Birmingham: Fragments of the oldest Quran discovered at Birmingham University may have belonged to Hazarath Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A), one of the world’s first ever Muslims and a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The pages were carbon-dated which showed the holy book manuscript could be the oldest Quran in the world.
According to a report published in Independent, Hazarath Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A) is widely understood to be the first person to convert to Islam outside the Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) direct family. He served as a friend and trusted advisor to the prophet (PBUH) and became the first ever Muslim caliph.
“I believe this is the Koran of Abu Bakr,” Jamal bin Huwareib, managing director of the UAE told BBC News, adding: “It’s the most important discovery ever for the Muslim world.”
“This version, this collection, this manuscript is the root of Islam, it’s the root of the Koran…This will be a revolution in studying Islam,” Mr Bin Huwareib went on to say.
According to David Thomas, Birmingham University’s professor of Christianity and Islam, Mr bin Huwareib’s claims amounted to “a very big leap indeed.” He believes the radio carbon dating suggests the manuscript was in fact created around 20 years after the first caliph’s death.