Surah 12:5

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 1)
This codex is one of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts, with combined radiocarbon dating of its parchment placing its production between 605 and 651 AD. The seven folios in Berlin were once part of a larger codex that is now split, with 33 additional folios currently held in the Egyptian National Library. The Berlin leaves were acquired in 1939 from the estate of Bernhard Moritz, the former director of the Khedivial Library.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 2)
This codex is one of the earliest surviving Quranic manuscripts, with combined radiocarbon dating of its parchment placing its production between 605 and 651 AD. The seven folios in Berlin were once part of a larger codex that is now split, with 33 additional folios currently held in the Egyptian National Library. The Berlin leaves were acquired in 1939 from the estate of Bernhard Moritz, the former director of the Khedivial Library.

Muṣḥaf of Najaf Ashraf (Codex 1 of Imām ʿAlī Library)
This codex contains a colophon attributing it to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and dating it to 40 AH (660 AD), though scholars believe this colophon was added later. It also features a waqf (endowment) deed written on the first page in 1775 AD.

Meknes, Private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, no call number (Scan 1)
This nearly complete early Kufic Quran was photographed by Otto Pretzl during a research trip to Morocco in 1934. While the main body belonged to the private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, fragments of this codex have since been dispersed to the Royal Library in Rabat, the Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait, and sold through auction houses like Christie's.

Meknes, Private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, no call number (Scan 2)
This nearly complete early Kufic Quran was photographed by Otto Pretzl during a research trip to Morocco in 1934. While the main body belonged to the private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, fragments of this codex have since been dispersed to the Royal Library in Rabat, the Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait, and sold through auction houses like Christie's.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c)
Carbon dating of fragments from Arabe 324 (c) places its origin between 660-780 AD. The manuscript is part of a composite codex, where Arabe 324 (c) and Gotha Ms. orient. A 462 are original leaves, while other sections such as Arabe 324 (a) and (d) were added centuries later to replace damaged or missing pages.

Istanbul, Topkapı Palace Museum, Saray 50385
This codex is known primarily through photographs in the Gotthelf Bergsträßer archive, taken in the early 1930s. Although the original manuscript is no longer identifiable in the current museum catalogue, these rare photographs survived World War II and provide a crucial record of this early text.

Saray Medina 1a (Karatay 3)
This almost complete codex is notable for being written by at least six different scribes in Kufic script. Originally documented in Gotthelf Bergsträßer's archives as 'Medina 1a', its folios were later repaired with paper edges, and a few missing pages were completed in Naskh script.

Moritz 1905, Tables 39-40
This codex fragment was documented in Bernhard Moritz's 1905 'Arabic Palaeography' album and was reportedly discovered in the ancient Egyptian city of Bahnasa (Oxyrynchos). Scholars suggest it may originally belong to the same large codex as other early Quranic fragments currently held in the Vatican, Paris, and the Khalili Collections.

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Wetzstein II 1923 (Ahlwardt 328)
Acquired by the Prussian diplomat Johann Gottfried Wetzstein, this 8th-century manuscript was likely sourced from Damascus. It features gold ornamentation for surah headings and verse dividers, providing insight into early Islamic manuscript illumination.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 334 (c) (Scan 1)
This manuscript is notable for its early use of colored ornamentation. The surahs are separated by decorative bands composed of pearls, lozenges, and elongated hexagons painted in yellow, green, and red, often accompanied by a palmette projecting into the outer margin. Furthermore, verses are marked by distinct groups of oblique strokes.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 334 (c) (Scan 2)
This manuscript is notable for its early use of colored ornamentation. The surahs are separated by decorative bands composed of pearls, lozenges, and elongated hexagons painted in yellow, green, and red, often accompanied by a palmette projecting into the outer margin. Furthermore, verses are marked by distinct groups of oblique strokes.

Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek Leiden, Or. 6814 (Scan 1)
Carbon dating of this manuscript's parchment by the Coranica project places its origin between the late 7th and mid-8th century AD, making it an important early witness to the Qur'anic text. It was purchased by Leiden University in 1938 from the antiquarian Erik von Scherling.

Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek Leiden, Or. 6814 (Scan 2)
Carbon dating of this manuscript's parchment by the Coranica project places its origin between the late 7th and mid-8th century AD, making it an important early witness to the Qur'anic text. It was purchased by Leiden University in 1938 from the antiquarian Erik von Scherling.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 337 (d)
This codex is written on parchment in the D.I style of early Kufic script. A unique feature of this manuscript is that the initial 'ayn (ع) letters have been systematically traced over by a later hand, and golden hāʾ symbols are used to indicate groups of five verses.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 5122
This nearly complete 8th-century Quranic manuscript is notable for its extensive preservation, containing text from the very beginning of the Quran to its final Surah. Curiously, folio 134 has been reported missing from the French National Library since approximately 2000, and no microfilm image of it survives.

Rampur Raza Library No. 1 (Scan 1)
This manuscript is a highly prized copy traditionally ascribed to the penmanship of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph. It features modern gold and colored borders on the paper margins.

Rampur Raza Library No. 1 (Scan 2)
This manuscript is a highly prized copy traditionally ascribed to the penmanship of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph. It features modern gold and colored borders on the paper margins.

Vat. Ar. 1605 (19)
This two-folio manuscript is part of a collection of early Quranic fragments at the Vatican Library that originated from Fustat, Egypt. It features notable decorative elements, including a title for Surah Yusuf written in gold and a gold marginal rosette, and was comprehensively catalogued by the eminent orientalist Giorgio Levi Della Vida in 1947.
