Earliest Quran Manuscripts

Discovering the earliest Quran manuscripts offers a rare look into the early history of Islamic text preservation.

Ancient finds like the Birmingham Quran and Sanaa manuscript offer vital historical context through carbon dating and palaeographic study. Explore the oldest surviving Quran fragments and where these historic Islamic artifacts are held today.

1 Birmingham Quran Manuscript \| 568-645 CE (Earliest) Location:Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, UK Years:568-645 CE (-64 to 13 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:Mingana 1572a Features:Written in Hijazi script on parchment; contains parts of Surahs 18–20; matches the standard text very closely. Photo Album: Birmingham Quran Manuscript (9) \| WIKIPEDIA: Birmingham_Quran_manuscript WORD COUNT455 Words / 0.60% of Quran
2 Sanaa Manuscript \| 578-669 CE Location:Dar al-Kutub al-Wataniyya, Sana'a, Yemen Years:578-669 CE (-54 to 37 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:DAM 01-27.1 Features:A palimpsest (reused parchment); the lower erased text features non-standard surah order and variant readings divergent from the Uthmanic tradition. Photo Album: Sanaa Manuscript 01-25 (1) Photo Album: Sanaa Manuscript 01-27 (10) Photo Album: Sanaa Manuscript 01-29 (1) \| WIKIPEDIA: Sanaa_manuscript WORD COUNT36,000-40,000 Words / 50% of Quran
3 Tübingen Fragment \| 649-675 CE Location:University of Tübingen, Germany Years:649-675 CE (17-43 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:Codex Ma VI 165 Features:Written in an early Hijazi script on parchment, dating back to the early decades of Islam. Photo Album: Tübingen Fragment (3) \| WIKIPEDIA: Early_Quranic_manuscripts#Tübingen_fragment WORD COUNT20,300 Words / 26% of Quran
4 Codex Mashhad \| 660-772 CE Location:Astan-i Quds Library, Mashhad, Iran Years:660-772 CE (28-140 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:MS18 & MS 4116 Features: Retains over 90% of the text and preserves an arrangement historically associated with the companion Ibn Mas'ud. Photo Album: Codex Mashhad (MS 18) (17) Photo Album: Codex Mashhad (MS 4116) (12) \| WIKIPEDIA: Codex_Mashhad WORD COUNT70,000 Words / 90% of Quran
5 Ma'il Quran \| 650-750 CE Location:British Library, London Years:650-750 CE (18-118 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:BL Or 2165 Features:Written in early Hijazi (mā'il or 'sloping') script on vellum; features minimal diacritical marks and stacked-dash verse markers; considered the oldest Quranic manuscript held in the British Library. Photo Album: Ma'il Quran (5) \| WIKIPEDIA: Early_Quranic_manuscripts#The_Ma'il_Quran WORD COUNT52,000 Words / 67% of Quran
6 Codex Parisino-Petropolitanus \| 650-715 CE Location:Dispersed between the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, and the National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg Years:650-715 CE (18-83 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:BnF Arabe 328(ab) Features:Comprises early Hijazi leaves covering roughly 45% to 46% of the text of the Qur'an. Photo Album: Codex Parisino-Petropolitanus (5) \| WIKIPEDIA: Codex_Parisino-petropolitanus WORD COUNT35,000 Words / 45% of Quran
7 Topkapi Manuscript \| 722-750 CE Location:Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey Years:722-750 CE (90-118 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:HS32 Features:One of the most complete early copies (roughly 99% complete), written in an early Abbasid/Hijazi-transition script. \| WIKIPEDIA: Topkapı_manuscript WORD COUNT77,150 Words / 99% of Quran
8 Samarkand Kufic Quran \| 775-995 CE Location:Hast Imam Library, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Years:775-995 CE (143-363 Years After Muhammad) CatalogueID:Samarkand / Tashkent Features:Written in early Kufic script on large parchment sheets; traditionally (though anachronistically) linked to Caliph Uthman. Photo Album: Samarkand Kufic Quran (16) Photo Album: Samarkand Kufic Quran (6) \| WIKIPEDIA: Samarkand_Kufic_Quran WORD COUNT25,800 Words / 33% of Quran

* All values are approximate. Muhammad died in 632 CE. The Quran has 77,430 words

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Author: Guest • Updated: 06 Oct 2026 • 113 views | 24 mins ago

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Early Quran Manuscript
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What is Early Quran?
Early Quran refers to the initial transmission, oral recitation, and textual compilation of the Islamic holy text. This compilation was during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad and the immediate decades following his death in 632 AD.

What is Manuscript?
A manuscript was, traditionally, any document written by hand. Once practical typewriters became available, typewritten as opposed to being mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way.

Say, We believe in God and what was sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus and all the Prophets by their Lord
Quran 2:136

Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
John 14:6

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I
John 14:28

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord
Deuteronomy 6:4

The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you mates from yourselves, and for the cattle (also) mates. By this means He creates you (in the wombs)
Quran 42:11

O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah
Quran 3:64

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me
John 5:30

Indeed, We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book (of Psalms)
Quran 4:163

Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven big stars, and has placed therein a great lamp (sun), and a moon giving light. And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession
Quran 25:61

He (Jesus) Himself stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be to you
Luke 24:36

O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of God. Indeed, God forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful
Quran 39: 53

Indeed, man is in loss, except those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and advise one another to truth and patience
Quran 103:1-3

The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord
Mark 12:29

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God
John 20:17

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
John 13:16

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind
Matthew 22:37

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
John 5:30

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:19

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me
Isaiah 49:9

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Earliest Quran Manuscripts

1 Birmingham Quran Manuscript | 568-645 CE (Earliest)

2 Sanaa Manuscript | 578-669 CE

3 Tübingen Fragment | 649-675 CE

4 Codex Mashhad | 660-772 CE

5 Ma'il Quran | 650-750 CE

6 Codex Parisino-Petropolitanus | 650-715 CE

7 Topkapi Manuscript | 722-750 CE

8 Samarkand Kufic Quran | 775-995 CE

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NEWS | 1,760

ARTICLES | 164

SCRIPTURE | 580