Al-Mushaf Al-Sharif (Tübingen Copy)

IRCICA’s  research  program  on  the  earliest  copies  of  the Holy  Quran  continues.  It  aims  to  trace  the  process  of transmission of the Quran starting from the first manuscripts and  examine  features  as  to  script,  orthography  and  physical composition,  among  others,  with  reference  to  the  historical periods  and  geographical  locations.  In  this  context  IRCICA published six books until the present, relating to: the following copies:  those    attributed  to  the  time  of  the  Third  Caliph, Uthman  bin  Affan  and  preserved,  respectively,  at  Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul (2007) and at the Central Library of  Islamic  Manuscripts  attached  to  the  Ministry  of  Awqaf  of Egypt  in  Cairo  (2009);  the  copy  attributed  to  the  time  of  Ali bin  Abi  Talib  and  located  in  the  Manuscripts  Library  near Sana’a  Grand  Mosque,  Yemen  (2011);  the  copy  dated  to  the period of Uthman bin Affan and preserved at the Islamic Arts Museum in Cairo (2014); the early fragment preserved at the National Library of France, in Paris (2015) and now, the early fragment located at Tubingen University Library in Germany (2016).
The  fragment  at  Tubingen  University  Library  is  estimated to  be  dating  from  the  period  649-675  AD.  In  volume,  it  is approximately  one-fourth  of  the  contents  of  the  Quran.  The whereabouts  of  the  remaining  parts  of  the  manuscript  are unknown.  The  script  accords  with  the  rules  of  the  Rasm Uthmani.  In  this  publication,  Dr.  Altıkulaç,  a  scholar  in Quranic   studies   of   international   renown,   establishes   its characteristics  after  a  thorough  analysis  of  its  features.  He compares   it   with   other   manuscripts   studied   within   the framework  of  this  project.  He  takes  into  account  and  quotes from earlier studies made on this manuscript by specialists in Europe.  He  describes  its  calligraphic  features,  orthographic differences as compared to established usage, its particularities as to vowel signs, dots and symbols and their significance. The study  contributes  importantly  to  knowledge  on  the  history of  dissemination  of  the  Holy  Quran.