Kehf surah

h. 966 [1559]

The calligrapher is represented in this exhibition by a copy of the Kehf surah of the Koran, which he has written in muhakkak and sülüs scripts. The top and bottom lines on each page are written in blue or green ink, and the middle line in gold ink. These lines are in muhakkak, while the other four lines between these are written in sülüs in black ink. On the last page (f. 19r), the final verses of the surah are flanked by diagonal lines in rıka. The diagonal lines on the right consist of verse 82 from the İsra surah, ‘And We reveal the Koran, which is a healing and a mercy for believers and increase only the ruination of evil-doers,’ followed by a hadith relating the virtue of the Kehf surah, ‘The Prophet–may God encompass him and his family with beneficence– declared: For whosoever reads the Kehf surah when lying down this shall be a ray of light that shines all the way to Mecca. Through this light the angels will pray for him until he is able to rise. If he be in Mecca, then this light will reach the Kaaba, and through this light the angels will pray for him until he wakes. Whosoever reads the end of the Kehf surah, this will become light enveloping him from foot to head. If he reads all, the space between sky and earth will fill with light. Whosoever reads the Kehf surah at the end of time shall be safe from the evil of the Antichrist. So did he (the Prophet) truly speak.’ Below the hadith is the calligrapher’s signature in red ink: Ketebehu ad’afu İbadillahi el-Kadı Mahmûd el-hakîr fî sene 966 (Written in the year 966 by Kadı Mahmud, weakest of God’s servants). Up to f. 8v the writing is enclosed by ruled borders. There are no stops between the verses, and space has been left for illumination on the opening spread. This suggests that illumination of the manuscript began but for some reason was left unfinished. The chestnut coloured leather binding without a flap dates from the 19th century.