World record calligraphist visits Oman with longest handwritten Quran
The longest handwritten holy Quran is now in Oman as the calligraphist, who won the world record for the same is on a short visit to the Sultanate of Oman aiming to meet with higher officials of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs (MOARA).
Jaseem, the author who hails from Cherumukku, near Tirurangadi in Kerala, broke the record hitherto held by Egyptian scholar Mohammed Gabriel by scripting 1,106m long Quran in calligraphic style. It took nearly two years for him to break the record of 700m.
Jaseem, who completed his graduation from Jamia Nooria Arabic college in Pattikkad, Perinthalmanna, Kerala, made the most of the pandemic and the lock down in order to complete his manuscript copy of the Quran, thanks to the skill that he acquired during his 12 years with Tirur Chembra Dars Art of Calligraphy.
According to All Guinness Records Holders (AGRH) officials, Jaseem became the 75th Guinness record winner from Kerala. “It’s a proud moment for us all,” said Munawarali Shihab Thangal, who was the witness to the feat.
The 1,106m long Quran he prepared weighs 118.3 kg and has 325,384 Arabic letters, 77,437 Arabic words, 114 chapters, and 6,348 verses. Each Juz (section) is done in about 6575 pages, and each page contains 9-10 lines. Each page is 75 cm in height and 34 cm in width. This work was done using 300 GSM ivory card about 2,000 pages. Thangal and Adoor handed over the Guinness certificate to Jaseem.
Jaseem says it was Covid-19 lockdown that helped him to set his eyes on this feat. He had displayed his calligraphic prowess at a Quran exhibition organised by the Noorul Ulama Students earlier and he attributes his gratitude to two people who helped him achieve the title.
“They are Ayoob, my elder brother who paints and the reason behind my taste for calligraphy from childhood. It is my teacher Swalahuddin Faizy Venniyoor who initiated me into Arabic calligraphy and inspired me to take my first steps in this traditional Islamic art form. I have set my goals even higher and only time can prove them to be true,” Jaseem said before leaving for Iftar.