From: vrazzaz@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 03:52:05 -0700 (PDT)
Tashkent is a typical capital?just another big city?
But scratch beneath the surface and you?ll find yourself trembling before a holy book of no parallel, with blood stains of no parallel and a story of no parallel?the Khast Imom?the Holy Quran of Uthman ibn ?Affan.
Barefooted, contemplating the huge book (53 cm x 68 cm), a shudder ran down my spine as I remembered its history of blood and fire:
In the 7th century, Uthman ibn ?Affan, the third Rightly-Guided Caliph; decided to compile a standard text for Quran and burn all the other versions that existed. He made 5 copies of this Quran and sent them to the capitals of the Islamic Empire at the time.
An ?anti-Uthman sentiment? had been brewing for much-disputable reasons, including accusations of nepotism, as well as the greed of some opponents (among other scenarios). The house of Uthman in Medina (Saudi Arabia) was besieged and, eventually, the rebels made their way into the house, and struck Uthman on the head while he was reading Quran. His blood spilled on it (Surat al-Baqara) and Naila, his wife; tried to defend him, but a sword blow cut her fingers off. The ordeal ended in the assassination of Uthman.
Naila took the Quran that had Uthman?s blood on it to Basra (Iraq) where it remained till Tamerlane (Timur) came in the 14th century. Timur learned that one of the original copies was burnt in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, and that the copy of Uthman is in Basra (some say Kufa, where Ali ibn abi Talib took it). He besieged the city, demanding that the Quran of Uthman be delivered to him or else!
Obviously, his demand was fulfilled, and he went back to his capital Samarkand with the book, where it demonstrated that ?Timur was the spiritual leader of the Muslim World?!
It remained there until the 19th century, when the Russians besieged Samarkand, demanding that the Quran of Uthman be delivered! They got what they wanted, and exhibited the book in Saint Petersburg (some say Moscow).
In 1924, Lenin gave it back as a gesture of good intention towards the Muslims of Central Asia, and it was deposited in a library museum in Tashkent where I stood trembling before it less than a month ago!
Do you know now why I stood there trembling? This is a holy book that transcended its definition as a book and became a time capsule spanning over 13 centuries of history: It?s a book over which swords were raised, cities besieged and blood shed between Medina, Basra, (Kufa?), Samarkand, Saint Petersburg, (Moscow?), and Tashkent?
I would have told you about the mammoth Chorsu Bazaar, but nothing can match the drama of this book?so, I end it here. There are no photos because photos are not allowed there.
Camel ? Keeper of the Temple
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pen_Temple_Pilots
But scratch beneath the surface and you?ll find yourself trembling before a holy book of no parallel, with blood stains of no parallel and a story of no parallel?the Khast Imom?the Holy Quran of Uthman ibn ?Affan. Barefooted, contemplating the huge book (53 cm x 68 cm), a shudder ran down my spine as I remembered its history of blood and fire: In the 7th century, Uthman ibn ?Affan, the third Rightly-Guided Caliph; decided to compile a standard text for Quran and burn all the other versions that existed. He made 5 copies of this Quran and sent them to the capitals of the Islamic Empire at the time. An ?anti-Uthman sentiment? had been brewing for much-disputable reasons, including accusations of nepotism, as well as the greed of some opponents (among other scenarios). The house of Uthman in Naila took the Quran that had Uthman?s blood on it to Obviously, his demand was fulfilled, and he went back to his capital It remained there until the 19th century, when the Russians besieged In 1924, Lenin gave it back as a gesture of good intention towards the Muslims of Central Asia, and it was deposited in a library museum in Do you know now why I stood there trembling? This is a holy book that transcended its definition as a book and became a time capsule spanning over 13 centuries of history: It?s a book over which swords were raised, cities besieged and blood shed between I would have told you about the mammoth Chorsu Bazaar, but nothing can match the drama of this book?so, I end it here. There are no photos because photos are not allowed there. Camel ? Keeper of the http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pen_Temple_Pilots
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