#islamic history

purplefigtree:

Leaf from a Quran, al-Andalus, late 12th century.

This Qur’an belongs to a small group of similar Qur’ans all of which were copied in Southern Spain. They are all fairly small, this being one of the larger of the group, and are similar in layout and illumination. All are square, and written in a small neat script which has been described as the Valencian script. Nine of the group have colophons, of which six were copied in Valencia. They have an opening page or pages of illumination, which here is sadly lacking. The sura headings are in gold kufic with illuminated palmettes and the text is written on rather white parchment with tightly spaced lines of around 21-28 lines to the page. […] 

Spanish Qur’ans are few in number compared to North African Qur’ans as many were deliberately destroyed by the Christian conquerors of Spain. None exists in Spain itself with but few remaining in libraries in North Africa and the East, poignant reminders of Spain’s glorious Islamic heritage.

(viaColumbia University)

The Story Of: Asiya Bint Muzahim (آسيا بنت مزاحم) is also often referred to as Asiya Zawjatu Firawn or Asiya, wife of the Pharaoh.

Asiya is the one who found the baby Musa (Moses) floating in a crate in the Nile river and rescued him, bringing him home to live in the palace as her own child, hiring his own mother as a wet nurse for him.

During that time, Firawn ordered all baby boys born to the Children of Israel to be killed, after a worrying dream had come to him showing that one of these boys would grow up to adulthood and then take his thrown from him.This is why the baby Musa had been floating in the river, in an attempt by his mother to save his life – which was successful.

Firawn was one of the greatest tyrants of history, demanding that he should be worshipped as a god. He could not stand to see anyone worshipping anyone or anything other than himself, so monotheism and worshipping Allah was outlawed and punishable by torture and death. He insisted “I am your Lord, Most High!”

In this society, despite being a very rich queen, and being married to the most powerful man, Asiya Bint Muzahim was kind and merciful and knew wrong from right. In the end she was not afraid to stand against her husband, the Pharaoh and speak for what is right by declaring her belief in God, accepting the monotheism and the message of the Prophet Musa alayhi salam.

When Firawn found out that Asiya was following the message of Musa alayhi salam, he had her tortured and killed and Allah showed her her home within paradise. Because of her conviction of faith, and what she suffered, she will be one of the first women to enter Paradise.

request for @kingkouture