Birmingham Quran Manuscript
In 2015, two parchments of an early Quran manuscript were
discovered in the Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern
manuscripts of the University of Birmingham's Cadbury
Research Library in UK.
The Mingana Collection has 2000 Arabic Islamic
manuscripts in addition to other non-Islamic manuscripts
that are of international importance.
The University of Oxford's Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit
tested the parchments and dated them between 568 and
645 CE, within a 95.4% confidence interval. This makes
them among the oldest Quran manuscripts to date.
Knowing that Prophet Muhammad lived from570 to 632
CE, David Thomas, professor of Christianity and Islam at the
University of Birmingham, indicated that the parchments
could be dated to less than two decades after Prophet
Muhammad died.
The first parchment contains verses 23–31 of chapter
18 (The Cave) and the other one contains verses 91–98
of chapter 19 (Mary) as well as the first twelve verses of
chapter 20 (Ta-Ha), all in their present day sequence in the
Quran.
As mentioned earlier, the way of preserving the Quran does
not depend on the time it was written or the availability of
old parchments, but it is preserved by being memorized
word by word from the time of Prophet Muhammad until
now. Nevertheless, the above findings reinforce the verbal
narration of the Quran.
01
The Cave Sura Al Kahf
And never say of anything: “Surely, I will do it
tomorrow", except [when adding]: “If God wills". And
remember your Lord when you forget something and
say: "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer
than this to right conduct."
Talking about the people of the cave
(who are known as the seven sleepers).
And they remained in their cave for three hundred years
and exceeded by nine. Say, “ Allah is most knowing of how
long they remained. He has knowledge of the unseen
[aspects] of the heavens and the earth. How perfectly He
sees and hears! They have not besides Him any patron, and
He shares not His legislation [or sovereignty] with anyone."
And recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed
to you of the Book of your Lord. There is none who
can alter His words; and you shall not find any refuge
besides Him.
And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call
upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking
His countenance.
And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring
adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey
one whose heart We have made heedless of Our
remembrance and who follows his desire and
whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
And say, “The truth is from your Lord, so
whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever
wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have
prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls
will surround them. And if they call for relief,
they will be relieved with water like murky oil,
which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink,
and evil is the resting place.
Those who have believed and done righteous
deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the
reward of any who did well in deeds.
They will have gardens of perpetual residence;
beneath them rivers will flow. They will be
adorned therein with bracelets of gold and
will wear green garments of fine silk and
brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches.
Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting
place.
Quran, 18:23-31
Solar and lunar years:
Verse 25,
chapter 18 talks about the seven
sleepers and states they spent 300
and an additional "nine years" in the
cave. Nobody knew during Muhammad’s time why the
verse didn’t state the total number as “309 years,” instead of
the above expression.
Also, in Arabia, nobody knew at that time the difference
between lunar year and solar/Gregorian calendar. The lunar
year is 11 days shorter than the Solar one. The amazing fact
is: in 300 years, the difference between the lunar and solar/
Gregorian is nine years.
These photos are of a cave discovered in an area called Abu Alanda, East of Jordan. It is believed it is for the people of the cave (commonly known as the seven sleepers). The Jordanian authorities built a mosque near the cave site.
02
Mary Surah Maryam
And they said: “[God] The Most Merciful has taken for
Himself a son".
You have said a terrible thing. The heavens almost
rupture there from and the earth splits open and the
mountains collapse in devastation that they attribute to
the Most Merciful a son.
It is not appropriate for the Most Merciful to take a son.
He has enumerated them and counted them a [full]
counting. And all of them are coming to Him on the
Day of Resurrection alone.
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous
deeds, the Most Merciful will bestow upon them
affection.
[O Muhammad], We have made the Quran easy in your
own tongue (the Arabic language), that with it you may
give good tidings to the righteous, and give warnings to a
hostile people.
And how many a generation before them We have made
them to perish! Do you perceive of them anyone or hear
from them a whisper (a sound)?
Quran, 19:88-98
03
Ta Ha Sura Ta Ha
Ta Ha, We have not sent down to you the Quran so
that you become distressed. But only as a reminder
for those who fear [God].
A revelation from He who created the earth and
highest heavens, the Most Merciful [who is] above
the Throne established. To Him belongs what is in
the heavens and what is on the earth and what is
between them and what is under the soil.
And if you speak aloud, then indeed, He knows the
secret and what is [even] more hidden.
Allah, there is no deity except Him. To Him belong
the best names.
And has the story of Moses reached you? When he
saw a fire and said to his family, “Stay here; indeed, I
have perceived a fire; perhaps I can bring you a torch
or find at the fire some guidance".
And when he came to it, he was called, “O Moses! I
am your Lord. Remove your sandals, you are in the
sacred valley of Tuwa. And I have chosen you, so
listen to what is revealed [to you]."
Quran, 20:1-13
04
Old Manuscripts of the Quran
There are many old manuscripts and complete old copies of the
Quran that have been preserved until our present time.
The most famous ones are "Othman Mus-haf" in Topkapi Palace
Museum in Istanbul and Samarkand codex which is an 8th or 9th
century manuscript kept in the Hast Imam library, in Tashkent,
Uzbekistan.
Between August 9, 1537 and August 9, 1538, Venetian printers
Paganino and Alessandro Paganini produced the first printed
edition of the Quran. The edition was probably intended for
export to the Ottoman Empire at that time.
In 1987, professor Angela Nuovo found a single copy of the
Venetian printing in the library of the Franciscan Friars of Isola di
San Michele, in Venice, Italy.
Later study of the single copy by experts in Arabic showed the
edition contains a remarkably large number of typing errors,
which would have made it totally unacceptable to Muslims. This
confirms the fact the Quran is presevered by being memorized
in the hearts of millions of Muslims since its revelation.
As mentioned earlier, it is preserved by a chain of uninterruptable
scholars. Old copies of Quran found in China, Spain, Middle
Eastern and African regions from different periods of the history
all match each others.
And your Lord has decreed that
you do not worship except
Him, and to show good treatment
to your parents.
Whether one or both of them
reach old age while with you,
do not say to them any word of
disrespect even so much as
[“uff or fie"] and do not shout or
yell at them but say to them good
words.
And, out of kindness, lower to
them the wing of humility, and
say: “My Lord! bestow your Mercy
on them as they did care for me
during my childhood."
Quran, 17:23-24
Woe to those who deal in fraud
[give less than due].
When they take a measure from people, they
take it in full. But when they measure out to
others or weigh out for them, they are deficient
and they cause them loss.
Do they not think that they will be resurrected
for a tremendous Day.
The Day when all people will stand before the
Lord of the worlds?
Quran, 83:1-6
And seek the dwelling of the Hereafter and do not forget your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world and do good as God has been good to you and seek no mischief in the land. Verily God does not like those who cause mischief. Quran, 28:77
Say: “Shall We inform you who will be the
greatest
losers by their deeds?
Those whose efforts and strivings have been
wasted in this life, while they think that they are
doing well."
Those are the ones who disbelieved in the Signs
of their Lord and disbelieved in meeting Him,
so their deeds have become worthless. On the
Day of Resurrection, We will not give them any
importance.
That is their recompense, Hell for what they
denied and because they took My signs and My
messengers in ridicule.
Indeed, those who have believed and
done righteous deeds, for them are the
Gardens of Paradise to dwell forever,
desiring no removal out of them
Say: “If the sea were ink for writing
the words of my Lord, the sea
would be exhausted before the words
of my Lord were exhausted, even if We
brought the like of it as a supplement."
Say: “I am only a human being like
you, to whom has been revealed
that your god is one God. So whoever
would hope for the meeting with his
Lord, let him do righteous work and
not associate in the worship of his
Lord anyone."
Quran, 18:103-110
