2. The ‘Uthmani Codices

The copies of the Qur’an prepared by ‘Uthman’s order by the committee formed for this purpose, apart from the first copy which came to be known as the ‘master copy’ (al-mushaf al-imam), numbered, according to the different narrations, from four to nine. These were assigned to Kufah, Basrah, Makkah, Syria, Bahrayn, Yemen, Egypt, al-Jazirah and Madinah.¹⁹ Each of these copies of the Qur’an served as a referential authority for the people of the city, from which they made copies and to which they referred in event any difference in reading should arise among them. Also occasionally, in cases of difference between the masahif of the cities, the Qur’an at Madinah (al-mushaf al-‘imam) served as the final criterion.

‘Uthman also dispatched a qari along with each copy sent to the cities, so as to demonstrate the correct reading to the people. Thus ‘Abd Allah ibn Sa’ib in Makkah, Munirah ibn Shihab in Syria, Abu ‘Abd Allah Salami in Kufah, ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd al-Qays (or ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman) in Basrah, and Zayd ibn Thabit in Madinah were responsible for qira’ah in the respective areas. ²⁰

These masahif, which became famous as “‘Uthmani Codices,” remained intact for a long time. As Yaqut al-Hamawi (d. 626/1228), writes in his Mu’jam al-buldan ²¹ one of the ‘Uthmani Codices existed in the grand mosque (jami‘) of Damascus. Ibn Fadl Allah al-‘Umari (d. 749/1348), the author of Masalik al-‘absar, also mentions the Damascan codex. Ibn Kathir (d. 774/1372), who had seen it, describes it. ²² Ibn Battutah (d. 778/1376) has recorded his observations as follows:

“In the eastern side of the hall of worship, facing the mihrib is a big repository where the Qur’an sent to Syria by Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan is preserved. This repository is opened to the public after the congregational prayer and the people throng to embrace it. It is at this place that parties to disputes take oath from defendants and debtors?” ²³

According to Kurd ‘A1i, ²⁴ this Qur’an existed in the mosque of Damascus until the year 1310/1892, but that year it was destroyed in a fire at the mosque.

However, Dr. Ramyar, without mentioning any source, writes:

“It appears that fragments of the verses of the Qur’an attributed to the ‘Uthmani script were taken by Amir Taymur Gorkani with him from Syria to Samarqand with the intention of having them placed at his tomb. This manuscript was later transferred to the library of the Imperial Institute of Archeology at Leningrad and in 1905 C.E. fifty copies of it were lithographed, of which twenty-five were gifted eminent figures from Islamic countries.”²⁵

Ibn Battutah also mentions having seen in the mosque of Kufah another Qur’an ascribed to ‘Uthman which bore traces of his blood. Al Nabulusi (d.1105/1693) has been quoted to the effect that in the mihrab of the ancient mosque in the fort of Hums there existed a copy in the Kufic script bearing traces of blood. In the time of al-Nabulusi the people used to approach it during times of drought to pray for rain. ²⁶ Several manuscripts pertaining to the ‘Uthmani codices have existed in various cities, and as mentioned by some they were as many as sixteen. ²⁷ Even now some copies ascribed to ‘Uthman (i.e. the Uthmani codices) exist in Egypt, Turkey and at Tashkand. Their details are as follows:

1. The Egyptian Codex of the Qur’an is kept at the repository at al-Mashhad al-Husayni at Cairo. Written in the old Kufic script,, it is a big and voluminous size.

2. The Turkish Codex is the one which was at Mosul at first and was subsequently plundered by the invading Tatars. Eventually it was returned to Istanbul, the Ottoman capital. At present it is kept at al. ‘Amanah collection, with the serial number one. Its microfilm is present at Ma’had al-Makhtutat al.’Arabiyyah, Cairo, under serial number 19.

3. The Tashkand Codex is commonly believed to have been brought from Syria to Uzbekistan by Taymur as part of his booty and in accordance with his will was kept at his tomb at Samarqand. Later it was transferred to Petrograd (the present Leningrad), the capital of the Russian Empire. After the October Revolution it was returned on the orders of Lenin to Tashkand where it still exists. A brief account of this copy’s transfer has been mentioned briefly in Dr. Ramyar’s Ta’rikh ‘al Qur’an, ²⁸ and apparently its source is the popular belief. Dr. Subhi :a1-Salih states in this regard: “Some researchers opine that this copy, remained for a period of time at the Leningrad Imperial Museum before being transferred to Uzbekistan. Then in the footnote he refers the reader, for details to the tenth volume of Chavin’s, Bibliographie des ourages Arabes ou relatifs aux Arabes, Liege, p. 45-56. He adds that other researchers believe that this codex remained safe at the grand mosque of Damascus until 1310/1892 when it was destroyed by fire. ³⁰

We know that Taymur conquered Damascus in the year 803/1400 and in the same year his army conquered the city pillaging it and setting it on fire. Although Taymur had ordered that the grand mosque should not be touched, its wooden roof caught fire and its eastern minaret was totally destroyed, though the ‘Arus minaret (about which the Prophet [S] had reportedly foretold) remained intact.³¹

Accordingly, it is probable that before the mosque of Damascus caught fire, Taymur had the Qur’an transferred to his own camp and had later on taken it to his capital Samarqand. If this has not happened, it is unlikely that the codex has survived the devastating, fire that consumed Damascus and its mosque.

As to the story of its existence until 1310 at Damascus, as quoted by Dr. Subhi al-Salih from Khutat al-Sham, it is not improbable that after the end of Taymur’s domination and the resumption of Mamluk rule over Syria, the Uthmani Qur’an of Hums, which al-Nabulusi reported to exist at the old citadel mosque in, Hums, was transferred to Damascus. Hums had remained un-attacked by Taymur’s forces in 803/1400 because it accepted his suzerainty and paid tribute. ³² As per this probability, the Damascan codex, after many a change of place, has finally come to remain at Tashkand, and the Hums codex, after being transferred to Damascus after the 11^th/17^th century, was destroyed by fire at the mosque in the year 1310/1892.

However, this writer was told by the Director of the Islamic Centre of Uzbekistan at Tashkand that the aforesaid codex is kept under lock and key by the governor of Tashkand. But a photographic copy of it, of the same size as the original (65×50), is kept at the Islamic Centre for display for visitors.