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The Most Ancient Islamic Monument Known Dated A.H. 31 (A.D. 652) from the time of the third Calif 'Uthman

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Hassan Mohammed El-Hawary
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Extract

In the Cairo Museum of Arab Art there are more than three thousand slabs of marble and stone bearing Cufic inscriptions. Most of these slabs are tombstones found in the ancient cemeteries of Cairo and Aswan. On each of these tombstones are inscribed the name of the deceased and the date of his death; hence they are invaluable in working out the evolution of Arabic writing. Only two hundred of these slabs are exhibited in the Museum, the others being kept in the stores and recesses of the building.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 62 , Issue 2 , April 1930 , pp. 321 - 333
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1930

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References

page 325 note 1 Moritz, in the Encyclopædia of Islam, classifies the earliest monuments of Arabic writing belonging to the Muslim period in three categories, (i) Those written on coins, the earliest of which is dated a.h. 20 (a.d. 641); (ii) those found on monuments, the earliest of which is dated a.h. 72 (a.d. 691–2); (iii) those written on papyrus, the most ancient of these is dated a.h. 22 (a.d. 642–3). But this has not yet been studied (see Encyclopædia of Islam, p. 383 and seq.). As to the first and last of these they do not concern us.

[In passing I should like to notice that Moritz did not mention writings found on glass weights, which we can place under the first category. The earliest of these glass weights is that found in the collection of the late Dr. Fouquet, and is dated a.h. 44 (a.d. 664) in the name of 'Oḳbat. But the late Casanova is doubtful about its authenticity. He says in the MMAFC, tome vi, p. 373, under the title of “Noms d'Emirs, et de lecture douteuse ou incomplete”, No. 166, … (?) (?) … L'Emir 'Oḳbat (?), ayez des mesures exactes(?) … and supposing this version is correct, it does not necessarily follow that the date is a.h. 44, since'Oḳbat ibn'Amer ruled from a.h. 44–7 (a.d. 664–7). We can also place under the third category two letters written in the time of the Prophet. The first is the letter sent by the Prophet to Al-Moḳawḳis. It is presumed to have been found accidentally by a young orientalist in Manfalouṭ in Upper Egypt in a.d. 1851 (see the Journal Asiatique, 1854, p. 482 and seq.). But this is doubtful. The second was the document given by the Prophet to Tamim al-Dary and his brothers in the year a.h. 9 (a.d. 630). It was written by 'Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib on a piece of leather from his boot. The document was seen by ibn Padl-Allah El-'Omary in the year a.h. 745 (a.d. 1345) (Masalik al-Abṣar fi Mamalik Al-Amṣar, vol. i, p. 172). It was also seen by Ḳalḳashandi in the year a.h. 821 (a.d. 1418).]