Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Department of َArt Studies, Ma.C. Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
Four parts out of a fourteen-parts Qurʼān, which were copied and dedicated to the shrine of Imam ʿalī ibn Mūsa al-Riḍā (AS), in Mashhad, by Abu al-Ḥasan Muhammad ibn ʿalī al-Irāqī, are currently preserved in Astan Quds Razavi Library. The round script of this manuscript does not adhere to the well-known six scripts and exhibits significant differences in letter forms and calligraphic principles. The precise date of the copying and dedication remains unknown. However, in his book "Tārīkh-i Masʿūdī," Abu al-Faḍl Bayhaqī, the scribe and historian of the Ghaznavids, refers multiple times to a person named Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī, who served as a secretary and advisor to Masʿūd Ghaznavī (reigned 421-431 AH). Bayhaqi recounts Abu al-Ḥasan's charitable deeds, such as constructing a caravanserai and restoring a qanat in Mashhad, as well as his interment in a mosque adjacent to the shrine of Imam Reza in the year 429 AH. This leads to the analysis of the artistic traits of this manuscript represents a unique instance of a distinctive script from the early fifth century AH, with a primary focus on understanding the historical significance of the dedicator and calligrapher, Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī. To this end, this manuscript is first examined in terms of its general characteristics, including dimensions, page count, and the content of the dedication inscription. Following this, the circumstances surrounding Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī during the reign of Mas'ud Ghaznavid between 421 and 429 AH are scrutinized. Subsequently, a descriptive (case study) and qualitative analysis was conducted on the materials used in the copying of the Qurʼān, the calligraphy, and the features of the Qurʼān's cover. The research findings strongly suggest that the scribe and donor of this Qurʼān is likely the same Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī mentioned in Bayhaqi's book. It also appears that Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī had close connections with the Sādūki family in Qum and his role in the court of Mas'ud Ghaznavī held significant sway over the reputation of this family. Notably, it is revealed that Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī, besides his secretarial duties, was also a poet, with one of his quatrains cited in the Tarjumān al-Balāgha. Moreover, taking into account the timeline of Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī's political engagements and presence in Khurasan, it is deduced that this Qurʼān was transcribed and dedicated between the years 421-429 AH. Additionally, the presence of the Surah al-Tawḥid (Qurʼān: 112) intricately depicted in small circles on the cover of this Qurʼān, reminiscent of the intricate bindings produced in Ghazni, indicates that the cover of this Qurʼān was likely made in Khurasan. Furthermore, the script utilized in this manuscript, blending Eastern Kufic and circular scripts, is a distinctive local script of the fifth century of Hijra, necessitating its classification as a unique addition to the existing roster of circular scripts. On another note, given Abu al-Ḥasan Irāqī's role as the secretary of the Buyid dynasty prior to 421 AH, it can be speculated that this script might have been fashioned by Buyid secretaries in Rayy specifically for Qurʼānic transcriptions.
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