In the predominantly oral culture of 7th century Arabia, preservation of the Qur'an was a major concern. Even after it was compiled as a written codex under the reign of Abu Bakr, the rapid spread of Islam across a vast geographic stretch meant the question of how to maintain its authenticity remained. It was the third caliph, ʿUthmān, who produced a definitive canonical text from which subsequent copies were made and distributed across the Islamic world.

In this lecture, Dr. Neelam Hussain will discuss how Qur'an manuscripts evolved to meet the challenge of an expanding Muslim population, through features like consonantal pointing and diacritical marks. She will assess various folios from the early period of Islamic history - including the renowned 'Birmingham Qur'an' discovered in 2015 - and teach participants how to identify key features of each era, such as calligraphic style and writing materials.

This event is part of Muslim LitFest Birmingham. You can find the full programme here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/muslimlitfest

--------------------------------------

Dr. Neelam Hussain is a historian specialising in the intellectual and cultural history of the medieval Islamicate world. She has worked with departments across the University of Birmingham teaching on modules in Islamic history, art history, Islamic studies and research methods. As part of her work with the Mingana Collection, Neelam has worked on various projects and exhibitions on the 'Birmingham Qur’an Manuscript' - both in the UK and at an international level - working with the British Council and the UAE Ministry of Culture & Knowledge as strategic partners.