The Qur’an is the most important text for Muslims, divinely revealed orally to the prophet Muhammad, who died in 632. Written in Arabic, which was the language of the prophet, it totals approximately 77,500 words. “In the Pink Qur’an, there are about 20 to 25 words per page, so it is thought that the Pink Qur’an may have been bound in 20 volumes,” said Komaroff. “There are 6,236 ayahs or verses, and these are divided into 30 parts of varying lengths. Thirty is significant because, in the Muslim calendar, there are 30 days in each month. So for instance, during the month of Ramadan, you would read one 30th part, called a juz', for each day of the month. It is through writing that the Qur'an—the word of God—is transmitted and preserved. Calligraphy became the most important art form among Muslims and it is also the most continuous and best-documented medium among all Islamic arts.”
The beginning of each surah (chapter) of the Qur’an is often marked by an illuminated panel containing the chapter heading, such as the one on the page at the right. Because Arabic is read right to left, the text on the left page continues the surah begun on the page at right, which states: “A chapter that We have revealed, and made obligatory, and revealed in it clear Verses, that you may take heed.” The striking embellishments on each page in gold, green, red, and blue either help organize the structure of the Qur’an’s chapters and verses or serve as orthographic and diacritical marks that allow for it to be recited correctly aloud.
The graceful script on the leaves along with the luminous decorations and refined pastel sheen of the pink paper explain why the Pink Qur’an is one of the most celebrated manuscripts made in Islamic Spain.
The Pink Qur'an will be on view at the Getty Center December 14, 2021–February 27, 2022, as part of Recent Acquisitions 2021: Collecting for the Museum
