Surah 8:56

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.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 4313 (Scan 5)
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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 6140 (a)
This manuscript is a fragment of a larger ancient codex that was likely originally kept in Damascus. Other surviving leaves from this exact same Quran are now scattered globally, including fragments held at Cambridge University (Add. 1125) and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.

Cairo, Egyptian National Library and Archives, qāf 117 (Bergsträßer archives) (Scan 1)
This codex is a composite of six different fragments photographed by Gotthelf Bergsträßer around 1930. The fragments encompass a wide range of distinct script styles, from early Ḥiǧāzī and Kūfī to later Maġribī, reflecting a diverse collection of leaves bound or kept together at the Khedivial Library in Cairo.

Cairo, Egyptian National Library and Archives, qāf 117 (Bergsträßer archives) (Scan 2)
This codex is a composite of six different fragments photographed by Gotthelf Bergsträßer around 1930. The fragments encompass a wide range of distinct script styles, from early Ḥiǧāzī and Kūfī to later Maġribī, reflecting a diverse collection of leaves bound or kept together at the Khedivial Library in Cairo.

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) (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 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).

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.

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ms. or. fol. 379 (Ahlwardt 323)
The manuscript features a large, thick, and broadly spaced script. While diacritical points are not used, vowels are indicated by red dots, and nunation is marked by two red dots placed either one above the other or side by side.

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.
![Cairo, Khedivial Library, "qāf 3" (Gotthelf Bergsträßer archives) [maṣāḥif 387], in kūfī type C script, showing Surah 8:56 from 8th Century AD found in Egypt, currently housed at Egyptian National Library and Archives, Cairo](https://mss.readyapologia.com/quran/codex_01335/125_manuscript-1335-page-42887-image-28596.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.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 330 (g) (Scan 1)
This fragment originally belonged to the same codex as Marcel 16 (National Library of Russia) and Is. 1615 II (Chester Beatty Library). Notably, folio 65 verso was left blank without interrupting the text, likely because the poor quality of the parchment caused ink from the recto side to bleed through.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 330 (g) (Scan 2)
This fragment originally belonged to the same codex as Marcel 16 (National Library of Russia) and Is. 1615 II (Chester Beatty Library). Notably, folio 65 verso was left blank without interrupting the text, likely because the poor quality of the parchment caused ink from the recto side to bleed through.

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 343
The manuscript uses decorative medallions and bands to mark every ten verses, rather than separating individual verses. A marginal note in cursive script reveals it was once owned by Aḥmad Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Huwaydī, with later readers adding pious notes in the margins.

BNF Arabe 351 (Scan 1)
BNF Arabe 351 is an early Quranic manuscript written in the Kufic D.III script with 5 lines per page. It belongs to the same original codex as several dispersed fragments, notably those from the Jean-Joseph Marcel collection currently held in Russia.

BNF Arabe 351 (Scan 2)
BNF Arabe 351 is an early Quranic manuscript written in the Kufic D.III script with 5 lines per page. It belongs to the same original codex as several dispersed fragments, notably those from the Jean-Joseph Marcel collection currently held in Russia.

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 5103 (a)
This fragment is written in the early Abbasid Kufic E.I script. It completely lacks consonantal diacritics but uses red dots for vocalization. Individual verses are not separated; instead, groups of ten verses are marked by distinct rubricated 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.

Baltimore, Maryland, The Walters Art Museum, W.552
This 67-folio horizontal manuscript is a striking example of Early Abbasid (Kufic) calligraphy, featuring gold ink for chapter headings. The text is vocalized with red dots, and its green goatskin binding with gold-painted floral designs was added later in the 19th century.

MS Add.1124 (Scan 1)
This Abbasid-era manuscript was acquired by the University of Cambridge in 1878 from the English orientalist Edward H. Palmer. Palmer discovered it along with several other early Quranic fragments during a research expedition to the Sinai Peninsula.

MS Add.1124 (Scan 2)
This Abbasid-era manuscript was acquired by the University of Cambridge in 1878 from the English orientalist Edward H. Palmer. Palmer discovered it along with several other early Quranic fragments during a research expedition to the Sinai Peninsula.

Cambridge University Library, MS Add.1126
Acquired in 1878 by the English orientalist and explorer Edward H. Palmer, alongside E.E. Tyrwhitt Drake, during a research expedition to the Sinai Peninsula. This fragment is part of a significant collection of early Quranic manuscripts brought back from this journey.

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.

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.

Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, Is 1431 (Scan 1)
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.

Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, Is 1431 (Scan 2)
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.