ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Al-tawhid Some Old Manuscripts of the Holy Qur'an the 'uthmani Codices ======================= The copies of the Qur'an prepared by 'Uthman's order by the committee formed for this purpose, apart from the first copy which came to be known as the 'master copy' (al-mushaf al-imam), numbered, according to the different narrations, from four to nine.

These were assigned to Kufah, Basrah, Makkah, Syria, Bahrayn, Yemen, Egypt, al-Jazirah and Madinah.19 Each of these copies of the Qur'an served as a referential authority for the people of the city, from which they made copies and to which they referred in event any difference in reading should arise among them. Also occasionally, in cases of difference between the masahif of the cities, the Qur'an at Madinah (al-mushaf al-'imam) served as the final criterion.

'Uthman also dispatched a qari along with each copy sent to the cities, so as to demonstrate the correct reading to the people. Thus 'Abd Allah ibn Sa'ib in Makkah, Munirah ibn Shihab in Syria, Abu 'Abd Allah Salami in Kufah, 'Amir ibn 'Abd al-Qays (or 'Amir ibn 'Abd al-Rahman) in Basrah, and Zayd ibn Thabit in Madinah were responsible for qira'ah in the respective areas. 20 These masahif, which became famous as "'Uthmani Codices," remained intact for a long time. As Yaqut al-Hamawi (d.

626/1228), writes in his Mu'jam al-buldan 21 one of the 'Uthmani Codices existed in the grand mosque (jami') of Damascus. Ibn Fadl Allah al-'Umari (d. 749/1348), the author of Masalik al-'absar, also mentions the Damascan codex. Ibn Kathir (d. 774/1372), who had seen it, describes it. 22 Ibn Battutah (d.

778/1376) has recorded his observations as follows: "In the eastern side of the hall of worship, facing the mihrib is a big repository where the Qur'an sent to Syria by Amir al-Mu'minin 'Uthman ibn 'Affan is preserved. This repository is opened to the public after the congregational prayer and the people throng to embrace it.

It is at this place that parties to disputes take oath from defendants and debtors?" 23 According to Kurd 'A1i, 24 this Qur'an existed in the mosque of Damascus until the year 1310/1892, but that year it was destroyed in a fire at the mosque. However, Dr.

Ramyar, without mentioning any source, writes: "It appears that fragments of the verses of the Qur'an attributed to the 'Uthmani script were taken by Amir Taymur Gorkani with him from Syria to Samarqand with the intention of having them placed at his tomb.