Arabic MS 704 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Arabic Manuscripts
Contents
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.
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.
Surah 1:1-7.
Surah 2.
Folio 2a: first four verse of the surah is in illuminated full border.
Surah 3.
Surah 4.
Surah 5.
Surah 6.
Surah 7.
Surah 8. Last two words of Surah 8:75 are in an illuminated panel.
Surah 9.
Surah 10.
Surah 11. Last three words of 11:123 are in an illuminated panel.
Surah 12.
Surah 13.
Surah 14.
Surah 15.
Surah 16.
Surah 17.
Surah 18.
Surah 19.
Surah 20.
Surah 21.
Surah 22.
Surah 23.
Surah 24.
Surah 25.
Surah 26.
Surah 27.
Surah 28.
Surah 29.
Surah 30.
Surah 31.
Surah 32.
Surah 33.
Surah 34.
Surah 35.
Surah 36.
Surah 37.
Surah 38.
Surah 39.
Surah 40.
Surah 41.
Surah 42.
Surah 43.
Surah 44.
Surah 45.
Surah 46.
Surah 47.
Surah 48.
Surah 49.
Surah 50.
Surah 51.
Surah 52.
Surah 53.
Surah 54.
Surah 55.
Surah 56.
Surah 57.
Surah 58.
Surah 59.
Surah 60.
Surah 61.
Surah 62.
Surah 63.
Surah 64.
Surah 65.
Surah 66.
Surah 67.
Surah 68.
Surah 69.
Surah 70.
Surah 71.
Surah 72.
Surah 73.
Surah 74.
Surah 75.
Surah 76.
Verses 37-38 are supplied in the margin.
Surah 77.
Surah 78.
Surah 79.
Surah 80.
Surah 81.
Surah 82.
Surah 83.
Folio 468 supplied later, see additions.
Surah 84:1-6 (last word of verse 6 is missing).
Surah 84:1-6 (last word of verse 6 is missing).
Surah 88:25-26.
Surah 89:1-28 (only first word of verse 28).
Surah 98:6-8.
Surah 99:1-8.
Surah 100.
Surah 101:1.
Physical Description
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).
Binding
Brown leather binging; blind-tooled.
History
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
Availability
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