TEHRAN — An exceptionally rare Qur’an manuscript believed by Iranian scholars to be the oldest complete and dated Qur’an containing a Persian translation was unveiled this week at the National Library and Archives of Iran, highlighting the historical role of Persian language scholarship in Islamic civilization.
The manuscript, known as the Zafaranī Quran, was presented during a ceremony attended by prominent linguists, historians and manuscript researchers. The event was organized by the National Library and Archives of Iran in cooperation with Farhang-e Siyadat Publishing.
Researchers said the manuscript was copied in 546 AH (1151 CE) by Abulfazl Zafaranī in the city of Ray, near modern-day Tehran. Preserved today at the Malek National Museum and Library, the manuscript contains a Persian translation of the Qur’an and offers valuable evidence about the vocabulary and linguistic features of Persian during the medieval period.
Manuscript researcher Morteza Kariminia said the preparation and publication of the facsimile edition took eight years because of the technical challenges involved in reproducing the original manuscript’s colors and visual details. He said advanced printing techniques were used to ensure the closest possible match to the original work.
Scholars at the event emphasized that the manuscript is significant not only for religious studies but also for the history of the Persian language. Seyyed Muhammad Emadi-Haeri said the translation represents an independent Iranian interpretive tradition rather than a direct reproduction of the famous Qur’an commentary of al-Tabari.
He said that Abulfazl Zafaranī was most likely a professional copyist rather than the original translator, preserving an earlier Persian translation associated with the work of Abu Bakr Atiq Nishaburi Surabadi.
Linguist Ali-Ashraf Sadeghi, a member of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, examined the manuscript’s language and questioned claims that it reflected the dialect of Ray. He said many of the vocabulary features point instead to a Persian translation tradition originating from the Khorasan region, particularly around Nishapur, which was later copied in Ray.
Sadeghi noted that ancient Qur’an translations varied significantly because translators often adapted texts to the language of local communities. These manuscripts, he said, provide valuable records of historical Persian vocabulary and regional linguistic differences.
Former culture minister and researcher Ahmad Masjed-Jamei highlighted the broader historical importance of Persian Qur’an translations, saying they reflected both Iranians’ deep engagement with Islam and their determination to preserve their native language and cultural identity.
He described the centuries following the arrival of Islam as a period in which Persian scholars worked to make religious knowledge accessible to Persian-speaking communities. The emergence of Qur’an translations and commentaries in Persian, he said, contributed significantly to the development and preservation of the language.
In a video message, Muhammad-Jafar Yahaghi, a member of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, described the sixth century AH as a golden age for Persian Qur’anic commentary and scholarship. 
He called for further comparative research between the two known manuscripts attributed to Zafaranī, including another copy dated 548 AH preserved in Ankara.