The Birmingham Manuscript
The University of Birmingham Qur'an manuscript dates to AD 568–645 — among the earliest written textual evidence of the Qur'an in existence.
Unlocking the secrets of history with the timeless truth of the Qur’an. The Qur’an manuscript held at the University of Birmingham has been found to be among the earliest written textual evidence of the Qur’an in existence.
Radiocarbon dating
The radiocarbon analysis of the parchment, on which the text is written, dated the leaves to the period between AD 568 and 645 with 95.4% accuracy, placing it close to the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
What the manuscript contains
The manuscript, part of the University’s Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts, consists of two parchment leaves and contains parts of Sūrahs 18 to 20, written in an early form of Arabic script known as Hijazi.
The result suggests that the parchment is from the same codex as a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris.
How it came to Birmingham
The Mingana Collection was acquired by Quaker philanthropist Edward Cadbury to raise the status of Birmingham as an intellectual centre for religious studies and attract prominent theological scholars.
The discovery of this significant historical document in Birmingham — “the most culturally diverse city in the UK” — provides an exciting contribution to the understanding of the earliest written copies of the Qur’an.
Why it matters
For Muslims, the Qur’an’s preservation is a settled article of faith. But independent material evidence — parchment, ink, radiocarbon dates — adds another layer of historical confirmation that what we recite today corresponds remarkably closely to what was being committed to writing within a generation of revelation. The Birmingham fragment is one of the most striking examples we have.
