Kashmiri calligrapher writes Quran on 500 metres scroll, creates a record

A calligrapher from the remote area of North Kashmir's Gurez area has made it into the Lincoln Book of world records. Mustafa ibn-Jamil, 27, wrote the Islamic holy book "Quran" on 500-metre scroll paper in 7 months. The Lincoln Book of Records mentioned on its official website, "New world record for the first time in the world to write the Holy Quran on a 14.5 inch and 500-meter white scroll paper."

Jamil picked up calligraphy to improve his handwriting. And in the year 2017, he first started writing verses from the Holy Quran. Later, he decided to write the whole Quran in his calligraphy. Jamil first wrote a Quran in the year 2018, which weighed 21kgs and was completed in 11 months. And in December 2021, he started working on the 500-meter scroll and completed it in 7 months. 

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''I started in the year 2016, I wanted to improve my handwriting and when I saw that I could write calligraphy, I started writing the holy book of Quran. In 2018 I wrote a Quran which weighed 21 Kgs, In 2021 I thought of writing the longest Quran. And I think it was God's wish that I was able to write the Quran. It took me 7 months to complete the whole Quran. It was accepted by the Lincoln Book of World Records; I had applied with many other record-making organisations. I had less budget so couldn't do it at a much bigger level, '' said Mustafa-ibn-Jamil, calligrapher.

For this project, Jamil had to move to New Delhi, as the scroll paper was not available in the Kashmir Valley. He said that he couldn't have brought the raw material to Kashmir as it was too heavy to be carried from Delhi to Srinagar. He took 2 months to arrange the whole material. He worked 18 hours every day to finish the 500-metre scroll in 7 months.

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''I used a special paper called 135 GSM, there are various types of papers on which we can write. The paper was not available in the valley in the roll form, so I went to Delhi, and I had to complete the whole project there. I couldn't have come with so much stuff to the valley, The pen also is different from what I have used for the writing of the Quran, The ink which we use is also special, "said Mustafa-ibn-Jamil, calligrapher. 

The total cost of the project was about 2.5 lakh rupees. It took Jamil a month to laminate the whole 500-metre scroll. Jamil has also registered for the Asian Book of Records, the Indian Book of Records, and the International Book of Records for which documentation is under process.

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