Codex Mashhad
[1]: 294 In their present form, both parts of Codex Mashhad have been repaired, partially completed with pieces from later Kufic Qurʾāns and sometimes in a present-day nashkī hand.
Through intensive scholarly study in recent decades, Codex Mashhad’s exceptional status has become evident among other early Qurʾānic manuscripts held there.
Based on textual, orthographic and variant analyses, as well as its sūras sequence, the main body is believed to be copied in a very early period, i.e. within the first Islamic century.
While its textual transmission adheres to the official ʿUthmānic standard of the Qurʾān, the remarkable feature of this codex was its initial preservation of Ibn Masʿūd’s distinctive sūras progression – a rare survivor showcasing an alternative early organizational structure.
This vertical layout, line count, and relatively large size distinguish Codex Mashhad from other ancient manuscripts housed in the Āstān-i Quds Library collection.
Both parts of Codex Mashhad have undergone repairs, with some pages supplemented using fragments from late Kufic Qurans, or recopied in naskh script or entirely modern handwriting.
Its donor was ʿAlī ibn Abī l-Qāsim al-Muqrī al-Sarawī, as documented by a deed of endowment found on the first folio (A1a) of MS 18.
In the earliest manuscripts, variations either indicate distinctions between regional traditions (Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Damascus), or differences in lettering and dotting not necessarily adhering to a specific renowned reader yet traceable to the readings of one of the Prophet’s Companions or Followers.
[7] The manuscript exhibits titles for the sūras that do not fully align with traditional Islamic nomenclature, suggesting regional naming conventions or later additions.
[1]: 321–325 The facsimile edition of Codex Mashhad was published in 2022–2023, providing high-quality reproductions of the original manuscripts along with extensive annotations and scholarly insights.
[10] Similarly, François Déroche, a French expert in Islamic codicology, highlighted the importance of Codex Mashhad, noting that "Dr Karimi-Nia’s edition enriches our knowledge of the transmission of the text of the Qurʾān and, more generally, of its history.
"[11] Nicolai Sinai, a German professor of Islamic Studies at Oxford University, called the publication of Codex Mashhad "a pioneering feat of multi-pronged manuscript scholarship."
He further added that a "user of this exquisitely produced edition will feel like being given unfettered first-hand access to an ancient Qur’anic manuscript while gazing through a sophisticated pair of digital glasses supplementing the scribal artifact by various layers of supplementary information and scholarly analysis.
"[12] Eléonore Cellard (fellow in Arabic palaeography and codicology at the Collège de France) noted on her X account that Karimi-Nia's "work is one of the most brilliant contributions to the study of Qur'an manuscripts in recent years," elaborating on the unique features found in Codex Mashhad.
