The Qurʾan, Calligraphy, and the Early Civilization of Islam

Abstract

The growth of Arabic calligraphy was a far-reaching development in early Islamic civilization. The earliest extant manuscripts of the Quran can be broadly ascribed to the first century of Islam. The reign of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik saw the consolidation of Muslim central administration and is generally regarded as a major stage in the establishment of the Islamic state. It was also a turning point in the history of Quranic calligraphy, the beginning of a new era that continues to this day. The Nabataean origin of the Arabic script has only been decisively established in recent years thanks to the discovery of a growing number of transitional late Nabataean inscriptions. The Abbasid revolution overthrew the Umayyads in 750 and ushered in a new phase in the history of the Islamic empire. The oblong format became predominant, and had the advantage of creating an immediate visual distinction with books, including bibles and Arabic writings.

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