THE EARLY ORIGINS OF WAQF (PAUSAL) SIGNS IN QUR’ANIC MANUSCRIPT CODICES: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE RIDA RAMPUR CODEX(
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52747/aqujssis.6.1.460Keywords:
Waqf, Ibtida', RampurAbstract
This research explores the development of waqf notations in Qur’anic manuscripts as an advanced manifestation of Qur'anic orthographic, using the Rampur Codex as a model for this phenomenon. Despite the variation in script styles within the manuscript, the circular marker appears consistently in both form and distribution, raising questions about its origin and the period in which it was added. The study also addresses the claim that attributes the manuscript to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, and affirms the weakness of this attribution, as it lacks both technical and chronological evidence. Despite the early development of Qur’anic vocalization, waqf notations and symbols appeared relatively late in manuscripts. The Mashhad codex -most likely copied in the late first century AH- stands out as the earliest known example of waqf notation signs in Qur’anic manuscripts. The circular mark retained a limited presence in Qur’ans for several centuries, as seen in the Qur’an of Ibn Shadhan (d. 361 AH) and the Qur’an of Raza Rampur, which is notable for the completeness of most of its text and the consistency of the mark throughout its sections. The Rampur Codex comprises three different script styles, most prominently the third type (Kufi C.III), which dates to the mid-third and early fourth centuries AH. The manuscript appears to be the product of a long-term project, during which some folios were lost and later replaced by an older script (O.I), with a distinct style in writing and vocalization. This script dates to the late first and early second centuries AH, reflecting a temporal and calligraphic overlap within the physical structure of the codex. Ancient Qur’anic manuscripts are a primary source for the study of the origins of Qur’anic orthography, making them a valuable field for research. This can be pursued by examining the waqf in the Raza Rampur codex and comparing it with other manuscripts or printed Qur’ans, or by studying its orthographic features in comparison with other Madinan and Hijazi codices.
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