ABSTRACT
Al-Harith and Salim accompanies Abu Zayd on a visit to the Baghdadi scribe, Ibn al-Bawwab. Abu Zayd wishes to commission a Qurʾan, and wishes to inspect the workmanship of Ibn al-Bawwab. They discuss his use of a cursive script, naskh, for the writing of Muslim scripture and the decorative aspects of one of his completed Qurʾans. Abu Zayd steals a used reed pen as they leave. After Abu Zayd has left them, Salim explains to Aisha that the pens of scribes are collected by connoisseurs of calligraphy.
