Malaysia's Oldest Handwritten Quran from Pulau Tiga
Two handwritten Qurans, believed to be 414 and 184 years old respectively, were surrendered by their custodians in Pulau Tiga, Kampung Gajah to the National Library Department for preservation and photographic reproduction.
For your information, this is the oldest handwritten Quran ever found in Malaysia, having been kept for a long time in Pulau Tiga, Kampung Gajah. Based on the estimated age of the Quran, it was likely written around 1603 during the reign of Sultan Mukaddam Shah, the 6th Sultan of Perak, while the other was written during the reign of the 21st Sultan of Perak, Sultan Shahabuddin Riayat Shah, in 1833.
According to the Culture, Youth and Sports Office in Parit in 1983, the Quran believed to be 380 years old (at that time) was known as the 'Quran Semut Gatal' (Itchy Ant Quran) by the residents of Pulau Tiga. It is said to have been written by three religious scholars living in Pulau Tiga. The names of the first and second writers are unknown, but the third writer was known as Tok Mencalang, a poet, pantun expert, and satirist who was very prominent in Pulau Tiga at that time.
Meanwhile, the other 184-year-old Quran was written by Sheikh Hussein Al Yamani. He was an Arab preacher who came to live in Pulau Tiga around 1860. Sheikh Hussein was a pious individual who was diligent in spreading Islamic teachings throughout the areas near Pulau Tiga. It is said that he passed away after finishing the Quran and was buried in Pulau Tiga. According to oral traditions passed down by local residents regarding the 'Quran Semut Gatal', whoever swears upon this Quran and lies, by the grace of Allah, their entire body will be afflicted with a curse—an itchiness as if bitten by many stinging ants.
When the Qurans were collected by the National Library Department, the 184-year-old Quran kept at the Penghulu's Hall and the 414-year-old 'Quran Semut Gatal' kept at Madrasah Ekhsaniah were found to be decaying and infested with termites. The 'Quran Semut Gatal' was damp, while the other was found in a very dry state. The edges and surroundings of the Qurans had also begun to discolor due to age. The Penghulu and the Madrasah officials agreed to surrender both Qurans to the National Library Department for preservation to save them from destruction on October 19, 1983. Today, the National Library Department is better known as the Malay Manuscript Centre.
Pulau Tiga is a village located on the right bank of the Perak River in the sub-district of Kampung Gajah, Perak, with Geronggong situated across from it. This village area once served as the administrative center for several Sultans of Perak, starting with the 15th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain. During his reign, the administrative center of Perak was named Cempaka Sari and was later referred to as Indera Sakti.
