Ahlul Bayt News Agency ; At a time when Islam has sparked great interest among Americans, Williams College’s Chapin Library has acquired a 19th-century copy of the religion’s most sacred text.
Assistant Chapin Librarian Wayne G. Hammond said Monday the library acquired a manuscript Quran a few months ago to add to its collection of rare books.
"It’s in superb condition," he said. "It has the traditional wallet-style binding to protect the outer edges."
Hammond said the manuscript Quran is now one of two in Chapin Library’s possession.
"It gives us a copy of a manuscript Quran that is superior to the one we had," he said.
The library was able to acquire the Quran from a local bookseller, he said. It was from the Ottoman Empire toward the end of its existence. The manuscript measures six and one-eighth inches long by four inches wide.
"Given the size of the Quran, I’d expect it to be a personal volume," Hammond said.
The Chapin Library acquired a manuscript Quran decades ago, and it was recently on display at the Williams College Museum of Art as part of the exhibition, "The Matter of Theology." That manuscript, which is written in Arabic calligraphy and decorated with illuminations, is believed to have been written in Teheran, Iran, and finished in 1833.
The more recent acquisition is also written by hand in Arabic calligraphy and decorated with illuminations of gold and other metallic colors. Its pages show little to no wear and tear, compared with the other copy.
With Williams College adding an Arabic studies major this year, the recently acquired Quran is a good addition to the library’s collection, Hammond said.
"Part of our mission is to support all aspects of the Williams curriculum. If we see an opportunity to do so, and we can afford it, it’s something we can do. Knowing the Arabic studies program was under way, we were willing to do this," he said.
While controversy has raged about the placement of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City and the abandoned plan by a Baptist pastor to burn a copy of the Quran, Hammond sees the Chapin’s acquisition as being a primary source to educate people.
"I would hope we would always educate and help people understand and get along together. There is nothing worse than ignorance causing all the problems in the world," he said.
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