This Qur’an, which is written in Jawi, has a contemporary dark brown morocco binding decorated with a stamped medallion on the cover. Used in the Malay world, where Islam was first introduced probably around the 14th century to Southeast Asia, this Qur’an serves to show how different Islamic communities around the world decorate the Holy Book. For Muslims, the Qur'an is the visual embodiment of the Word of God and is hence considered sacred. The pious desire to beautify the Word of God was a central factor in the development of calligraphy in the Islamic world. One interesting aspect of Islamic art is that the form of expression can be found in a variety of media - thus you can find calligraphy in manuscripts or as large inscriptions done in stone for buildings.
