Several antique copies of the Quran, some claimed to be up to 400 years old, are being auctioned online on souq.com amid accusations of profiteering from the sale of religious materials.
The minimum asking price for one such copy is Dh85,000. Intricate and authentic-looking but with no publication date, the seller describes the item as "Originally from Afghanistan, and written in Arabic and Persian in ‘Year 3, [that may be the old Persian dating] in the month of Rajab [seventh month of the Islamic calendar]'."
Its cover has been repaired but the seller has not mentioned the writer's name citing his inability to read Persian. Pictures suggest the book is full of footnotes and the seller claims the minimum bid is the price he paid for it.
At least four old Quran copies that appear to be hand-written are on auction.
One copy, said to be roughly 350 years old, is described as being, "a very antique Quran with gold inscriptions". The two-kilogram book is being sold for Dh25,000.
Another copy which is leather-bound but worn out and the least decorative of the lot, is said to be 400 years old. "It has been in my family for at least 90 years," claims "Sam64", who is selling it for Dh5,000 with no reserve price.
Then there is a copy, 10x15 cm in size, with a minimum asking price of Dh35,000 and is described as "handwritten with gold". It is said to be 175 years old though it also says it was written by Hussain Al Hussni in 1253 Hijri (1837 AD, which is 170 years ago).
People visiting the site have commented that auctioning Quran copies is haram (forbidden). Replying to the charges, one seller said: "If someone was interested in getting the Quran, it will be on a donation basis and not sale basis, and the money will be given for Islamic charity to build a mosque."
Shaikh Ahmad Al Qubaisi, a prominent Islamic scholar in Dubai, told XPRESS that making a profit by selling the Quran is not forbidden.
But how does the site prevent a buyer from getting cheated or assure that an item is genuine? Sameh Lufti, sales and marketing manager for souq.com, said both buyers and sellers are protected with their escrow system (money is held for a week before being released to the seller to ensure the buyer is satisfied).
In the case of antiques where authentication may take longer than a week, Lufti said the buyer should contact the site and request that the period be extended.
Setting Records
A Quran written in 1203, believed to be the oldest known complete copy, sold for more than £1,140,500 (Dh8,667,800) at an auction in London earlier this year.
The Quran fetched more than four times its pre-sale estimate of £250,000 (Dh1,925,000).
That was a record auction price for a Quran or any type of Islamic manuscript, the auctioneer Christie's said.
The calligraphy in the manuscript was done in gold outlined in thin black lines.
