The Qur'ân c1700This is a rare copy of a Qur’an from Harar, the pre-eminent centre of Islam in Ethiopia and the capital of an independent emirate form the middle of the 18th century.
Arabic manuscript on paper, 17 lines of black ‘Eastern’ Sudani script to the page, orthography and recitation marks in black, red and green, margins ruled in black and red, illuminated frontispiece with text of Surat al-Fatiha and beginning of Surat al-Baqara within a rectangular border of white vegetal scrolls in a red and green frame, bound in contemporary Harar leather binding with stamped central medallion and corner pieces and paper doublures.
This is a rare copy of a Qur’an from Harar, the pre-eminent centre of Islam in Ethiopia and the capital of an independent emirate form the middle of the 18th century.
Typical of Harari work, and of a quality not matched elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, is the exceptionally fine leather binding. Both the distinctive large, curved script and zig-zagging marginal commentary are strongly reminiscent of the so-called ‘Bihari’ Indian Qura’ns of 15th century, raising questions concerning cultural transfer between India, South Arabia and the East African coast.
The Qur’an is preceded by an elaborate introduction and orthographic index, outlining the principles according to which it has been copied. According to the copyist these are the rules of Abu’l-Qasim al-Shatibi (b. 1144), the Valencian scholar, whose versified guidebook to Qur’anic orthography was one of the major authorities on the science of qira’a (recitation).