Two sisters from Bengaluru, India, Suraiya Qureshi and Bibi Tabassum, have done something truly extraordinary. They wrote the entire Quran on cloth using hand embroidery, replicating the copy printed in Madinah.
Bibi Tabassum started with the very first Surah of the Quran, Surah Al-Fatiha, and continued all the way to the last Surah, Surah An-Nas.
The project took almost five years to complete. The thirty Juz of the Quran were divided into five volumes, spread across 604 pages. White cotton cloth and silky anchor thread were used, with each word carefully embroidered by hand needle. Each volume was made in a different colour for beauty, and all binding was done at home by the sisters themselves.
After finishing their daily household work, both sisters dedicated themselves fully to this project. They used the Nastaliq style of calligraphy, keeping the font size wonderfully uniform throughout. Another sister, who is an Alima (Islamic scholar), did the proofreading after every completed page.
The sisters later presented the embroidered Quran at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, where it received much appreciation from devotees. Haji Syed Salman Chishty stated that the special gift would be sent to Saudi Arabia through the central government, to be offered at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
Bibi Tabassum expressed deep gratitude to Allah for allowing them to create this unique masterpiece. Their story is a beautiful example of faith, patience, and devotion.
