Images of Writing in the Qurʾān and Sulṭān as a Royal Warrant

Abstract

Abstract This study examines references to and images of writing in the Qurʾān, suggesting that some of them have been overlooked or de-emphasized in interpretations of the text. It then investigates the various Qurʾānic uses of the term sulṭān, usually translated as “authority,” and suggests that sulṭān, in some passages, refers to a document, a warrant or license that authorizes the bearer to carry out some task.