Quran copy in UK may be oldest, says UAE scholar

Dubai - He told Khaleej Times that the radiocarbon analysis of the two leaves of the Holy Quran copy indicates that it could date back to the time of Syedna Abu Bakr.

A UAE scholar who has examined the recently-discovered copy of the Holy Quran in Birmingham University, UK, has said that the copy could have been commissioned by Syedna Abu Bakr Al Siddiq, the first Caliph (AD 632 to 634) after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passed away.
Jamal bin Huwaireb, managing director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, has photographed the ancient parchment.
He told Khaleej Times that the radiocarbon analysis of the two leaves of the Holy Quran copy indicates that it could date back to the time of Syedna Abu Bakr. His analysis matches that of Birmingham and Oxford scholars, who have said that this was an "exceptional breakthrough" that will throw the door wide open for scholars.
"The radiocarbon analysis ... dated the parchment - which contains parts of chapters 18 to 20 written in Hijazi script - to AD 568 and 645 with 95.4 per cent accuracy. And that dates the leaves close to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)," he said.
"Though some scholars thought that the Quran copies written and gathered at the time of Abu Bakr were burnt and no longer existed, some others believed that was not the case. I believe this manuscript is the root of Islam and will be a revolution in studying Islam."
Some commentators believe that the Birmingham's copy complements the part preserved in France, which is believed to have been moved from Egypt at the time of Napoleon in the early 19th century.
Bin Huwaireb pointed out that Abu Bakr had assigned the great companion Zaid bin Thabit - who was known for his brilliance, neat writing and sharp memory - to collect, examine and write the Holy Quran.
"Bin Thabit reportedly managed to master the Hebrew language in just two weeks, and hence he was assigned to collect and standardise the copies of the Quran by the third Caliph Othman bin Affan," he said.
How it all began
The copy of the Holy Quran was found in Birmingham last year after being lost for more than a century.
According to some media reports, the Birmingham's fragments appeared to be at least 1,370 years old and were believed to be held in Egypt's oldest mosque, the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As in Fustat city.
"What was really startling about the Birmingham discovery was its early date, with radiocarbon testing putting it between 568 and 645 (AD)," the BBC reported. "The latest date in the range is 13 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 632."
Mustafa Shah from the Islamic Studies department at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London was reported as saying that the 'graphical evidence', spanning separation of verses and grammatical marks, show this is from a later date.
The radiocarbon tests carried out on the parchment of the Birmingham folios yield the strong probability that the animal from which the skin was taken was alive during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or shortly afterwards.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE