Cairo Mosque Copy Not Oldest Quran Manuscript: Experts
Some social media users have recently shared a picture of the manuscript, which is kept at the Imam Hussein (AS) Mosque in Cairo, claiming it is the earliest copy of the Quran available, one of those ordered by Caliph Uthman ibn Affan to be written and sent to every Muslim province.
However, experts say it does not date back to the first Hijri century.
Salaheddin al-Munjad, a manuscripts specialist, says it was certainly not produced in the first century.
Saad al-Mahir, another expert, says the copy dates back to the second half of the second century at the earliest.
During the time of the Prophet (PBUH), the verses of the Quran were written on different writing materials, including animal skins, palm wood, paper, and cloth. After the demise of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the verses and chapters of the Quran were compiled by a number of the Companions, and several copies of the Quran were produced.
These copies were different from each other in the order of the chapters and in the ways certain words were to be pronounced. This prompted Uthman, the third caliph, to decide to produce a unified version of the Quran and eliminate the other copies.
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