Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

Early Arabic Rock Inscriptions related to the Qur’an: Juan Cole’s List

cf. List of published inscriptions

This one could be pre-Islamic:


Click to go to Twitter

O Lord, I have believed that there is no god save the One in whom the children of Israel believed, hanifan, musliman and I am not a polytheist [mushrik]. Written by Rafi` b. `Ali.

This one may be from before the Prophet’s death in 632:

Some feet below this rocky couch there are several other inscriptions that read as follows:

1. May God accept from ‘Umar!
2. May God treat
3. ‘Umar with forgiveness!

1. …the believers. Admit me in the pious!
2. May God make ‘Umar from the people of the paradise,
3. [him and] Abu-Bakr, on account of the believers-like acts!

Here are a series of names in graffiti that include `Ali b. Abi Talib:

نقش عثر عليه بجبل سلع، كتب بالخط الحجازي وورد فيه : ” حكيم و يومن بال عمر ابن ال بكر انا عمارة ابن حزم انا ميمون.. انا محمد بن عبد الله انا مـ… بن عوسجة انا خلف انا سليمان الاصغر (الاحمر؟) انا.. انا سهل ابن.. انا معقل الجهيني يا الله انا.. انا سعد بن معذ … .ابنء … .انا … … انا على بن ابو طلب مـ محمد يقبل الله عمر الله يفعل عمر بالمغفرة المومنون الحقى بالصلحين يجعل الله عمر من اهل الجنة و ابوبكر بعمل المومنين “ .

ورد الحديث عن هذا النقش عند كل من حميد الله في ” Some Arabic Inscriptions Of Medinah Of The Early Years Of Hijrah” , Islamic Culture, 1939, Volume XIII, p. 438″ ، والصفدي في كتابه “Islamic Calligraphy” ، ومايلز في ” Early Islamic Inscriptions Near Ta’if In The Hijaz” , Journal Of Near Eastern Studies, 1948, Volume VII

Mohammed al-Maghthawi believes that this one is pre-Islamic as well:

“In Your name, our Lord, I am Hanzala b. `Abd `Amr. I counsel devoutness toward God.”

The author of this inscription was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who died at Uhud c. 625. His father, Abu `Amir, was said to be a member of the pre-Islamic monotheist tendency, the Hanifiyya. He never accepted Islam.

Another possibly pre-Islamic inscription says, “IN the Name of our Lord, I, `Abd al-`Uzza b. Sufyan, counsel reverence toward God.” Since it was said that Muhammad changed the names of Muslims who converted away from pagan theophoric elements like `Abd al-`Uzza (the slave of Aphrodite), this inscription seems to derive from before Islam. The formula “bismi rabbina,” in the Name of our Lord suggests a kind henotheism, since the paramount deity, the Lord, presumably Allah, is invoked on his own.

. بسمك ربنا
2. أنا عبد العـ[ـز]ى
3. بن سفيـٰن
4. أوصي ببر ا
5. الله

Some inscriptions demonstrate the wide range of basic literacy across social strata. This one says,

“I herd sheep at the well of `Amr b. Zayd.”

This inscription says of its (just-deceased) subject that “He was Christian” and that “Muhajjan, Zar`a, and Quriyfa` buried him.”

The earliest known inscription by Meccan companions (Ansar) of the Prophet: “We are sons of Wuhuh. `Amir al-Ansari. We forbid this, our land, to all save those who have a right to it.”

The earliest inscription with a Hijri date that I know about comes from AD 643-644.

It says, “Written by Salma. 23.”

One person who published it on the internet misread the name as Salma سلمى and interpreted it as by a woman, but this reading was corrected by Mr. Muhammad Almaghthawi as Salma سلمة , a man’s name.

See also remarks at Islam Awareness.

The second oldest known dated inscription is from 24 AH, 644-645, by one Zuhayr, mentioning that it was written in the year the Commander of the Faithful `Umar b. al-Khattab died (he died according to the Muslim historiographical tradition in November, 644).

And here is another that by its diction could be from the time when Umar was Commander of the Faithful (634-644):

See also this undated inscription apparently by Umar himself that possibly dates from before 634:

Islam Awareness writes:

“The translation of the inscription is:

ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb
puts his trust in God.

Comments

In November 2012, during the Franco-Saudi epigraphic surveys around Najran, Saudi Arabia, a truly remarkable discovery was made. Amongst the fifty or so graffiti that were found, one was dated 59 AH / 678-679 CE and two others contained the name ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb, close companion of Prophet Muḥammad and second successor of the early Muslim state, ruling around 10 years from 634-644 CE. One of them contained his signature and the other one is mentioned above.

Notice the absence of the title amīr al-muʾminīn, other officiate religious terminology, and any mention of his caliph-related functions. Imbert suggests that ʿUmar bin al-Khaṭṭāb may have inscribed it before he was caliph or even before he was a Muslim.

Location

Al-Murakkab, near Najran (Saudi Arabia).”

There are several other undated inscriptions mentioning `Umar:

Via Islam Awareness, another inscription from 24 A.H., but after November 644 when `Uthman b. `Affan has become commander of the faithful:

24 AH / 644 CE.[1]

Script: Ḥijāzī.

The translation of the inscription is:

…
[in] God. And [this] was writtem during the time when
the son of ʿAffān was made commander [of the believers]
in the year four and twenty.
I am ʿAbdullāh bin
Sʿad bin Zayd.
I am [ʿUtbah]
bin Rāshid al-Masāhaqi.

Comments

This inscription is one of the two earliest dated Islamic inscriptions written in the year 24 AH. This one mentions the reign of caliph ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān whilst the other mentions the death of ʿUmar bin al-Khattāb.

An undated inscription mentions another important figure of very early Islam, A’isha bint Abi Bakr, the third wife of the Prophet Muhammad.

The inscription says, “O God, forgive `Ata ibn Qays and A’isha, spouse of the Prophet.”

This site records an early biographical entry for `Ata’ b. Qays, which says, “`Ata’ b. Qays b. `Abd Qays b. `Udayy b. Sahm al-Sahmi. He was mentioned by Zubayr. He said, “His brother, al-`As b. `Abd Qays was killed at the Battle of Badr [624 AD] on the side of the pagans. All the children of Qays b. `Abd Qays died childless except `Ata’ b. Qays, whose children are presently in Egypt.” The site is a digitization of Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah. The Banu Sahm were a sub-clan of the Quraysh federation, related to Banu Jumah. A’isha died in July 678. It seems that `Ata’ b. Qays was in her circle in Medina. The diction of the incriptions shows that she was still alive, so it can be dated to before July 678.

An inscription from AH 40 by `Abd al-Rahman b. Khalid b. al-`As, found northeast of Mecca in Albatha, in Wadi al-Shamiyyah: “The mercy and blessings of God be upon `Abd al-Rahman b. Khalid b. al-`As, written in the year 40 (17 May 660 – 14 June 661).” Published on Twitter by A. Abbas Muhammad al-`Isa.

According to later Muslim historians, his father Khalid b. al-`As embraced Islam after the acquiescence of Mecca in January, 630. Omar b. al-Khattab appointed him mayor of Mecca, and he served into the mid-650s. He was succeeded by another son, Ahmad.

Ahmad’s brother, `Abd al-Rahman, was appointed over Mecca by Mu`awiya in 661, after this inscription was written.

Undated but mentions someone who was likely one of the Ansar in Medina, al-Harith b. Malik:

Possibly 30-40 AH, a mention of the Prophet’s scribe Zayd b. Thabit:

Speaking of written Qur’ans, there are many inscriptions quoting Qur’an verses that seem to be first century and so contemporaneous with the Sana’a 1 palimpsest. Here are exemplars for Surat al-Ikhlas:

An inscription from 52 AH/ Jan-Nov. 672. “O God, forgive Hakim b. `Ali b. Hubayrah, and he wrote it in the year 52.” From northern Mecca.

`Ali, who according to Christian sources ruled 656-658 (Muslim sources say until 661), at one point sent a nephew of his, Ja`dah b. Hubayrah, to Khorasan as governor. Ja`dah was his nephew, since Hubayrah was married to `Ali’s sister, Umm Hani bint Abi Talib. The Muslim historians do not know of a brother to Ja`dah named `Ali, so Hakim may not be the grandson of the same Hubayrah, `Ali’s brother-in-law. On the other hand, the inscriptions are turning up people that the later historians did not know about.

The Saudi epigraphist Mohammed Almaghtawi has been a major force in publishing online early inscriptions from around Medina:

Dated 78 AH, Ta’if

It says at the end, “this inscription was written in the year when construction work was done on the sacred shrine (al-masjid al-ḥarām) in the year 78 [697-8].”

The publisher of this photograph says that he may be referring to the refurbishing of the Kaaba carried out by the fifth Umayyad caliph, `Abd al-Malik b. Marwan (r. 685-705).

Note that this inscription is only 65 solar years after the death of Muhammad. It is as close to him as we are, in 2019, to 1954, when Elvis Presley’s career began.

A recently discovered rock inscription from near Ta’if dated 78 AH (began March 30, 697), published by Abdallah Muslih Al-Thumali, mentions “al-masjid al-ḥarām,” likely a reference to the Kaaba.

An inscription from 79 AH/ 698 by al-Harith ibn al-Mutallib:

There is some thinking by manuscript specialists (Marx and Kaplony) that Kufic is late seventh century rather than being 8th century.

Speaking of Muhammad, here is an interesting undated but likely early mention of him as “most praised (“Ahmad”), a term applied to him in the Qur’an (al-Saff 61:6), which says Christians were promised such an eschatological figure. The inscription says, “May God (spelled al-ilah) and those around his throne and the righteous bless the Most Praised (ahmad).”

I wonder if this is the work of a Christian Syrian in the Hijaz, someone like the Prophet’s freedman Zayd, for whom al-Saff 61:6 had special meaning as a biblical interpretation of Muhammad’s role. The spelling al-ilah is more typical of Syrian and nothern Hijazi Christians.

Here’s another early piece of piety about the Prophet: “God, forgive me and have mercy on me. There is no god but God. I have believed in what Muhammad brought.”

And another: “O people, whom the Lord of the servants guided by means of Muhammad, and upon whom He bestowed blessings.”

Another undated mention of the Prophet, this time from southern Jordan. “Thabit b. Hakam b. Thabit b. Nusayh from the people of the City of the Messenger (min Madinat al-Rasul) asks his Lord to provide him nourishment and return him to his land in health.”

Written 100 AH / began Aug. 718:

100 AH and 121 AH

107 AH [725-726 CE], a mention of pre-Islamic gods Wadd and Habil

Undated but before 120/ 738

An inscription by Zayd b. Hasan b. `Ali b. Abi Talib, the great-grandson on the Prophet Muhammad. He was known as a quietist who did not get involved in politics and who distributed charity to the family of the Prophet. He asks God to bring him near to Muhammad in the next world as He had brought him near to the Prophet in this life. The latter phrase must refer to his being the Prophet’s grandson. Zayd is said in the literary sources to have been born between 640 and 650 AD and to have died in 120/738.

14 Safar 110 AH/ 2 June 728 AD

114 AH/ circa 732:


Click to go to Twitter.

O God forgive Nuh b. `Abd al-Rahman b. Malik al-Du’li. Written in the year 114.

Rejection of Taghut, Safar 117 / begins Mar 6 735 AD

AH 120

Discussed in This blog post.

Here are some more incriptions mentioning the Kaaba:

“Masirah b. Ibrahim wrote, God suffices for me: servant of the Kaaba.”

“Muhammad b. Bazigh, slave [ghulam] of the Kaaba.”

“Muhammad b. Bazigh, servant [khadim] of the Kaaba, bears witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God.”

Undated on devotion to Muhammad:

A short poem by `Abd al-Rahman b. Hassan al-Thabit. Hassan was Muhammad’s court poet and is said to have come to Medina from the former court of the Arabophone Jafnid phylarchs of the Roman Empire, presumably because they were disfavored under Sasanian Iranian rule of the Levant 613-630. The later biographical dictionaries say that when Herakleios retook Egypt in 630 and installed his own governor, that governor sent two slave-women as gifts to Muhammad as a way of cementing a marriage alliance between him and the restored Roman Empire. He married Maria, and Hassan al-Thabit married her sister Sirin (presumably the Persian Shirin). The sisters were said to have had a Coptic Christian father and a Greek mother. `Abd al-Rahman, the author of this poem, was the son of Hassan and Shirin. He is also mentioned briefly in the biographical dictionaries. This is the first extra-literary evidence for Hassan and `Abd al-Rahman.

Slave-woman and merchant Mahdiya, slave of `Arara the Physician, a son of Dinar, a physician at the court of Umayyad ruler `Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, r. 685-705. So Mahdiya’s inscriptions are likely early eighth century

Below, script seems second or third century: Ana Muhammad b. Ayyad `ala millat Ibrahim hanifan wa ma ana min al-mushrikin. `ala milla shows it means ‘following the Logos.’

Continued at Early Arabic Inscriptions Related to the Qur’an – Juan Cole’s List Part II

Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2024 All Rights Reserved