Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H.

Sayoud

Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios

of Birmingham
Halim Sayoud
http://sayoud.net

SUMMARY
In 2015, some scientists of the University of Birmingham discovered that four folios containing some
ancient Quran manuscripts dated from the period of the Prophet’s companions (i.e. few years after the death of
the Prophet). In fact a radiocarbon analysis showed that there is a 95.4% chance that the parchment on
which the Qur'an fragments were written can be dated sometime between the years 568 and 645CE. This
means that the animal from which the skin was taken was living sometime between these dates.
Furthermore, we know that the Prophet lived between 570 and 632CE, which makes this discovery quite
interesting by showing that this manuscript could be one of the oldest manuscripts in the world, or at least
dating from the first centuries after the Prophet death.
In this investigation, we are not going to confirm that discovery, but only checking whether the ancient
text is similar to the present Quran or not.
The first results based on character analysis, word analysis, phonetic analysis and semantic analysis have
shown that the Birmingham Quran manuscript is similar to its corresponding part contained in the
present Quran (Hafs recitation). According to this investigation, it appears that the Quran has been safely
preserved during the last 14 centuries without alteration.

1. Introduction on the Birmingham Quran manuscript

The Birmingham Quran manuscript consists in four pages made of parchment, written in ink, and
containing parts of chapters 18, 19 and 20 of the holy Quran. The manuscript forms part of the University
of Birmingham’s Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts, held in the Cadbury Research
Library [Birmingham, 2015].
The manuscript was bought in the 1930s by Sir Alphonse Mingana. Mingana was building a world-class
manuscript collection in Birmingham. Sir Cadbury (the Birmingham-based Quaker philanthropist and
businessman) named this collection “the Mingana Collection” after its first curator [Hopwood, 1961]. The
collection came to the University of Birmingham in the late 1990s.
Concerning the palaeographic aspect of the manuscript (Titled Hejazi text), the handwriting geometry
suggests that it may have been created in the Hejaz area in the west of the Arabian Peninsula, which
includes the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina. In fact there are several old manuscripts dating from the
first centuries after the Hijra, where we can clearly see the difference in the palaeographic style [Awwad,
1982]. The palaeography can give a quite good estimation on the probable date of the manuscript, but the
radiocarbon dating is usually more accurate. This last technique is widely used in archaeological dating
[Taylor, 1997].
Thus, the radiocarbon analysis, made at the Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit of Oxford University [Ramsey,
2009], yielded the following technical dating results [Birmingham, 2016]:
− OxA-29418 Parchment,
− MS1572 Cadbury Research Library,
− d13C=-21.04 1456 ± 21 BP.
The resulting calibrated date range is as follows:

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Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

− OxA-29418
− R_Date (1461,21)
− 95.4% probability 568 (95.4%) 645 calAD
The technical results are under publication in Datelist, Archaeometry journal of Oxford University.
Hence, the manuscript has been radiocarbon dated by the University of Oxford (Radiocarbon Accelerator
Unit) to the date range of 568–645 CE with a 95.4% degree of confidence. The radiocarbon result means
that the animal from which the skin was taken was living sometime between these specific dates. This
places the discovered parchment close to the lifetime/death of the Prophet who lived between 570 and
632 CE.
Some researchers argued that the manuscript is among the earliest written textual document of the Quran
known to survive, which was written few years after the Prophet death. They also claim that it should
probably be the oldest Quran manuscript in the UK.
That is, in this investigation, we try to check whether the ancient text is similar to the present Quran or
not by the mean of comparative analysis.

2. Notes on the ancient Arabic handwriting

In this section we will present a short overview on some particularities of the ancient Arabic text.

2.1. Notes on the ancient Arabic characters

The ancient Arabic characters are a bit different from what we are used to write nowadays. In fact, as
displayed in figure 1, there is a correspondence between the ancient characters (in the left column) and the
new corresponding ones (in the right column).

Figure 1: Ancient Arabic characters (in the left) and their correspondance (in the right)

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Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

2.2. Note on the "Diacritics and rasm dots"

Another particularity of the ancient
ncient Arabic manuscript, is the fact that the text was not vocalised and did
not contain Rasm dot marks.

For example let us look at the word Alaiha (‫)ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ‬:

- Ancient text of the word Alaiha

Figure 2:: Ancient text of the word Alaiha

- Present text of the word Alaiha

Figure 3:: Recent text of the word Alaiha

2.3. Note on the "silent alif"

The Ancient Quran text was not vocalised and often not accompagnied
accompagnied by elongation marks.
The natural prolongation, called: Al-Madd
Al Al-tabeee, is the act of prolonging or “stretching” the sound of
the three madd letters [Muqith,
Muqith, 2011].
2011]

For instance, in English,, instead of saying "ARE", we may pronounce "AARE" by prolongingprol the “A”
duration.
All huroof al-madd are silent, which means that they have no diacritic on them.
For the case of the voyel A (fatha
fatha in Arabic), the fatha must be present on the letter before a silent alif
(elongated A).
). The elongation mark for the fatha is called “silent alif”.
We notice that in the ancient manuscripts, the silent alif (elongated A) was not very used as it is the case in
the recent Arabic text.

Here is a concrete example on that fact:

fact in the modern Arabic script the verb (HE) SAID SAI is written
qaala (‫)ﻗﺎل‬, while in the ancient Arabic it was often written qala (‫ )ﻗﻞ‬without silent alif.
alif

So, it is not surprising to see the ancient Quran manuscript without diacritics or without elongation marks,
since most of these marks were invented several centuries afterward.
af
Even for the ancient English script some inexistent marks (no ( more used at present)) were employed such as
the upper macron diacritic (straight letter), which represented an elongation of the voyel
straight bar placed above the letter),
(long voyel). However, the moderndern English does not employ them anymore. Here is an example: The
ancient elongated U in English was written Ū while in the modern language it is simplified to a simple U
character.

3. Analysis of the Birmingham Quran

In this section we will make a comparative analysis of the four ancient folios with regards to their
corresponding verses in the present universal Quran (Recitation of Hafs).

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Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

3.1. Analysis of Folio 1

The following table consists of two columns; the left one contains the first Birmingham Quran folio and
the right one contains the corresponding verses in the present universal Quran, as written in the Saudi
holy book (Hafs rasm without vocalisation). The diacritics and modern writing rasm have been removed
to put the two texts in the same writing conditions.

Table 1: Comparative analysis of Folio 1

Birmingham Quran Present Quran (old rasm without vocalisation)

‫اﷲ ﻣﻦ ﻳﻬﺪ اﷲ ﻓﻬﻮ اﳌﻬﺘﺪ وﻣﻦ ﻳﻀﻠﻞ‬

‫( وﲢﺴﺒﻬﻢ اﻳﻘﺎﻇﺎ وﻫﻢ‬17) ‫ﻓﻠﻦ ﲡﺪ ﻟﻪ وﻟﻴﺎ ﻣﺮﺷﺪا‬
‫رﻗﻮد وﻧﻘﻠﺒﻬﻢ ذات اﻟﻴﻤﲔ وذات ا‬
‫ﻟﺸﻤﺎل وﻛﻠﺒﻬﻢ ﺑﺴﻂ ذراﻋﻴﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻮﺻﻴﺪ‬
‫ﻟﻮ اﻃﻠﻌﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﻟﻮﻟﻴﺖ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻓﺮارا و‬
‫( وﻛﺬﻟﻚ ﺑﻌﺜﻨﻬﻢ ﻟﻴﺘﺴﺎ‬18) ‫ﳌﻠﺌﺖ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ رﻋﺒﺎ‬
‫ﻟﻮا ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ ﻗﺎل ﻗﺎﺋﻞ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻛﻢ ﻟﺒﺜﺘﻢ ﻗﺎﻟﻮا ﻟﺒﺜﻨﺎ‬
‫ﻳﻮﻣﺎ او ﺑﻌﺾ ﻳﻮم ﻗﺎﻟﻮا رﺑﻜﻢ اﻋﻠﻢ ﲟﺎ‬
‫ﻟﺒﺜﺘﻢ ﻓﺎﺑﻌﺜﻮا اﺣﺪﻛﻢ ﺑﻮرﻗﻜﻢ ﻫﺬﻩ‬
‫اﱃ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻓﻠﻴﻨﻈﺮ اﻳﻬﺎ ازﻛﻰ ﻃﻌﺎﻣﺎ‬
‫ﻓﻠﻴﺎﺗﻜﻢ ﺑﺮزق ﻣﻨﻪ وﻟﻴﺘﻠﻄﻒ وﻻ ﻳﺸﻌﺮن‬
‫ﻢ ان ﻳﻈﻬﺮوا ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ‬‫( ا‬19) ‫ﺑﻜﻢ اﺣﺪا‬
‫ﻳﺮﲨﻮﻛﻢ او ﻳﻌﻴﺪوﻛﻢ ﰲ ﻣﻠﺘﻬﻢ وﻟﻦ ﺗﻔﻠﺤﻮ‬
‫( وﻛﺬﻟﻚ اﻋﺜﺮﻧﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ‬20) ‫ا اذا اﺑﺪا‬
‫ﻟﻴﻌﻠﻤﻮا ان وﻋﺪ اﷲ ﺣﻖ وان اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬
‫ﻻ رﻳﺐ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ اذ ﻳﺘﻨﺰﻋﻮن ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ اﻣﺮﻫﻢ‬
‫ﻢ اﻋﻠﻢ‬‫ﻓﻘﺎﻟﻮا اﺑﻨﻮا ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﺑﻨﻴﻨﺎ ر‬
‫ﻢ ﻗﺎل اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻏﻠﺒﻮا ﻋﻠﻰ اﻣﺮﻫﻢ ﻟﻨﺘﺨﺬن‬
‫( ﺳﻴﻘﻮﻟﻮن ﺛﻠﺜﺔ راﺑﻌﻬﻢ‬21) ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﻣﺴﺠﺪا‬
‫ﻛﻠﺒﻬﻢ وﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮن ﲬﺴﺔ ﺳﺎدﺳﻬﻢ ﻛﻠﺒﻬﻢ‬
‫رﲨﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻐﻴﺐ وﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮن ﺳﺒﻌﺔ وﺛﺎﻣﻨﻬﻢ‬
‫ﻢ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻌﻠﻤﻬﻢ‬‫ﻛﻠﺒﻬﻢ ﻗﻞ رﰊ اﻋﻠﻢ ﺑﻌﺪ‬
‫اﻻ ﻗﻠﻴﻞ ﻓﻼ ﲤﺎر ﻓﻴﻬﻢ اﻻ ﻣﺮاء ﻇﻬﺮا و‬
‫( وﻻ ﺗﻘﻮﻟﻦ‬22) ‫ﻻ ﺗﺴﺘﻔﺖ ﻓﻴﻬﻢ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ اﺣﺪا‬

By comparing the two sets of verses in folio 1, we have obtained the following statistics.

Statistics of folio 1:
• Number of lines: 24
• Number of verses: 6
• Number of words: 158
• Number of Characters: 678
• Difference in words: 0%
• Difference in characters without considering the “silent alif”: 0%

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Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

• Difference in characters by considering the “silent alif”: 1.92%

• Semantic Difference: 0%
• Phonetic Difference: 0%

3.2. Analysis of Folio 2

The following table consists of two columns; the left one contains the second Birmingham Quran folio
and the right one contains the corresponding verses in the present universal Quran, as written in the Saudi
holy book (Hafs rasm without vocalisation). The diacritics and modern writing rasm have been removed
to put the two texts in the same writing conditions.

Table 2: Comparative analysis of Folio 2

Birmingham Quran Present Quran (old rasm without vocalisation)

‫( اﻻ ان ﻳﺸﺎ اﷲ‬23) ‫ﻟﺸﺎي اﱐ ﻓﺎﻋﻞ ذﻟﻚ ﻏﺪا‬

‫واذﻛﺮ رﺑﻚ اذا ﻧﺴﻴﺖ وﻗﻞ ﻋﺴﻰ ان‬
‫( وﻟﺒﺜﻮا‬24) ‫ﻳﻬﺪﻳﻦ رﰊ ﻻﻗﺮب ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬا رﺷﺪا‬
‫ﰲ ﻛﻬﻔﻬﻢ ﺛﻠﺚ ﻣﺎﺋﺔ ﺳﻨﲔ وازدادوا‬
‫( ﻗﻞ اﷲ اﻋﻠﻢ ﲟﺎ ﻟﺒﺜﻮا ﻟﻪ ﻏﻴﺐ‬25) ‫ﺗﺴﻌﺎ‬
‫اﻟﺴﻤﻮت واﻻرض اﺑﺼﺮ ﺑﻪ واﲰﻊ ﻣﺎ‬
‫ﳍﻢ ﻣﻦ دوﻧﻪ ﻣﻦ وﱄ وﻻ ﻳﺸﺮك ﰲ ﺣﻜﻤﻪ‬
‫( واﺗﻞ ﻣﺎ اوﺣﻲ اﻟﻴﻚ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺘﺎب‬26) ‫اﺣﺪا‬
‫رﺑﻚ ﻻ ﻣﺒﺪل ﻟﻜﻠﻤﺘﻪ وﻟﻦ ﲡﺪ ﻣﻦ دوﻧﻪ‬
‫( واﺻﱪ ﻧﻔﺴﻚ ﻣﻊ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﺪﻋﻮ‬27) ‫ﻣﻠﺘﺤﺪا‬
‫ﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﻐﺪوة واﻟﻌﺸﻲ ﻳﺮﻳﺪون وﺟﻬﻪ‬‫ن ر‬
‫وﻻ ﺗﻌﺪ ﻋﻴﻨﺎك ﻋﻨﻬﻢ ﺗﺮﻳﺪ زﻳﻨﺔ اﳊﻴﻮ‬
‫ة اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ وﻻ ﺗﻄﻊ ﻣﻦ اﻏﻔﻠﻨﺎ ﻗﻠﺒﻪ ﻋﻦ ذﻛﺮ‬
‫( وﻗﻞ‬28) ‫ﻪ وﻛﺎن اﻣﺮﻩ ﻓﺮﻃﺎ‬p‫ﻧﺎ واﺗﺒﻊ ﻫﻮ‬
‫اﳊﻖ ﻣﻦ رﺑﻜﻢ ﻓﻤﻦ ﺷﺎ ﻓﻠﻴﺆﻣﻦ وﻣﻦ ﺷﺎ ﻓﻠﻴﻜﻔﺮ‬
‫ﻢ‬ ‫اﻧﺎ اﻋﺘﺪﻧﺎ ﻟﻠﻈﻠﻤﲔ ﻧﺎرا اﺣﺎط‬
‫ﺳﺮادﻗﻬﺎ وان ﻳﺴﺘﻐﻴﺜﻮا ﻳﻐﺎﺛﻮا ﲟﺎ ﻛﺎﳌﻬﻞ‬
‫ﻳﺸﻮي اﻟﻮﺟﻮﻩ ﺑﺌﺲ اﻟﺸﺮاب وﺳﺎت ﻣﺮ‬
‫( ان اﻟﺬﻳﻦ اﻣﻨﻮا وﻋﻤﻠﻮا اﻟﺼﻠﺤﺖ اﻧﺎ‬29) ‫ﺗﻔﻘﺎ‬
‫( اوﻟﺌﻚ ﳍﻢ‬30) ‫ﻻ ﻧﻀﻴﻊ اﺟﺮ ﻣﻦ اﺣﺴﻦ ﻋﻤﻼ‬
‫ﺮ ﳛﻠﻮن ﻓﻴﻬﺎ‬‫ﺟﻨﺖ ﻋﺪن ﲡﺮي ﻣﻦ ﲢﺘﻬﻢ اﻻ‬
‫ﻣﻦ اﺳﺎور ﻣﻦ ذﻫﺐ وﻳﻠﺒﺴﻮن ﺛﻴﺎﺑﺎ ﺧﻀﺮا ﻣﻦ ﺳﻨﺪس‬
‫واﺳﺘﱪق ﻣﺘﻜﺌﲔ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ‬

By comparing the two sets of verses in folio 2, we have obtained the following statistics.

Statistics of folio 2:
• Number of lines: 23
• Number of verses: 9
• Number of words: 164
• Number of Characters: 632
• Difference in words: 0%

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Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

• Difference in characters without considering the “silent alif”: 0%

• Difference in characters by considering the “silent alif”: 1.26%
• Semantic Difference: 0%
• Phonetic Difference: 0%

3.3. Analysis of Folio 3

The following table consists of two columns; the left one contains the third Birmingham Quran folio and
the right one contains the corresponding verses in the present universal Quran, as written in the Saudi
holy book (Hafs rasm without vocalisation). The diacritics and modern writing rasm have been removed
to put the two texts in the same writing conditions.
Table 3: Comparative analysis of Folio 3
Birmingham Quran Present Quran (old rasm without vocalisation)
‫( وﻣﺎ ﻳﻨﺒﻐﻲ ﻟﻠﺮﲪﻦ‬91) ‫دﻋﻮا ﻟﻠﺮﲪﻦ وﻟﺪا‬
‫( ان ﻛﻞ ﻣﻦ ﰲ اﻟﺴﻤﻮت وا‬92) ‫ان ﻳﺘﺨﺬ وﻟﺪا‬
‫( ﻟﻘﺪ اﺣﺼﻬﻢ‬93) ‫ﻻرض اﻻ اﰐ اﻟﺮﲪﻦ ﻋﺒﺪا‬
‫( وﻛﻠﻬﻢ اﺗﻴﻪ ﻳﻮم اﻟﻘﻴﻤﺔ‬94) ‫وﻋﺪﻫﻢ ﻋﺪا‬
‫( ان اﻟﺬﻳﻦ اﻣﻨﻮا وﻋﻤﻠﻮا اﻟﺼﻠﺤﺖ‬95) ‫ﻓﺮدا‬
‫( ﻓﺎﳕﺎ ﻳﺴﺮﻧﻪ‬96) ‫ﺳﻴﺠﻌﻞ ﳍﻢ اﻟﺮﲪﻦ ودا‬
‫( و‬97) ‫ﺑﻠﺴﺎﻧﻚ ﻟﺘﺒﺸﺮ ﺑﻪ اﳌﺘﻘﲔ وﺗﻨﺬر ﺑﻪ ﻗﻮﻣﺎ ﻟﺪا‬
‫ﻛﻢ اﻫﻠﻜﻨﺎ ﻗﺒﻠﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺮن ﻫﻞ ﲢﺲ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ اﺣﺪ او‬
(98) ‫ﺗﺴﻤﻊ ﳍﻢ رﻛﺰا‬
***** ***** ‫********** ورة ط‬
‫( ﻣﺎ اﻧﺰﻟﻨﺎ‬1) ‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﲪﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ ﻃﻪ‬
(3) ‫( اﻻ ﺗﺬﻛﺮة ﳌﻦ ﳜﺸﻰ‬2) ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻚ اﻟﻘﺮان ﻟﺘﺸﻘﻰ‬
(4) ‫ﺗﻨﺰﻳﻼ ﳑﻦ ﺧﻠﻖ اﻻرض واﻟﺴﻤﻮت اﻟﻌﻠﻰ‬
‫( ﻟﻪ ﻣﺎ ﰲ اﻟﺴﻤﻮ‬5) ‫اﻟﺮﲪﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻌﺮش اﺳﺘﻮى‬
‫ت وﻣﺎ ﰲ اﻻرض وﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻤﺎ وﻣﺎ ﲢﺖ‬
‫( وان ﲡﻬﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﻮل ﻓﺎﻧﻪ ﻳﻌﻠﻢ اﻟﺴﺮ‬6) ‫اﻟﺜﺮى‬
‫( اﷲ ﻻ اﻟﻪ اﻻ ﻫﻮ ﻟﻪ اﻻﲰﺎء ا‬7) ‫واﺧﻔﻰ‬
‫( اذ‬9) ‫( وﻫﻞ اﺗﻚ ﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻣﻮﺳﻰ‬8) ‫ﳊﺴﲎ‬
‫رءا ﻧﺎرا ﻓﻘﺎل ﻻﻫﻠﻪ اﻣﻜﺜﻮا اﱐ اﻧﺴﺖ ﻧﺎ‬
‫را ﻟﻌﻠﻲ اﺗﻴﻜﻢ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﺑﻘﺒﺲ او اﺟﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ ا‬
(11) ‫ﺎ ﻧﻮدي ﳝﻮﺳﻰ‬‫( ﻓﻠﻤﺎ ا‬10) ‫ﻟﻨﺎر ﻫﺪى‬
‫اﱐ اﻧﺎ رﺑﻚ ﻓﺎﺧﻠﻊ ﻧﻌﻠﻴﻚ اﻧﻚ ﺑﺎ‬
‫( واﻧﺎ اﺧﱰﺗﻚ‬12) ‫ﻟﻮاد اﳌﻘﺪس ﻃﻮى‬

By comparing the two sets of verses in folio 3, we have obtained the following statistics.

Statistics of folio 3:
• Number of lines: 23
• Number of verses: 20
• Number of words: 156
• Number of Characters: 600

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Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

• Difference in words: 0%
• Difference in characters without considering the “silent alif”: 0%
• Difference in characters by considering the “silent alif”: 0.33%
• Semantic Difference: 0%
• Phonetic Difference: 0%

4.4. Analysis of Folio 4

The following table consists of two columns; the left one contains the fourth Birmingham Quran folio
and the right one contains the corresponding verses in the present universal Quran, as written in the Saudi
holy book (Hafs rasm without vocalisation). The diacritics and modern writing rasm have been removed
to put the two texts in the same writing conditions.

Table 4: Comparative analysis of Folio 4

Birmingham Quran Present Quran (old rasm without vocalisation)
‫( اﻧﲏ اﻧﺎ اﷲ ﻻ اﻟﻪ اﻻ‬13) ‫ﻓﺎﺳﺘﻤﻊ ﳌﺎ ﻳﻮﺣﻰ‬
‫( ان ا‬14) ‫اﻧﺎ ﻓﺎﻋﺒﺪﱐ واﻗﻢ اﻟﺼﻠﻮة ﻟﺬﻛﺮي‬
‫ﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﺗﻴﺔ اﻛﺎد اﺧﻔﻴﻬﺎ ﻟﺘﺠﺰى ﻛﻞ ﻧﻔﺲ ﲟﺎ‬
‫ﺎ واﺗﺒﻊ‬ ‫( ﻓﻼ ﻳﺼﺪﻧﻚ ﻋﻨﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻻ ﻳﺆﻣﻦ‬15) ‫ﺗﺴﻌﻰ‬
‫( ﻗﺎل‬17) ‫( وﻣﺎ ﺗﻠﻚ ﺑﻴﻤﻴﻨﻚ ﳝﻮﺳﻰ‬16) ‫ﻫﻮﻩ ﻓﱰدى‬
‫ﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ﻫﻲ ﻋﺼﺎي اﺗﻮﻛﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ واﻫﺶ‬
‫( ﻗﺎل اﻟﻘﻬﺎ ﳝﻮ‬18) ‫ﻏﻨﻤﻲ وﱄ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻣﺎرب اﺧﺮى‬
‫( ﻗﺎل ﺧﺬ‬20) ‫( ﻓﺎﻟﻘﻬﺎ ﻓﺎذا ﻫﻲ ﺣﻴﺔ ﺗﺴﻌﻰ‬19) ‫ﺳﻰ‬
‫( و‬21) ‫ﺎ اﻻوﱃ‬‫ﻫﺎ وﻻ ﲣﻒ ﺳﻨﻌﻴﺪﻫﺎ ﺳﲑ‬
‫اﺿﻤﻢ ﻳﺪك اﱃ ﺟﻨﺎﺣﻚ ﲣﺮج ﺑﻴﻀﺎء ﻣﻦ‬
(23) ‫( ﻟﻨﺮﻳﻚ ﻣﻦ اﻳﺘﻨﺎ اﻟﻜﱪى‬22) ‫ﻏﲑ ﺳﻮء اﻳﺔ اﺧﺮى‬
‫( ﻗﺎل رب ا‬24) ‫اذﻫﺐ اﱃ ﻓﺮﻋﻮن اﻧﻪ ﻃﻐﻰ‬
‫( واﺣﻠﻞ‬26) ‫( وﻳﺴﺮ ﱄ اﻣﺮي‬25) ‫ﺷﺮح ﱄ ﺻﺪري‬
‫( واﺟﻌﻞ‬28) ‫( ﻳﻔﻘﻬﻮا ﻗﻮﱄ‬27) ‫ﻋﻘﺪة ﻣﻦ ﻟﺴﺎﱐ‬
‫( اﺷﺪد‬30) ‫( ﻫﺮون اﺧﻲ‬29) ‫ﱄ وزﻳﺮا ﻣﻦ اﻫﻠﻲ‬
‫( ﻛﻲ ﻧﺴﺒﺤﻚ‬32) ‫( واﺷﺮﻛﻪ ﰲ اﻣﺮي‬31) ‫ﺑﻪ ازري‬
‫( اﻧﻚ ﻛﻨﺖ ﺑﻨﺎ‬34) ‫( وﻧﺬﻛﺮك ﻛﺜﲑا‬33) ‫ﻛﺜﲑا‬
‫( وﻟﻘﺪ‬36) ‫( ﻗﺎل ﻗﺪ اوﺗﻴﺖ ﺳﺆﻟﻚ ﳝﻮﺳﻰ‬35) ‫ﺑﺼﲑا‬
‫( اذ اوﺣﻴﻨﺎ اﱃ‬37) ‫ﻣﻨﻨﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﻣﺮة اﺧﺮى‬
‫( ان اﻗﺬﻓﻴﻪ ﰲ اﻟﺘﺎﺑﻮت ﻓﺎ‬38) ‫اﻣﻚ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻮﺣﻰ‬
‫ﻗﺬﻓﻴﻪ ﰲ اﻟﻴﻢ ﻓﻠﻴﻠﻘﻪ اﻟﻴﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﺴﺎﺣﻞ ﻳﺎﺧﺬ‬
‫ه ﻋﺪو ﱄ وﻋﺪو ﻟﻪ واﻟﻘﻴﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ‬
‫( اذ ﲤﺸﻲ‬39) ‫ﳏﺒﺔ ﻣﲏ وﻟﺘﺼﻨﻊ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﻴﲏ‬

By comparing the two sets of verses in folio 4, we have obtained the following statistics.

Statistics of folio 4:
• Number of lines: 23

7
Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

• Number of verses: 27
• Number of words: 169
• Number of Characters: 633
• Difference in words: 0%
• Difference in characters without considering the “silent alif”: 0%
• Difference in characters by considering the “silent alif”: 1.4%
• Semantic Difference: 0%
• Phonetic Difference: 0%

3.5. Statistical analysis of all the folios

Now, by taking the whole Birmingham Quran and comparing this last one with the present universal
Quran (Hafs recitation), we obtain the following statistical results.

Statistics of all the folios:

• Number of lines: 93
• Number of verses: 62
• Number of words: 647
• Number of Characters: 2543
• Difference in words: 0% (i.e. similarity of 100%).
• Difference in characters without considering the “silent alif”: 0% (i.e. similarity of 100%).
• Difference in characters by considering the “silent alif”: 1.26% (i.e. similarity of about ~99%).
• Semantic Difference: 0% (i.e. similarity of 100%).
• Phonetic Difference: 0% (i.e. similarity of 100%).

Hence, the comparative analysis of all the folios can be summarised by the following table.

Table 5: Similarity between the ancient folios and the current holy Quran
Comparison between the ancient folios and the current holy Quran Similarity in %
Similarity in terms of words 100 %
Similarity in terms of characters without considering the “silent alif” 100 %
Similarity in terms of characters by considering the “silent alif” ~99%
Similarity in terms of semantics 100 %
Similarity in terms of phonetic pronunciation 100 %

4. Conclusion
In this investigation, we conducted a comparative analysis between the Birmingham Quran folios and the
corresponding verses of the present version of the Quran (Hafs recitation), based on characters, words,
phonetics and semantics.
We also recall that the Birmingham Quran parchment, has been carbon-dated to the first century of Hijra
(i.e. probably few years after the Prophet death).
According to this investigation, which made a statistical comparison between this ancient Quran folios
and the present universal one (Hafs recitation preserved by the Saudi authorities), it appears two important

8
Investigation on the Ancient Quran Folios of Birmingham H. Sayoud

conclusions:

- The two analysed text documents are similar in terms of characters (similarity of about 99~100%)
and similar in terms of words (similarity of 100%);

- The two analysed text documents are similar in terms of phonetics (similarity of 100%) and
similar in terms of semantics (similarity of 100%);

Consequently, and since the ancient Birmingham scripture was found to be similar to the present holy
scripture, it appears that the Quran has been safely preserved during the last 14 centuries without
alteration. Hence, if the radiocarbon dating is quite accurate, we can say that this new discovery confirms
that the present holy book represents an authentic copy of the first original Quran that was recited by the
Prophet fourteen centuries ago.

ِ
َ ُ‫ﺎ ﻟَﻪُ ﻟَ َﺤﺎﻓﻈ‬‫َوإِﻧـ‬
Furthermore, in the verse (15:9): « ‫ﻮن‬ ‫ﻛ َﺮ‬ ُ ‫ﺎ ﻧَ ْﺤ‬‫»إِﻧـ‬, it is clearly stated that the Holy
ْ ‫ﺰْﻟﻨَـﺎ اﻟﺬ‬َ‫ﻦ ﻧ‬
Scripture is/will be protected and preserved by His Creator; which is in total concordance with this new
scientific result.

References
K. Awwad, 1982. Aqdam al-makhtutat al-arabiyya fi maktabat al-alam (The Oldest Arabic Manuscripts
in the World's Libraries), Baghdad, 1982.

D. Hopwood, 1961. ‘The Islamic Manuscripts in the Mingana collection’, Journal of the Royal Asiatic
Society XCIII/3-4.

M. A. Muqith, 2011. Al-Madd Al-Tabee’ee. Heesbees : All for Quran and Tajweed. January 2011.

https://heesbees.wordpress.com/tag/short-and-long-arabic-vowels/

B. C. Ramsey, , T. F. G. Higham, , F. Brock, , D. Baker, , & P. Ditchfield, (2009). Radiocarbon dates

from the oxford ams system: archaeometry datelist 33. Archaeometry, 51(2), 323-349. Archaeometry,
51(2), 323-349.

R.E Taylor and M.J Aitken. (eds) 1997. Chronometric dating in Archaeology. Advances in
Archaeological and Museum Science, volume 2. Oxford University, England. Buy this Book at
Amazon.com.

U. of Birmingham, 2016. About the Birmingham Qur’an, last access in july 2016. FAQs,
www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/cadbury/quran-manuscript/faqs.aspx

U. of Birmingham, 2015. Birmingham Qur'an manuscript dated among the oldest in the world. July
2015. http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2015/07/quran-manuscript-22-07-15.aspx