Tatawwur Kitabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif wa Tibaatuhu
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- Tatawwur Kitabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif wa Tibaatuhu
Tatawwur Kitabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif wa Tibaatuhu (The Development of Writing and Printing the Noble Mushaf) is a scholarly treatise by Muhammad Salim ibn Shadid al-Awfi examining the history of Quranic orthography, calligraphy, illumination, early printing, and modern publication efforts .
Background and Authorship
The treatise was authored by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Salim ibn Shadid al-Awfi while serving as the Secretary General of the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran in Medina . It bears an introductory preface by Sheikh Salih ibn Abd al-Aziz Al al-Sheikh, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawah, and Guidance, and General Supervisor of the Complex . The book was published in 1422 AH (2001 CE), with some records noting a 1421 AH publication by the Complex .
Structure and Content
The work traces the development of the physical and scribal preservation of the Quran across nine thematic sections :
- Evolution of Arabic Script and Writing Tools: Covers the pre-Islamic origins of Arabic script through contacts with Nabataean and Aramaic writing, the early northern scripts (Anbari and Hiri), and traditional scribal implements .
- Transcription, Diacritics, and Calligraphy: Details the transcription of the Quran during the prophetic era, the compilations under Abu Bakr and Uthman ibn Affan, the addition of dots (naqt) and vowel marks, and the refinement and artistic ornamentation (tadhhib and zakhrafah) of Quranic calligraphy .
- History of Printing and Early Editions: Explores early European printings of the Quran, noting their corruption and disregard for traditional orthographic rules, followed by early Muslim reactions, such as the initial Ottoman hesitance prior to a juristic ruling (fatwa) permitting printing . It highlights that early modern presses in Turkey, Egypt, and the Levant often utilized modern spelling conventions until Radwan ibn Muhammad al-Mukhallalati (d. 1311 AH) penned his Mushaf printed in 1308 AH following the canonical Uthmanic orthography .
- Saudi Efforts and the King Fahd Complex: Documents modern state initiatives, focusing on the King Fahd Complex in Medina, whose foundation stone was laid on 16 Muharram 1403 AH and opened in 1405 AH (1984 CE) .
Methodological Focus on the Madinah Mushaf
The author details the rigorous production standards established at the Complex for Mushaf al-Madinah al-Nabawiyyah . The text was penned by calligrapher Uthman Taha in the transmission of Hafs from Asim, conforming to Uthmanic orthography, Eastern vowel markers derived from al-Khalil ibn Ahmad, the Kufan verse count of 6,236 verses, and formatted into 604 pages where each page ends at the conclusion of an ayah .
A scientific committee chaired by Sheikh Ali ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Hudhayfi supervised the letter-by-letter verification of the manuscript, and an audio review committee oversaw studio voice recordings of recitations . The book provides production data up to 1420 AH, recording an annual average output of 10 million copies, a total production of 153,348,718 copies since inception, translations published in 32 languages by 1421 AH, and over 121 million copies distributed globally free of charge . The work also includes visual plates illustrating the development of Arabic script styles and various photographic figures .
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