The History of the Quran by Material Evidence

Introduction

If the Quran is at the heart of the faith of millions, it is also, for historians, an archaeological and textual object of fascinating complexity. Among the leading figures in contemporary research is François Déroche, holder of the chair "History of the Quran, Text, and Transmission" at the Collège de France, who has revolutionized our understanding of the genesis of the sacred book. His approach, blending codicology (the study of the book as a physical object) and paleography (the study of ancient writings), allows for moving beyond traditional narratives to investigate the oldest material witnesses.

1. The Revolution of Ancient Manuscripts

For a long time, Western research relied on the narratives of the Muslim tradition due to the lack of access to the most archaic manuscripts. François Déroche helped change this by delving into massive collections like those of Fustāt (Cairo), Damascus, or Sanaa. Thanks to his work, it is now known that the oldest fragments of the Quran date from the 7th century, a period very close to the preaching of Muhammad. However, Déroche points out that these manuscripts are often scattered among several world libraries, necessitating a process of virtual "reassembling" to reconstruct the original volumes.

2. Beyond “Kufic”: A New Classification

One of Déroche's major contributions is challenging the term “Kufic,” used too vaguely by 19th-century Orientalists to designate angular scripts. He proposed a much more rigorous classification of “ancient Abbasid scripts,” which he divides into several styles (from A to F) and an “O” style for the Umayyad period. This precision allows for dating and locating the copies with unprecedented accuracy, revealing a diversity of copying traditions long before the definitive standardization of the text.

3. The Emblematic Case of the Codex Parisino-petropolitanus

Déroche's work on the Codex Parisino-petropolitanus is a masterful demonstration of his method. By analyzing this manuscript (with fragments located in Paris, Saint Petersburg, the Vatican, and London), he demonstrated that it was a monumental example produced in the last quarter of the 7th century. The examination of erasures and corrections beneath the text (notably thanks to the Sanaa palimpsest) proves that the Quranic text experienced a certain fluidity before being stabilized in its canonical form.

4. A Gradual Standardization (7th - 10th Century)

Contrary to the idea of a text instantly fixed after the Prophet's death, François Déroche describes a plural history and gradual transition to the model we know today. — The Umayyad period: Marked by the influence of Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik, this is a period of intense political and editorial standardization. — The turning point of the 10th century: It is only at this time that the graphic system (diacritics, vocalization) and authorities' control over the text culminate in a stabilized form identical to the current Vulgate.

Conclusion

For François Déroche, the Quran is not merely a revealed word; it is a historical process. By studying the quality of the parchment, the style of the scribes, and the evolution of spelling, he restores the Quran's place as the first book of the Islamic world, whose production required a colossal human and economic investment. His work invites critical and measured reading, where historical science complements and sometimes nuances the certainties of faith.