oic research centre for islamic history, art and culture - ircica

New Publication by IRCICAAl-Mushaf Al-Sharif Attributed to ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan(The copy at the Topkapı Palace Museum)Prepared for publication by Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç,Preface by Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Istanbul 1428 / 2007, Critical editions series; no. 2(Introduction in Turkish, English and Arabic)This book contains thecritical edition of anoriginal copy of the HolyQuran attributed to thetime of Caliph Othman:this is the copy knownas the “Othman (R.A.)Mushaf [Quran copy]”located in the TopkapıPalace Museum. The studyon this particular copy and its preparationfor publication have been done by a leadingscholar in Quranic studies, ex-Presidentof Religious Affairs in Turkey, presentlyDeputy in the Turkish Parliament, Dr.Tayyar Altıkulaç. Earlier, IRCICA hadpublished two other historical copies of theQuran. One was the copy known as FazılPasha Mushaf, written in the name of theSeljukid Sultan Tugrul Bey in 582/1186and kept in Gazi Hüsrev Bey Library inSarajevo, which was published by IRCICAin a facsimile edition. The second one wasthe first Quran copy to be printed in theIslamic world which was printed in Kazan,Tatarstan, in 1803; the copy was reprintedin Istanbul in 2005 at the initiative of theMunicipality of Kazan, on the occasion ofthe millennium of Kazan City, following atechnical revision by IRCICA in preparationfor printing. The “Othman (R.A.) Mushaf ”also known as the “Topkapı Mushaf ” andkept at nr. H.S. 44/32 in the Museum, is oneof the oldest manuscripts of the Holy Quranthat reached to the presentday. Dr. Altıkulaç has donea meticulous comparativestudy and technicalanalysis of the copy; theIntroduction explains themethod followed and thefindings obtained. Dr.Altıkulaç further enrichesthis instructive text withinformation on the history of Quran copiesand recitation of the Quran. With onlytwo pages (23 verses) lacking, “TopkapıMushaf ” is the closest to the complete textof the Quran. As indicated in detail andwith examples in the text of Dr. Altıkulaç,certain parts of the manuscript had becomeunreadable due to the effects of time. Withpatient and careful research, Dr. Altıkulaçwas able to decipher these parts usingcertain criteria and signs and to reconstitutethe original copy.The funding for the printing of this bookwas provided by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultanbin Mohamed al-Qassimi, Member ofthe Supreme Council of the U.A.E. andRuler of Sharjah. Publication of Dr. TayyarAltıkulaç’s work represents at the sametime the concretisation of a goal which wasformulated by Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğluin the early 1980s, to print an edition ofthe “Topkapı Mushaf ”, given the value andimportance of this copy.