Written by: Dr. Qazi Abdul Qadir
It may come as a surprise, but the truth is that when the first Bible was being printed in Gutenberg’s press in Europe, written and printed materials had already adorned the libraries of scholars and artisans in the Islamic world several centuries earlier. Gutenberg's printing press was, in fact, a refined example of a technique originally developed in the Muslim world.
① In 1894, Austrian researcher Joseph von Karabacek documented early Muslim printed materials preserved in the library of Archduke Rainer.
② In 1925, American researcher Thomas Francis Carver highlighted the fact that Muslims had begun printing long before Gutenberg.
③ Carver presented multiple samples that had been printed on various types of cloth and paper.
④ Professor Adolf Grohmann identified Arabic printed materials preserved in the National Library of Vienna and in different museums across Europe.
Numerous samples of early Muslim printed texts are still preserved in various universities and museums around the world. For instance:
✔ Six samples in Heidelberg
✔ One in Berlin
✔ Two in the British Museum, London
✔ One at the University of Pennsylvania, USA
According to the description of one such sample, the page measures two inches in length and one and a half inches in width. It is a remarkable example of a wooden block printing press. The finely carved letters on parchment-like paper reflect the craftsmanship of the engravers of that time.
❶ By the 4th century Hijri, Muslims had already developed the paper industry, as mentioned by Ibn al-Nadim in his book Al-Fihrist.
❷ Early Muslim printed samples reveal that the text was printed in fine black letters on white paper.
❸ A prominent example of this style of printing is the Qur'an, discovered printed on parchment-like paper.
While the first Bible was printed in Gutenberg’s press during the 14th century, the Qur'an had already undergone printing processes five centuries earlier.
According to Dr. Hamidullah, a copy of the Qur'an housed in the Vienna Library was printed during the Seljuk era (possibly in Egypt), predating Gutenberg’s press by five centuries.
This raises an important question:
Why was this significant invention of the Muslim world deliberately hidden?
✔ Due to prejudice, the intellectual contributions of Muslims were ignored, and efforts were made to distort their inventions.
✔ Those who advocate for liberalism and modernism have deliberately refrained from acknowledging the truths of Muslim civilization.
In summary, attributing the invention of printing solely to Gutenberg is historically inaccurate.
The Islamic world laid the foundation for printing five centuries earlier, opening new horizons of knowledge and research for the world.
The Qur'an holds the honor of being the first printed divine scripture in history.
◈ The Role of the Muslim World in the History of Printing
It may come as a surprise, but the truth is that when the first Bible was being printed in Gutenberg’s press in Europe, written and printed materials had already adorned the libraries of scholars and artisans in the Islamic world several centuries earlier. Gutenberg's printing press was, in fact, a refined example of a technique originally developed in the Muslim world.
❀ Early Research Findings
① In 1894, Austrian researcher Joseph von Karabacek documented early Muslim printed materials preserved in the library of Archduke Rainer.
② In 1925, American researcher Thomas Francis Carver highlighted the fact that Muslims had begun printing long before Gutenberg.
③ Carver presented multiple samples that had been printed on various types of cloth and paper.
④ Professor Adolf Grohmann identified Arabic printed materials preserved in the National Library of Vienna and in different museums across Europe.
❀ Samples of Early Muslim Prints
Numerous samples of early Muslim printed texts are still preserved in various universities and museums around the world. For instance:
✔ Six samples in Heidelberg
✔ One in Berlin
✔ Two in the British Museum, London
✔ One at the University of Pennsylvania, USA
According to the description of one such sample, the page measures two inches in length and one and a half inches in width. It is a remarkable example of a wooden block printing press. The finely carved letters on parchment-like paper reflect the craftsmanship of the engravers of that time.
◈ Development of the Printing Press and the Paper Industry
❶ By the 4th century Hijri, Muslims had already developed the paper industry, as mentioned by Ibn al-Nadim in his book Al-Fihrist.
❷ Early Muslim printed samples reveal that the text was printed in fine black letters on white paper.
❸ A prominent example of this style of printing is the Qur'an, discovered printed on parchment-like paper.
❀ Muslim Superiority in Printing & the Bias Against It
The Qur'an: The First Printed Divine Scripture
While the first Bible was printed in Gutenberg’s press during the 14th century, the Qur'an had already undergone printing processes five centuries earlier.
According to Dr. Hamidullah, a copy of the Qur'an housed in the Vienna Library was printed during the Seljuk era (possibly in Egypt), predating Gutenberg’s press by five centuries.
◈ The Attempt to Conceal a Historical Truth
This raises an important question:
Why was this significant invention of the Muslim world deliberately hidden?
✔ Due to prejudice, the intellectual contributions of Muslims were ignored, and efforts were made to distort their inventions.
✔ Those who advocate for liberalism and modernism have deliberately refrained from acknowledging the truths of Muslim civilization.
✿ Conclusion
In summary, attributing the invention of printing solely to Gutenberg is historically inaccurate.
The Islamic world laid the foundation for printing five centuries earlier, opening new horizons of knowledge and research for the world.
The Qur'an holds the honor of being the first printed divine scripture in history.
