Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World

Arabic MS 704 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)

Arabic Manuscripts

Contents

Title: al-Qurʾān
Title: القران
Language(s): Arabic
Incipit: انه لكران كريم في كتاب مكنون
Explicit: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Possibly the biggest Qurʾānic manuscript in the world.

Previously believed to have been written for Qansuḥ al-Ghūri (1500-1516 CE), the penultimate Mamluk sultan of Egypt and formerly belonging to his mosque at Cairo (see Mingana catalogue). Most recently it has been dated to the 14th century, and associated with Sultan Shaʾbān (1363-1376) and his mother Khwānd Baraka. It shows similarity to MSS 9 and 10 at the National Library, Cairo (see James, Rylands Arabic MS. 42, Ohta, the Bindings of Qansuh al-Ghawri, p. 215)).

The deficiency at the beginning, caused by the piece torn away at the bottom of folios 1 and 2, consists of two lines on folio 1a, and of two lines on folio 2b (Surah 2). The corresponding portions of folios 1b and 2a were filled in with the proper words by the French restorer. However, on page 4 he inserted Surah 3:1-2 instead of the missing text (Surah 2:9-11). On folio 1a his addition is similarly false and superfluous, and seems to be simply a meaningless imitation of the Arabic script.

.

Between folios 469 and 470 - between 89:28 (ارجعى) and 98:5 (اوليك) - there are about three leaves missing.

The deficiency at the end is the absence of the last surahs from 101 to 114, which implies the loss of about 12 leaves, calculating for the amount of space occupied by the numerous headings.

Filiation: Two folios of the manuscript are now housed in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin: CBL Is 1627 and CBL Is 1628.
Filiation: Another folio of this manuscript is now housed in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts: 09.335, containing on one side Surah 85:13-22 and 86:1-7 (only one side has been digited and described).
1a
Title: Introductory page

Illuminated page with verses from the Quran (Surah 56:77-80) and an inscription: هذا المصحف الشريف شرفه الله وعظمه برسم الخوانة الشريفة السلطانية الملكية... بسم عطمه.

1b
Title: Sūrat al al-Fātiḥah
Title: سورة الفاتحة

Surah 1:1-7.

2a-39b
Title: Sūrat al-Baqarah
Title: سورة البقرة

Surah 2.

Folio 2a: first four verse of the surah is in illuminated full border.

39b-60a
Title: Sūrat ʾĀli ʿImrān
Title: سورة ال عمران

Surah 3.

60a-83a
Title: Sūrat an-Nisā
Title: سورة النساء

Surah 4.

83a-100a
Title: Sūrat al-Māʾidah
Title: سورة المايدة

Surah 5.

100a-117b
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAnʿām
Title: سورة الانعام

Surah 6.

117b-137b
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAʿrāf
Title: سورة الاعارف

Surah 7.

137b-145a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAnfāl
Title: سورة الانفال

Surah 8. Last two words of Surah 8:75 are in an illuminated panel.

145b-161a
Title: Sūrat at-Tawbah
Title: سورة التوبة

Surah 9.

161a-172a
Title: Sūrat Yunus
Title: سورة يونس

Surah 10.

172a-183a
Title: Sūrat Hūd
Title: سورة هود

Surah 11. Last three words of 11:123 are in an illuminated panel.

183a-193b
Title: Sūrat Yusuf
Title: سورة يوسف

Surah 12.

194a-199a
Title: Sūrat ar-Raʿd
Title: سورة الرعد

Surah 13.

199a-204a
Title: Sūrat ʾIbrāhīm
Title: سورة ابراهيم

Surah 14.

204b-208b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥijr
Title: سورة الحجر

Surah 15.

208b-220a
Title: Sūrat an-Naḥl
Title: سورة النحل

Surah 16.

220a-229b
Title: Sūrat Al-Isrāʿ
Title: سورة الاسراء

Surah 17.

229b-239a
Title: Sūrat al-Kahf
Title: سورة الكهف

Surah 18.

239a-245a
Title: Sūrat Maryam
Title: سورة مربم

Surah 19.

245a-253b
Title: Sūrat Ṭā Hā
Title: سورة طه

Surah 20.

253b-261a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAnbiyāʾ
Title: سورة الانبياء

Surah 21.

261a-269a
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥajj
Title: سورة الحج

Surah 22.

269a-275b
Title: Sūrat al-Muʿminūm
Title: سورة المومنون

Surah 23.

276a-285b
Title: Sūrat al-Muʿminūm
Title: سورة المومنون

Surah 24.

285b-289b
Title: Sūrat al-Furqān
Title: سورة الفرقان

Surah 25.

289b-298a
Title: Sūrat ash-Shuʿarāʾ
Title: سورة الشعراء

Surah 26.

298a-304b
Title: Sūrat an-Naml
Title: سورة النمل

Surah 27.

304b-313b
Title: Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ
Title: سورة القصص

Surah 28.

313b-320a
Title: Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt
Title: سورة العنكبوت

Surah 29.

320a-325a
Title: Sūrat ar-Rūm
Title: سورة الروم

Surah 30.

325a-328b
Title: Sūrat Luqmān
Title: سورة لقمان

Surah 31.

328b-330b
Title: Sūrat as-Sajdah
Title: سورة السجدة

Surah 32.

330b-337b
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAḥzāb
Title: سورة الاحزاب

Surah 33.

337b-344a
Title: Sūrat Sabaʾ
Title: سورة سبا

Surah 34.

344a-347b
Title: Sūrat Fāṭir
Title: سورة فاطر

Surah 35.

347b-353a
Title: Sūrat Yā Sīn
Title: سورة يس

Surah 36.

353a-358a
Title: Sūrat aṣ-Ṣāffāt
Title: سورة الصافات

Surah 37.

358a-363b
Title: Sūrat Ṣād
Title: سورة ص

Surah 38.

363b-370b
Title: Sūrat az-Zumar
Title: سورة الزمر

Surah 39.

370b-376b
Title: Sūrat Ghāfir
Title: سورة غافر

Surah 40.

376b-382b
Title: Sūrat Fuṣṣilat
Title: سورة فصلت

Surah 41.

382b-387b
Title: Sūrat ash-Shūrā
Title: سورة الشورى

Surah 42.

387b-392b
Title: Sūrat az-Zukhruf
Title: سورة الزخرف

Surah 43.

393a-395a
Title: Sūrat ad-Dukhān
Title: سورة الدخان

Surah 44.

395a-398a
Title: Sūrat al-Jāthiyah
Title: سورة الجاثية

Surah 45.

398a-402a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAḥqāf
Title: سورة الاحقاف

Surah 46.

402a-405b
Title: Sūrat Muḥammad
Title: سورة محمد

Surah 47.

405b-408b
Title: Sūrat al-Fatḥ
Title: سورة الفتخ

Surah 48.

408b-410b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt
Title: سورة الحجرات

Surah 49.

411a-413a
Title: Sūrat Qāf
Title: سورة ق

Surah 50.

413a-415b
Title: Sūrat adh-Dhāriyāt
Title: سورة الذاريات

Surah 51.

415b-417a
Title: Sūrat aṭ-Ṭūr
Title: سورة الطور

Surah 52.

417b-419b
Title: Sūrat an-Najm
Title: سورة النجم

Surah 53.

419b-421b
Title: Sūrat al-Qamar
Title: سورة القمر

Surah 54.

421b-423b
Title: Sūrat ar-Raḥmān
Title: سورة الرحمن

Surah 55.

423b-426b
Title: Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah
Title: سورة الواقعة

Surah 56.

426b-429b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥadīd
Title: سورة الحديد

Surah 57.

430a-432b
Title: Sūrat al-Mujādilah
Title: سورة المجادلة

Surah 58.

432b-435a
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥashr
Title: سورة الحشر

Surah 59.

435a-437a
Title: Sūrat al-Mumtaḥanah
Title: سورة الممتحنة

Surah 60.

437a-438b
Title: Sūrat aṣ-Ṣaff
Title: سورة الصف

Surah 61.

438b-439b
Title: Sūrat al-Jumuʿah
Title: سورة الجمعة

Surah 62.

439b-440b
Title: Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn
Title: سورة المنافقون

Surah 63.

440b-442a
Title: Sūrat at-Taghābun
Title: سورة التغابن

Surah 64.

442a-444a
Title: Sūrat aṭ-Ṭalāq
Title: سورة الطلاق

Surah 65.

444a-445b
Title: Sūrat at-Taḥrīm
Title: سورة النحريم

Surah 66.

445b-447a
Title: Sūrat al-Mulk
Title: سورة الملك

Surah 67.

447b-449a
Title: Sūrat al-Qalam
Title: سورة القلم

Surah 68.

449a-450b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥāqqah
Title: سورة الحاقة

Surah 69.

450b-452a
Title: Sūrat al-Maʿārij
Title: سورة المعارج

Surah 70.

452b-453b
Title: Sūrat Nūḥ
Title: سورة نوح

Surah 71.

453b-455b
Title: Sūrat al-Jinn
Title: سورة الجن

Surah 72.

455b-456b
Title: Sūrat al-Muzzammil
Title: سورة المزمل

Surah 73.

457a-458b
Title: Sūrat al-Muddathir
Title: سورة المدثر

Surah 74.

458b-459b
Title: Sūrat al-Qiyamah
Title: سورة القيامة

Surah 75.

459b-461a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInsān
Title: سورة الانسان

Surah 76.

Verses 37-38 are supplied in the margin.

461a-462b
Title: Sūrat al-Mursalāt
Title: سورة المرسلات

Surah 77.

462b-463b
Title: Sūrat an-Nabaʾ
Title: سورة النبا

Surah 78.

463b-465a
Title: Sūrat an-Nāziʿāt
Title: سورة النازعات

Surah 79.

465a-465b
Title: Sūrat ʿAbasa
Title: سورة عبس

Surah 80.

466a-466b
Title: Sūrat at-Takwīr
Title: سورة التكوير

Surah 81.

466b-467a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInfiṭār
Title: سورةالانفطار

Surah 82.

467a-468b
Title: Sūrat al-Muṭaffifīn
Title: سورة المطففين

Surah 83.

468b-469a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInshiqāq
Title: سورة الانشقاق

Folio 468 supplied later, see additions.

Surah 84:1-6 (last word of verse 6 is missing).

468b-469a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInshiqāq
Title: سورة الانشقاق

Surah 84:1-6 (last word of verse 6 is missing).

469a
Title: Sūrat al-Ghāshiyah
Title: سورة الغاشية

Surah 88:25-26.

469a-469b
Title: Sūrat al-Fajr
Title: سورة الفجر

Surah 89:1-28 (only first word of verse 28).

470a
Title: Sūrat al-Bayyinah
Title: سورة البينة

Surah 98:6-8.

470a
Title: Sūrat Az-Zalzalah
Title: سورة الزلزلة

Surah 99:1-8.

470b
Title: Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt
Title: سورة العاديات

Surah 100.

470b
Title: Sūrat al-Qāriʿah
Title: سورة القارعة

Surah 101:1.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Thick bombycine paper.
Extent: 470 folios
Dimensions (leaf): 860 × 540 mm.
Foliation: Foliation in pencil. Numbers 362 and 381 and have been missed out.

Layout

Hand(s)

Large Naskhi script.

Decoration

Text on first three pages in gold letters.

At the beginning of folios 1b-2a: ʿunwan with illuminated full border.

Illuminated surah headings (e.g. 39b, 137b, 172a, 470b) or illuminated panel with both the last few words of the surah and the heading of the next surah (e.g. 60a, 220a).

Additions: Folio 468 was supplied later (probably by the French restorer).

Binding

Brown leather binging; blind-tooled.

History

Origin: Produced in Egypt; in the 2nd half of the 14th century CE.

Provenance and Acquisition

Round seal on folio 1a.

According to D'Avennes, it was exhibited in the Exposition Universelle of 1867 in Paris (the cataloguer did not find the item in the catalogue of the exhibition); see D'Avennes, L'art arabe, 1877.

Acquired by Ambroise Firmin-Didot in 1869; see his book plate on the front pastedown; also see his manuscript catalogue Catalogue des livres précieux manuscrits et imprimés faisant partie de la bibliothèque de M. Ambroise Firmin-Didot: Ventes, Hôtel des commissaires-priseurs (Paris, 1884), pages 67-68. After his death in 1876, a large part of his collection was auctioned off in a series of sales held between 1878 and 1884 (Arabic MS 704 is listed as lot 100 for the sale on 10-14 June 1884).

Aquired by Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) Crawford, Alexander Crawford Lindsay, 1812-1880, most probably in 1884 at the last sale of Didot's manuscripts.

Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913) .

Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1908 to The John Rylands Library.

Record Sources

Description based on A. Mingana, Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the John Rylands Library Manchester (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1934).

Availability

The item is available for consultation by any accredited reader.

For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Using Special Collections at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library.

For further information on the availability of the item, please contact the Special Collections Reader Services.

Digital Images

Library Digital Collections (full digital facsimile).

Bibliography

Funding of Cataloguing


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