Scribes and Commissioners of the Early Qur’anic Codices

Author: 
Houari Touati, EHESS, Paris

Several if not most of the early qur’anic fragments known are codices, which developed some common features including their large size, which characterizes their ritual public function. What are the stakes of these sacred manuscripts? Who were their scribes and who were their commissioners? How were they originally produced and why did patrons support their activity? These questions and others are at the heart of my topic.