Three unique Quran manuscripts
Three large Al-Quran manuscripts kept at Assyakirin Mosque a racting a ention a er video on them went viral
We are not sure of the value of this manuscript in terms of its history however Alhamdulilah there is interest for us to study whether this manuscript is original, or a copy like ordinary books.
Abang Arshad Abang Anuar
BINTULU: The three unique Al-Quran manuscripts being kept at Assyakirin Mosque here have a racted a lot of a ention, not only because of their large size but also that they were handwri en and two of them wri en on wooden fronds.
One giant manuscript measuring 1.27 metres long and 61 centimetres (cm) wide was wri en on paper, while two other manuscripts, measuring 81 cm long and 50 cm wide and 90 cm long and 58 cm wide, were wri en on wooden fronds.
Assyakirin Mosque chairman Datu Mohidin Ishak said the AlQuran manuscripts were handed over by a non-Muslim three years ago to Assyakirin Mosque along with 30 other regularsized copies of the Al-Quran.
“He was from Bintulu (received it from the Indonesians), because of his intention to hand over the giant Quran, we accepted it. To this day (this Quran) is still with us here.
“Thank God, the Sarawak government is interested in seeing it a er the video went viral (just viral a er the three manuscripts of the Quran were placed in the Assyakirin Mosque), if it is authentic we must take good care of the Quran,” he said when met by Utusan Borneo at the Assyakirin Mosque yesterday.
A er the video went viral on social media, Muslims not only from Bintulu but from all over Sarawak wanted to see the unique Quran manuscripts for themselves. It is now kept in a room in the mosque so that it is not damaged when displayed.
Assyakirin Mosque management commi ee secretary Abang Arshad Abang Anuar said a non-Muslim friend in Bintulu is understood to have kept the Quran for more than 10 years.
“We are not sure of the value of this manuscript in terms of its history however Alhamdulilah there is interest for us to study whether this manuscript is original, or a copy like ordinary books.
“But from the structure, it looks like (the Quran) has been around for a long time, not new, handwri en, we just hope that the Islamic Council with the authority and experts will solve this ma er,” he said.
Chief assistant officer of the Al-Quran Unit, Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (JAIZ), Ustaz Rafaiee Morshidi said this unique Al-Quran manuscript would be studied further with the help of experts to determine its authenticity and age.
He said they will also seek the service of experts from the museum and appoint several officers from the Islamic Religious Department.
“We will also form a commi ee to study the Al-Quran even if the handwriting is correct. There is a lot we need to study, God willing, we will study more deeply about it. We ask the management of Assyakirin Mosque to keep the Quran first, so that we can examine it with the experts,” he said.
Rafaiee said they hoped the current generation can see how the people during the olden days kept and wrote the holy verses of the Quran using their hands.
“One of them is wri en on wooden fronds according to the time of the Prophet SAW and this is one of the unique things that we need to see together though without photocopy machines and printers they still managed to produce 30 juz of the Quran in handwriting,” he said.
Also present to examine the Quran manuscripts were JAIS Bintulu Division Islamic Affairs officer Ustaz Awang Fakrulrizan Awang Madohi and members of the management commi ee of Assyakirin Mosque Bintulu Division.