Muhammad Tahir al-Kurdi
- Died
- 1400 AH
- Born in
- Mecca
Muhammad Tahir al-Kurdi (1321–1400 AH / 1900–1980 CE) was a Meccan scholar, historian, and master calligrapher, best known for calligraphing the official printed Meccan Quran (Mushaf Makkah) and for his historical study of Arabic script, Tarikh al-khatt al-Arabi wa-adabuh ("The History of Arabic Calligraphy and Its Arts").
Early Life and Education
Muhammad Tahir ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Kurdi al-Makki al-Shafi'i was born in Mecca in 1321 AH (1900 CE). He was raised under the supervision of his father—who died in 1365 AH—and received his early education at home before enrolling at the al-Falah School in Mecca upon its establishment, from which he graduated in 1339 AH (another report gives 1340 AH).
In 1340 AH, he accompanied his father to Cairo to pursue higher studies at al-Azhar, attending religious and Arabic language lectures in the mornings. Driven by a deep interest in Arabic calligraphy and Islamic decoration, he also entered the Royal School for the Improvement of Arabic Calligraphy (Madrasat Tahsin al-Khutut al-Arabiyya al-Malakiyya) in Cairo in 1341 AH, studying there in the late afternoons until completing his training in 1346 AH. He returned to Mecca in 1348 AH.
Career and Public Service
Upon his return to the Hijaz, al-Kurdi worked at the Grand Sharia Court in Mecca. He subsequently taught calligraphy at the al-Falah School in Jeddah, as well as the al-Su'udiyya and al-Aziziyya primary schools in Mecca. When the Directorate of Knowledge (Mudiriyyat al-Ma'arif) opened a school for improving handwriting and typing, he was appointed its director, in addition to serving as the official calligrapher for the directorate.
Al-Kurdi was later appointed an advisor to the administrative body overseeing the expansion project of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, drawing on his deep knowledge of local history and sacred topography. He took part in laying the foundation stone for the expansion of the Grand Mosque, assisted in installing the silver casing of the Black Stone, and participated in supervising the structural restoration and roof renewal of the Kaaba.
The Meccan Mus'haf Project
During the years of the Second World War, al-Kurdi undertook the task of calligraphing the Quran in classical naskh script, strictly following the rules of Uthmanic orthography (al-rasm al-'Uthmani). The text was audited and corrected by a committee of Meccan scholars, including Abd al-Zahir Abu al-Samh and Ahmad Hamid al-Tiji, and was subsequently reviewed and officially stamped by the head of Egyptian Quran readers, Ali Muhammad al-Dabba'.
A dedicated joint-stock printing firm, Sharikat Mushaf Makkah al-Mukarramah, was established to acquire specialized American presses, and the Mus'haf was completed in 1367 AH and printed between 1368 and 1369 AH. Alongside this project, al-Kurdi produced Tarikh al-Quran wa-ghara'ib rasmih wa-hukmih ("The History of the Quran, the Peculiarities of Its Orthography, and Its Rulings"), examining the historical compilation of the Quranic text and the principles of Uthmanic spelling.
Illness and Death
In 1383 AH, al-Kurdi developed an eye condition that impaired his vision. He retired from governmental duties to focus on medical treatment, though he continued writing, research, and artistic work in calligraphy and Islamic ornamentation. He died in Mecca on 23 Rabi' al-Thani 1400 AH (April 1980 CE; another biographical dictionary mistakenly gives 1365 AH).
Answer updated
List of Works
Tarikh al-Quran al-Karim, also published as Tarikh al-Quran wa-Ghara'ib Rasmih wa-Hukmih, is a specialized treatise on Quranic history and Uthmanic orthography (al-rasm al-'Uthmani). It examines the history of the Quran's compilation and recording, the development of vocalization and diacritics, and the orthographic peculiarities of Quranic script, providing a comparative analysis between standard Arabic spelling conventions and Uthmanic orthography.