Hawzah News Agency- Nearly seven centuries ago, Marinid Sultan Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Othman gifted the Al-Aqsa Mosque a Qur’an manuscript he had copied with his own hands. Known as the Moroccan Raba’a, the manuscript is housed today in the Islamic Museum at Al-Aqsa.
As a token of friendship and deep reverence for Al-Aqsa’s sanctity, Sultan Abu Al-Hasan’s Raba’a was one of five Qur’ans he meticulously transcribed, ornamented, and dedicated to Islam’s holiest sites. The first was endowed to the city of Chellah. The second, also penned by the sultan, was offered to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The third was donated to the Al-Haram Mosque in Makkah, and the fourth was gifted to Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1344, according to historical sources.
Of all five, only the Al-Aqsa Raba’a has withstood the test of time and theft, according to a study by Palestinian researchers focused on the manuscript’s ornamentation.
Originally made up of thirty volumes, the Moroccan Raba’a was written in traditional Maghrebi calligraphy, a style rooted in early Kufic script and known as Al-Qayrawani. Today, only 24 volumes survive.
Each volume opens with a Sir Lawha, an ornately designed frontispiece, typically square-shaped and measuring 11.5 cm by 11.5 cm. This recurring motif is no coincidence. According to scholars, the square holds deep symbolic meaning. It mirrors the architecture of Islam’s holiest sites, such as the Kaaba and the Dome of the Rock.
Source: Yabiladi News
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