The Orthography (Rasm al-Khat) and Recitation (Qir’at) of the Paris–St. Petersburg Codex

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran, Iran (Corresponding Author)

2 Department Faculty University of Mazandaran

3 Associate Professor at University of Qurʾanic Sciences and Thoughts, Faculty of Quranic Sciences in Mashhad Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

The Islamic narrations on the history of the Quran are often limited and sometimes contradictory, rendering them insufficient for comprehensively elucidating all dimensions of Quranic history. In recent era, some Western Quranic scholars have questioned the authenticity of the Islamic traditions, consequently proposing a much later timeline for the Quran’s compilation. To address these challenges, researchers have turned to the study of physical and archaeological evidence from the early Islamic centuries, such as papyri, inscriptions, and manuscript codices. This study aims to shed light on a particular aspect of Quranic history by examining and analyzing one of the earliest Quranic manuscripts, the Paris–St. Petersburg Codex, housed in the National Library of France and the National Library of Russia. This codex contains portions of the latter half of the Quran. The research seeks to date the manuscript’s compilation and, as far as possible, identify the dominant qira’at (recitational method) prevalent during the transcription of Quranic manuscripts close to the period of Quranic revelation. To achieve this, the study provides a comprehensive introduction to this ancient Hijazi manuscript and examines various aspects of its codicology, orthography (rasm al-khat), spelling conventions (imla), recitational variants (qira’at), and verse enumeration systems (‘ad al-ayat). The findings indicate that through dating methods such as paleography, manuscript analysis, carbon-14 testing, and the study of orthographic features, diacritics, and dots present in the manuscript, the Paris–St. Petersburg Codex can be dated to the first half of the first Islamic century. Its verse enumeration system shows the closest alignment, in order, with the Medinan version, followed by the Meccan version. Additionally, the manuscript exhibits greater affinity with the recitational tradition of the Medinan qurra (reciters).

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 January 2024
  • Revise Date: 12 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 05 July 2024

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