A fragment of the world’s oldest Quran may have been discovered, in a university in the British city of Birmingham. The fragments have been dated to between the years 568AD and 645AD, around the time the Prophet Mohammed lived. Even taking the later date, that means that whoever wrote down the fragments did so within two decades of the death of the Prophet.
The find is fascinating for historians, but for Muslims the manuscript has an emotional draw as well. The example of the Prophet is very important for Muslims worldwide – they seek to emulate his manners and his temperament, to become closer to God by modelling themselves on his last messenger. The idea that whoever wrote down the words may have met and spoken to the Messenger of God is profoundly emotional. There’s a unique, almost mystical quality to it, imagining that the hand that wrote down the words that Muslims believe were first uttered by the angel Gabriel may also have held the hands of God’s Messenger.
