Manuscript
[RAS Arabic 04] al-Qurʼān
- Title
- [RAS Arabic 04] al-Qurʼān
- Extent
-
> Physical Description & Dimensions:
- Extent: 352 folios (ff.).
- Manuscript Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm.
- Text Block Dimensions: 27 x 17.5 cm.
- Paper Type: Brownish laid paper with squarish mold marks, lacking watermarks or chain lines. Badly waterstained in parts with material loss.
- Binding: European half-leather binding with marbled boards.
> Text Layout & Calligraphy:
- Page Layout: 9 lines per page.
- Ink: Black ink.
- Arabic Script: Written in an accomplished, wide calligraphic hand.
- Malay Script: Written as an interlinear translation in a fine, small hand, hanging diagonally to the left beneath the Arabic text.
> Frames & Verse Markers:
- Text Frames: Double-ruled red lines from ff. 1–6, transitioning to single red lines for the remainder of the manuscript.
- Verse Markers: Gold roundels outlined in black. From Surah al-Nazi’at onwards, markers shift to silver roundels outlined in black (the silver has tarnished and contracted to a grey/black mark over an orange background).
> Headings, Marginalia & Structural Markers:
- Surah Headings: Written in red inside rectangular red frames; featuring simple knotted ta marbuta designs in select headings.
- Marginalia:
+ Includes marginal reading instructions in Malay, e.g., ini kepada siang Selasa ('this on Tuesday noon').
+ Juz’ divisions are marked vertically in red ink, accompanied by the complete first line of the text written in red.
+ Features one rub’ marker (MO).
> Illumination & Decoration:
- Opening Pages (ff. 1r & 2r): Surah al-Fatihah and the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah feature simple double frames (DF) in red and black ink.
- Condition Note: Both opening folios are severely damaged with most of f. 2 missing. Folio 1 was bound in back-to-front, placing the beginning of Surah al-Fatihah on f. 1r instead of f. 1v.
> Annotations & Extra Texts:
- Donation Inscription (Flyleaf & f. 3r): Inscribed “Presented by Admiral C.M. Pole Bart. June 19 1830”.
- Prayers (ff. 352r & 352v): Concluding prayers.
- Malay Inscription (f. 352v): Features doodles and a partial opening of a letter in Malay: qadim paduka kakanda Encik’ Zainuddin yang ada dengan istirahat al-khair di dalam negeri Semarang ('to esteemed older brother Encik Zainuddin, who resides peacefully in Semarang').
> Origin & Citations:
- Probable Origin: Banten, 18th Century AD.
- Bibliographic Citations: Codrington 1892: 502 (no. 4) ; Sefercioglu 2000: 129 - Provenance
- Produced in Banten in the 18th century; presented by Admiral C.M. Pole Bart. to the Royal Asiatic Society on June 19, 1830. Currently held in the collection of the Royal Asiatic Society, London (RAS Arabic 4).