Birmingham University has found the oldest fragments of the Koran.
The pages of the Muslim holy text went unnoticed for almost 100 years.
It had been tucked away with other Middle Eastern books and documents and no one had a clue how old it was.
“When I saw these pages I was very moved. There were tears of joy and emotion in my eyes. And I’m sure people from all over the UK will come to Birmingham to have a glimpse of these pages,” said Muhammad Afzal, chairman of Birmingham Central Mosque.
Dr Muhammad Isa Waley,library expert, said this “exciting discovery” would make Muslims “rejoice”.
The manuscript that was found is at least 1,370 years old–THE EARLIEST IN EXISTENCE. And the author of itcould have quite possibly heard Mohammed speak.
Tests on the fragments were carried out by Oxford University Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and provided a wide range of dates.
The fragments, most likely written on goat of sheep skin, have a more than 95% probability of authorship sometime between 568 and 645.
“They could well take us back to within a few years of the actual founding of Islam,” said David Thomas, the university’s professor of Christianity and Islam.KO
Plans for public display are in the works.
