Pious Gifts
The Qur’an manuscripts shown in AlBidayah embody a moving and profoundly spiritual tradition, where the faithful from every corner of the Muslim world offered their most cherished scripture to the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Presenting Qur’an manuscripts enabled visitors and designated readers to select a copy to recite during their time in this hallowed space. The donors usually inscribed their copy with a heartfelt prayer that the spiritual reward of recitation would be shared among the reciter, the benefactor, their families, and faithful believers worldwide.
The Qur’an manuscripts presented in AlBidayah underline the widespread origin of the donations, with examples ranging from western and central North Africa to the eastern edges of the present-day Chinese province of Xinjiang.
Top to bottom
Part two of a four-volume Qur’an (14:50–15:14)Morocco or Al-Andalus
AH 7th–8th century/13th–14th century CE, Maghribi script
Notice of endowment to the Ribat of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan
(founded AH 423/1032 CE) naming the donor as Muhammad
bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abdulqadir
bin ‘Umar. Seal impressions of the Ribat of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan
and of the Library of Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
Ink on parchment, opaque pigments, gold, modern cloth cover
h. 27.5 x w. 26 cm
King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly,
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah,
Maktabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif, 1779
Single-volume Qur’an (1:1–2:4)
Cairo, Egypt
c. AH 730–50/1330–50 CE, muhaqqaq script
Likely copied by Ahmad al-Mutatabbib
Seals of endowment of the library of the Rawdhah
of the Prophet dated AH 1256/1840 CE
Ink on paper, opaque pigments, gold, leather binding,
48 x 37.5 cm
King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly,
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah,
Maktabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif, 1150
Left, top to bottom
Single-volume Qur’an (1:1–2:4)
Istanbul, Türkiye
10th century AH/16th century CE, naskh script
Copied by Mustafa bin Shukrullah
Qur’an endowed by Rafi‘ah Sultan (died AH 1297/1880 CE),
and donated to the Prophet’s Mosque after her death. Features an endowment seal of the library of the Rawdhah of the Prophet’s Mosque
Ink on paper, opaque pigments, gold, leather binding,
h. 30 × w. 19.4 cm
King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly,
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah,
Maktabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif, 1275
Single-volume Qur’an (1:1–2:4)
Istanbul, Türkiye
AH 1072/1661–62 CE, naskh script
Copied by Dervish Ali
Endowed to the Prophet’s Mosque by the mother of the Khedive of Egypt, likely in the 13th–14th century AH
/19th–20th century CE. Features an endowment seal of the library of the Rawdhah of the Prophet’s Mosque dated
AH 1256/1840–41CE
Ink on paper, opaque pigments, gold, leather binding,
h. 20.1 × w. 13.3 cm
King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly,
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah,
Maktabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif, 30
Above
Single-volume Qur’an (1:1–2:4)
Qumul Khanate (Hami), North West China
c. AH 1284–1300/1867–1882 CE, naskh script with interlinear
Persian translation in nasta‘liq script
Notice of endowment to the Rawdhah of the Prophet’s Mosque naming the donor as Sultan Muhammad Bashir
(ruler of the Qumul Khanate in East Turkestan from
AH 1283–99/1867–82 CE).
Endowment seals of the library of the Rawdhah of the Prophet dated 1256 AH/1840–41 CE
Ink on paper, opaque pigments, gold, leather binding,
h. 28 × w. 20
King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly, Al-Madinah
al-Munawwarah, Maktabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif, 1223