Why do Muslims from all over the world dream of coming to Tashkent?

🔴Truths about the most sacred heritage of the Islamic world

🔴The Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan presents a remarkable discovery

Uzbekistan is the heir to great states that left an indelible mark in the history of world civilization. For centuries, masterpieces of architecture, art, and literature were created on this land. They continue to astonish admirers around the globe. Among such a magnificent legacy is the sacred manuscript of the Qur’an copied during the time of Hazrat Uthman (RA), known as the Uthman Mushaf.

This rare manuscript has been carefully preserved for centuries and is now kept in the “Muyi Mubarak” Madrasa Museum in Tashkent. At present, it consists of 338 folios, each written on thick parchment containing 12 lines of sacred verses. Remarkably, because much of the text was decayed, the pages were patched with paper, and the verses were rewritten on top of them.

In the Uthman Mushaf, out of the Qur’an’s 114 chapters, only two Surah al-An’am and Surah Ta-Ha have survived in full. The other surahs are either partially preserved or completely missing. In its current state, only 2,108 of the total 6,236 verses remain.

The state’s high attention

At the initiative and vision of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a special Qur’an Hall is being built for the Mushaf at the Center of Islamic Civilization. Once the center opens, the Uthman Mushaf will be displayed at the central pavilion of this hall under modern preservation systems.

According to historical documents, at the beginning of the 20th century the Mushaf consisted of 353 folios. Over the course of a century, 15 pages were lost. For this reason, on June 8, 2007, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted special Resolution No. 115 “On ensuring the proper preservation of the Uthman Mushaf”. Thanks to this decision, the rare manuscript has since been kept in a special case (sarcophagus) imported from Germany, which maintains moderate humidity and temperature conditions.

In search of the missing pages

In 2025, during official visits to Kuwait and the United Kingdom, a delegation of the Center of Islamic Civilization identified 7 of the lost pages of the Mushaf.

In particular, 6 pages were found in the Rajab Tareq Museum in Kuwait: folios 70, 80, 211, 217, 246, and 340. In addition, one page from a well-known collection in Britain was discovered, containing verses 178–179 of Surah Al-‘Imran. It was confirmed that these pages exactly match the missing folios of the Mushaf preserved in Tashkent, said Rustam Jabborov, Scientific Secretary of the Center.

Conclusion

The Uthman Mushaf is not only one of the most priceless treasures of the Islamic world, but also a valuable scientific and cultural masterpiece in the history of humanity. Preserving it and passing it on to future generations is our sacred duty. The fact that in the Museum of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, this great manuscript is given due attention, and that in the central part of the building in the Qur’an Hall a special pavilion has been built for this rare source, with modern conditions created for pilgrims to visit it, is a shining example of the high respect accorded to the “Uthman Mushaf”.

Durdona Rasulova

P/S: The article may be used by citing the official website of the Center.