Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 09/03/2010
9 March 2010-03-09 DOHA. State of Qatar In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Your Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen, Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatu Allaahi wa Barakatuhu, I wish at the outset to express infinite praise and thanks for Almighty Allah’s innumerable bounties and favors, not least of which is granting us the singular opportunity to serve the holy Quran and Islamic civilization and arts. I extend also my gratitude and appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, for bestowing exceptional attention to the holy Quran and for graciously and generously preserving and promoting Islamic civilization through this iconic landmark. As I stand before you today, I can not but feel overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratefulness to Allah for the success He has granted us in serving this unique Holy Book. I also feel memories surge in my mind taking me back a decade ago when His Highness the Emir expressed his desire that Qatar should have an original print of the Quran. I recall quite clearly the letter I received in my capacity at the time as the Director-General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture – IRCICA- from His Excellency Ahmad Abdullah Al-Merri, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, in which he informed me of the desire of H.H. the Emir. I was truly gratified by the trust H.H the Emir placed in me. Still, I raised a query as to whether the Emir’s desire was to print a new manuscript of the Quran to be originally handwritten or to select one among the printed Quran manuscripts whose calligraphy reflects the script of the best-known calligraphers of all times. My query was duly appreciated, and when H.H. the Emir graciously decided that the Quran manuscript should be original, a unique journey began in the history of the fine art of calligraphy and Quran inscription. It is a well-known fact that the best and most exquisite Quran manuscripts have been undertaken throughout our civilization under the patronage of Caliphs, Sultans, and Emirs. They used to ask master calligraphers to write the Quran by drawing on the finest of their style repertoires. Another question cropped up in this context. Should we go through the same process, or should we, instead, come up with a novel approach that reflects the spirit of competitiveness in our age while preserving all elements of classical art? We floated a proposal that was not only approved but was even encouraged and supported. The idea was to set up an international competition involving high-caliber calligraphers from around the Muslim world. The project was hence set on track and work proceeded methodologically and arduously with the participation of a large number of master calligraphers, Islamic art experts, as well as Quranic reading and Quranic script scholars. Two panels were constituted to oversee the preparation of the Qatari print of the holy Quran. I invited the best calligraphers in the Islamic world to scribe samples of the Quran after which we selected the most outstanding and most accurate submissions of the Ottoman Quranic script. I should say in all honesty and as a testimony to go down in the annuls of history, that His Excellency the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and the staff at the Awkaf Ministry provided all necessary assistance to the two panels and to its expert members throughout the entire process from beginning to end. Their constructive input and graceful patronage ensured the smooth preparation of this historic Quran print which is unparalleled in the history of our glorious civilization. Today, as we celebrate this unique and historic achievement, and as I look back over the many stages we have been through, and the numerous challenges we have overcome, I heartily say ‘all praise, thanks and gratitude be to Allah’ who guided us to this, and I extend my appreciation and gratitude to the members of the technical panel who oversaw closely the consecutive phases of the project. I should express special thanks to master calligrapher Obaidah Mohamed Saleh Al-Bankee for his brilliant work and affable character. My appreciation and gratitude also go to IRCICA, to its Director General and to its staff, as well as to all the artists who contributed to the design and illuminations of the manuscript and the printers who excelled in its print. Here we are today, Your Highness the Crown Prince, celebrating in this iconic Museum of Islamic Art, the publication of an original Qatari print of the Quran, which will bear witness overtime that the Islamic civilization is ever regenerative and that the eternal book of Allah will now and ever elicit the greatest care and attention of the Ummah’s sons and leaders. As we celebrate these days the fourteenth-century anniversary of the divine revelation to Prophet Muhammad -Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him-, we see an ever regenerating divine manifestation of Allah’s words: " إنا نحن نزلنا الذكر وإنا له لحافظون" ‘Surely, We have sent down the reminder, and We will most surely be its guardian’ Wassalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
