ABU DHABI // For three days and nights, a team of calligraphers in Dubai meticulously reproduced by hand a rare copy of the complete Quran, the state news agency, WAM, reported yesterday. The divine scripture was copied as part of a Ramadan forum for Quranic calligraphy. A special jury was present at a ceremony at the Zabeel Palace in Dubai to authenticate the quality of the inscription of the holy verses.
Among those who attended were the Minister of Health, Dr Hanif Hassan Ali, and the Minister of Education, Humaid Mohammed al Qattami. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, the Finance Minister and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, honoured the team of calligraphers at the event and expressed his fascination at the dedication and passion involved in the calligraphy. He noted the ink, the surface and the tools that were needed for the achievement, and that calligraphy of the Quran was a rare achievement in the religious heritage of the UAE.
Sheikh Hamdan praised the calligraphers for their speed and discipline. Traditionally, before printing technology was invented, Qurans were completed by calligraphers over the course of several months. Abdul Rahman Mohammed al Owais, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, thanked Sheikh Hamdan for attending the ceremony and for meeting with the team of calligraphers. "This embodies the care and attention given by His Highness to the heritage of UAE and its culture," he said.
The rare copy was rewritten in the style of Mushaf of the Madinat al Munawara. According to historians, seven copies of the Quran were prepared during the period of the third Caliph of Islam, Othman. One of these was sent to Mecca, one to Syria, one to Yemen, one to Bahrain, one to Basra and one to Kufah. A seventh book was preserved in Madinat al Munawara. * The National
