Qur'anic Verses

Qur'anic verses 105-111 of the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Isra' (The Night Journey) or Surat Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel), written in Kufi script related to the D.I style, on parchment during the 9th cent. Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.5 (w) x 11 (h) cm The text is executed in Kufi script in dark brown ink at fifteen lines per page. Diacritical marks are executed in black, brown, and red ink. There are no verse markers except for a now faded dotted roundel at the very end of the 111th verse, probably intended as a visual break between surahs. In the lower left corner, the words ibtida' (beginning) and bismillah ("In the Name of God") have been added in black ink at a later date, probably to denote the beginning of the 118th surah. The text's Kufi script is related to the D.I style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th century (Déroche 1992, 71, cat. no. 23). This calligraphic fragment includes verses 105-111 of the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Isra' (The Night Journey) or Surat Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel). These verses comprise the end of the surah, which describe the Qur'an as a sign from God which must be accepted by men. The fragment's verso is now unavailable as it has been pasted onto a sheet of paper: it may have contained immediately preceding verses of Surat al-Isra' or the chapter heading and initial verses of the 18th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Kahf (The Cave). Script: Kufi AL-12