains the header and opening of the Meccan Surat al-Jinn (chapter 72), together with the end of Surat Nuh (Noah) (chapter 71). An illuminated header marks the transition between the two chapters.

The final verse of Chapter 71 is a powerful supplication, where Prophet Noah (Nuh) asks Allah for forgiveness for himself, his parents, and all believers, while praying that the stubborn wrongdoers face total destruction. It concludes his centuries-long mission by making a clear distinction between the faithful and the defiant.

The first verse of chapter 72 states that a group of jinn (unseen spiritual beings) listened to Prophet Muhammad recite the Quran and were deeply moved, returning to their people to describe it as an "amazing recitation" that guides to the right path

This is a striking example of Sini script, a distinctive Chinese style of Arabic calligraphy developed by Muslim communities in China, suggesting brush strokes. It is in Muhhaqaq, characterised by bold left leaning extended upstrokes of the pen, well-spaced ligatures, and shallow and sweeping horizontal sublinear flourishes. It is 'meticulously produced' as the name implies. During the caliphate of al Ma'mun (813-833) it became the preferred style of the Warraqun (professional scribes) to enable relatively easy reproduction.

This is a rare and visually arresting folio made not merely for devotion but also Quranic study.

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