Surah 16:18

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.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 3)
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 4)
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.

Saint Petersburg, The National Library of Russia, Marcel 13 (Scan 1)
This early Quranic manuscript is part of the Marcel collection, originally acquired in Egypt by Jean-Joseph Marcel during the French expedition. It is related to fragments Marcel 11, Marcel 15, and BNF Arabe 330 (c).

Saint Petersburg, The National Library of Russia, Marcel 13 (Scan 2)
This early Quranic manuscript is part of the Marcel collection, originally acquired in Egypt by Jean-Joseph Marcel during the French expedition. It is related to fragments Marcel 11, Marcel 15, and BNF Arabe 330 (c).

Meknes, Private library of Sherif ʿAbdarraḥmān b. Zīdān, no call number
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) (Scan 1)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c) (Scan 2)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c) (Scan 3)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c) (Scan 4)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c) (Scan 5)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 324 (c) (Scan 6)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 332 (Scan 1)
This 8th-century codex features scarce use of diacritical marks and no vocalization, reflecting its antiquity. Fragments of the original manuscript are now widely dispersed, with portions held not only in Paris but also in the Vatican Library (Vat.ar.1784), the Khalili Collections (KFQ 49), and the University of Pennsylvania Museum (E 16264 D).

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 332 (Scan 2)
This 8th-century codex features scarce use of diacritical marks and no vocalization, reflecting its antiquity. Fragments of the original manuscript are now widely dispersed, with portions held not only in Paris but also in the Vatican Library (Vat.ar.1784), the Khalili Collections (KFQ 49), and the University of Pennsylvania Museum (E 16264 D).

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.

Topkapı Palace Museum, "Saray Medina 1b" (M. 3)
This manuscript was documented by Gotthelf Bergsträßer as 'Saray Medina 1b', and its photographs became part of his famous archive in Munich. Notably, it still retains a dark olive-coloured leather binding with a traditional flap (miklep) and mandorla (şemse), as well as multi-colored geometric sura headings.

Samarkand Kufic Quran
This monumental manuscript is one of the oldest surviving Qurans, traditionally believed to be the personal copy of Caliph Uthman stained with his blood. After being taken by Russian imperial forces in 1868 to Saint Petersburg, it was repatriated to Tashkent in 1923.

Cairo, Khedivial Library, Moritz 1905, table 31-36
The physical manuscript is currently lost and its origin is unknown; it survives today only through six photographs published in Bernhard Moritz's monumental 1905 album 'Arabic Palaeography'.

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, Ms. or. fol. 379 (Ahlwardt 334)
The manuscript is written on thick, yellow parchment. According to Wilhelm Ahlwardt's 1887 catalogue, the lower half of the manuscript is heavily damaged, especially towards the side margins. The script is described as large, thick, pleasing, and uniform, with ink that has turned somewhat brownish over time.

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.

Rampur Raza Library No. 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.

Vat. Ar. 1605 (3)
The title of Surah 61 is written in red using an archaic naskhi script without diacritics, naming it 'sūrat al-ḥawāriyyīn' instead of the usual 'sūrat aṣ-ṣaff', a variant title known to the masoretic tradition.
![Cairo, Khedivial Library, "qāf 3" (Gotthelf Bergsträßer archives) [maṣāḥif 387], in kūfī type C script, showing Surah 16:18 from 8th Century AD found in Egypt, currently housed at Egyptian National Library and Archives, Cairo](https://mss.readyapologia.com/quran/codex_01335/170_manuscript-1335-page-42931-image-28640.jpg)
Cairo, Khedivial Library, "qāf 3" (Gotthelf Bergsträßer archives) [maṣāḥif 387]
This extensive 8th-century manuscript is well-known today through a collection of 471 photographs taken by Gotthelf Bergsträßer around 1930, preserving its contents in his archive.

Istanbul, Topkapı Palace Museum, "Saray 50386" (Karatay 42)
This near-complete Kufic Quran is bound in brown leather over wood with arabesque interlacing and iron rings. It bears the foundation seal of Sultan Osman III, and its first three leaves as well as sura headings are illuminated.

Topkapı Palace Museum, Saray 50395
This nearly complete codex is an exceptional document, as complete codices in Kūfī D script style are extremely rare. The manuscript features illuminated pages for the first three and last six folios, as well as at surah beginnings.

Arabe 399
This manuscript features a forged colophon claiming it was copied in 798 AD by order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. An old legend also suggested it was a diplomatic gift sent to Charlemagne, though scholars have proven both the attribution and the legend to be false.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 325 (j) (Scan 1)
This fragmentary manuscript features Kūfī D.III script with an evolving orthography, using partially added oblique strokes for diacritics. Uniquely, it employs color-coded dots for pronunciation, using red and orange for vocalization and orange and green specifically for the hamza.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 325 (j) (Scan 2)
This fragmentary manuscript features Kūfī D.III script with an evolving orthography, using partially added oblique strokes for diacritics. Uniquely, it employs color-coded dots for pronunciation, using red and orange for vocalization and orange and green specifically for the hamza.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 337 (c)
This manuscript features an early Kufic script closely related to the D.IV style, distinctively written to accentuate the angularity of the letters. It utilizes a sophisticated system of colored marks for pronunciation, including red dots for vocalization, yellow dots for the hamza, and dark green semicircles for the shadda.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 340 (g)
This early Islamic manuscript, originally discovered in Fustat, consists of four parchment folios written in brown ink. It is notable for having the title and verse count of Surah An-Nahl (Surah 16) inscribed in yellow ink, and while individual verses are not marked, groups of five and ten are indicated by painted yellow letters and circles.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 6982
This anonymous, undated Kufic manuscript stands out for its decorative features, including yellow Kufic 'hā' letters marking groups of five verses and vine-scroll vignettes for surah headings. It features a recent Maghrebi binding with geometric gold motifs and previously belonged to the collection of General Lyautey.

Cambridge, Cambridge University Library, MS Add.1130
The manuscript was acquired by the library in 1878 from Professor E.H. Palmer, who collected it during his 1870 voyage to the Middle East. While the specific origins of many early Quranic fragments he collected remain unclear, the provenance of MS Add.1130 has been distinctively traced to al-Ḥarām al-Sharīf (the Noble Sanctuary) in Jerusalem.

MS Brunensis-Birminghamiensis (BrB)
This codex is reconstructed from 74 scattered leaves across multiple collections, including the Mingana Collection in Birmingham and the Minassian Collection at Brown University. Described by Alba Fedeli, it provides insight into the dispersal of early Qur'anic manuscripts in modern antiquarian markets.

Diez A oct 172
This codex is largely complete, containing the entire Quran, though the first folio and a few other leaves were supplied by a later hand. Written on parchment, the manuscript represents an important transitional stage in the evolution of the Arabic script toward the Maghrebi style. While generally well-preserved, some of the early and late folios exhibit water damage and have been repaired.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 377 (b) (Scan 1)
This manuscript is notable for its rich use of color in its vocalization system, employing red dots for vowels, green dots for hamza, and yellow dots for shadda. Furthermore, the verses are elegantly separated by gold rosettes containing the word 'aya' on a gold background, reflecting a high level of artistic craftsmanship characteristic of Abbasid Qurans.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 377 (b) (Scan 2)
This manuscript is notable for its rich use of color in its vocalization system, employing red dots for vowels, green dots for hamza, and yellow dots for shadda. Furthermore, the verses are elegantly separated by gold rosettes containing the word 'aya' on a gold background, reflecting a high level of artistic craftsmanship characteristic of Abbasid Qurans.

BNF Arabe 6430
This 10th-century Quranic manuscript is notable for being written on Oriental paper rather than parchment. It features complete diacritics and vocalization, with distinctive colorful verse markers including yellow Kufic 'hāʾ' letters to signal groups of five verses.

Cambridge MS Or.476
This fragment of an Abbasid-era Quran is notable for its 'New Style I' script, representing a stylized evolutionary phase in early Arabic calligraphy. The manuscript preserves an elegant and compact layout of 7 lines per page on parchment.

Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, Is 1431
This complete Quran was produced in Baghdad by the renowned calligrapher ʿAlī b. Hilāl, also known as Ibn al-Bawwāb, around 1000-1001 AD. He is a significant figure in Islamic art, closely associated with the adoption of the round Naskh script to transcribe the Quran.

Doha, Qatar National Library, HC.MS.00715
This codex is closely related to two other Andalusian manuscripts held in Istanbul, which were written in Cordoba (1143-1144 AD) and Valencia (1182-1183 AD), suggesting a similar provenance. It features distinctive Maġribī micrography for the main text and angular chrysography for the Surah headings.

Cambridge University Library MS Add.1131
This manuscript features distinctive illumination where yellow is used instead of gold, indicating a middling quality of production. It also employs an intricate color-coding system for recitation marks, with yellow dots for the hamza, blue for sukūn and tašdīd, and red for all other vocalizations.

Doha, Qatar National Library HC.MS.03148
This fragment features a slightly unusual, fast-paced ductus and employs a striking multicolored vocalization scheme: orange dots for the hamza, blue for sukūn and tašdīd, and red for other marks. It is also believed to originate from the same manuscript as fragment HC.MS.03170.