Rare copy of Holy Quran on display at Al Bader Festival in Fujairah

The rare copy of the Holy Quran displayed at Fujairah Al Bader festival

By Habib Toumi

FUJAIRAH: A unique edition of the Holy Quran was the most iconic work of art displayed at the third edition of Al Bader Festival, held under the patronage of Fujairah Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, at Fujairah Creative Centre.

The annual festival, a spiritual and social-cultural commemoration of the birth (Mawlid) of Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) in 570, and known as “Mawlid” in Arabic, is one of the Emirati heritage spiritual artforms where the biography and values of Prophet Mohammed) and spiritual values, social compassion, beauty and art are spread and shared through various art forms.

The commemoration includes prophetic praise and religious invocations and recitations and provides an occasion to remember the principles of peace, moderation, tolerance and mutual acceptance.

HH Sheikh Mohammed touring the festival premises (WAM)

Launching the festival, HH Sheikh Mohammed emphasized the significance of the Prophet’s birthday and the importance of commemorating the occasion to protect and promote the society’s cultural and religious heritage.

Cultural initiatives across the emirate, endorsed by the ruler H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, help build cultural and social bridges and promote the UAE’s religious and social heritage, he added.

The rare copy of the Holy Quran, from HH Sheikh Mohammed’s valuable possessions, consists of 10 volumes each featuring three of the 30 parts that make up the Quran.

It took professional calligraphers eight years to highlight manually the aesthetics of the Arabic calligraphy and Islamic decoration, Dr. Hamad Abdulrahman Al Baqishi, the Festival’s Secretary-General, said.

HH Sheikh Mohammed with visitors and participants (WAM)

Each volume has a different type of script and decoration that coincide with a specific period of Islam, he added.

For example, the book begins with the Eastern Kufic script and the Quranic Kufic script and a Seljuk cover and coincides with the prophecy period, Al Baqishi added.

The second volume is related to the Mamluk era and the Thuluth script was used, whereas the third volume used the Maghrebi and Kufic Kairouan scripts, the fourth, the Mongolian volume, used the Muhaqqaq and Naskh scripts, and the fifth – the Turkmen volume – was in the Naskh script.

The sixth volume is Timurid and the script is Rayhani, Thuluth, Muhaqqaq and Naskh, and the seventh volume is Ikhnawi and the script is Nasta’liq and Rayhani, Al Baqishi said.

Al Baqishi

The rare book went on public display for the first time at the festival.

“The display of this rare Quran aims to promote the culture of preserving Islamic arts and transmitting them to future generations,” he said.

“A major objective is to anchor this culture within Al-Badr Festival, which is marked by an outstandingly positive public interest and an enriching interaction with its visitors in a manner that reflects the people’s growing awareness of the importance of such arts.”