“Zafaranī Mushaf”: One of Oldest Complete Quran Manuscripts with Persian Translation
“Zafaranī Mushaf”: One of Oldest Complete Quran Manuscripts with Persian Translation
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The “Zafaranī Mushaf,” preserved at the Reza Abbasi Museum in Tehran, is regarded as a significant Quranic and linguistic artifact from the sixth century AH, representing the earliest known complete and dated Quran manuscript that includes a full Persian translation of the Quran.
The manuscript dates to 546 AH/1151 CE and was copied by Abu al-Fakhr ibn Abi al-Fadl al-Zafaranī. The original copy is preserved at the Reza Abbasi Museum under catalog number 551.
The manuscript contains the complete Arabic text of the Quran accompanied by a Persian translation written between the lines of the verses. Unlike many early Persian Quranic works, the translation focuses solely on conveying the meanings of the Quranic text and does not include commentary, interpretation, or additional explanations.
Scholars consider the manuscript an important source for studying the history of Quran translation into Persian and the evolution of the Persian language. Its vocabulary, grammatical structures, and linguistic styles offer researchers valuable material for examining the language used during the sixth century AH.
The Zafaranī Mushaf also provides insights into Quranic manuscript traditions, including writing styles, scribal methods, calligraphy, Quranic readings, and the cultural interaction between Persian-speaking communities and the Quran.
Researchers of early Persian translations view such manuscripts as essential resources for studying the development of classical Persian vocabulary, semantics, dialects, grammar, and orthographic practices.
Historical records indicate that two Quran manuscripts by Abu al-Fakhr al-Zafaranī with Persian translations have survived. The earlier manuscript is the Tehran copy dated 546 AH/1151 CE, while the second dates to 548 AH/1153 CE and is preserved at the Presidency of Religious Affairs Library in Ankara, Turkey.
In 2026, an academic edition dedicated to the Zafaranī Mushaf was published in Tehran, edited and introduced by M. Karimi-Nia, in a 792-page volume aimed at supporting further research into the manuscript.
