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Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy

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Qur'anic verses

AUTHOR/CREATOR
Calligrapher: unknown

CREATED/PUBLISHED
9th century

NOTES
Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 8.7 (w) x 5.3 (h) cm

Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 8.9 (w) x 5.4 (h) cm

Script: Kufi

This calligraphic fragment includes the beginning of verse 11 of the 49th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Hujurat (The Chambers). This same verse continues on the folio's verso (1-84-154.20d R).

Surat al-Hujurat is the third of a group of three Medinan surahs, beginning with chapter 47. It discusses conduct that must be observed by the Muslim community, such as mutual respect and allegiance to a rightful leader. The beginning of verse 11 on this fragment stresses proper behavior:

Do not defame nor be sarcastic to each other, / Or call each other by offensive nicknames... / And those who do not desist are doing wrong. O you who believe, / Do not let some men among you laugh at others, / (Although) it may be that the latter are better than the former. / Also do not let some women laugh at others, / (Although) it may be that the latter are better than the former. (49:11)

The text is executed in a Kufi script close to style D.III typical of Qur'ans produced during the 9th century. At five lines per page, the Qur'anic text is executed in brown ink and in a horizontal format. Red dots indicate vocalization, while a single green dot on both the recto and verso of this fragment demarcate a long medial alif (a).

SUBJECT
Kufi
Islamic manuscripts
Arabic script calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy
Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
Qur'anic verses
Arabic calligraphy

MEDIUM
13.8 (w) x 9.3 (h) cm

CALL NUMBER
1-84-154.20d

REPOSITORY
Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C. 20540

DIGITAL ID
ascs 069
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.069

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