Eastward Connection

An 8th or 9th-century Manuscript

This is a page from a Qur’an manuscript from Qayrawan, either 8th or 9th century. The use of red dots was common in Iraq, showing that the contemporary styles of the East were found in Ifriqiyya.

A 9th-century Coin

Obverse, in field: “no god but God unique, He has no associate, Balagh”; in margin: “Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions”(Q9:33). Reverse, in field: “victory, Muhammad is the messenger of God, Ibrahim”; in margin: “in the name of God this dinar was struck the year six and sixty and two hundred”

Notice that the Aghlabid coins maintain the general look and the same Qur’anic quotes as ‘Abbasid coins, but the name of the ‘Abbasid caliph is not included.