Why is it called Mushaf Bahriyah? This is a question I often get asked here at Musholla Al Bahriah.
Let me introduce you to the story of Mushaf Bahriyah. This place of worship is more than just a building. It is deeply connected to the history of Quranic study in Indonesia.
The name “Bahriyah” comes from Istanbul, Turkey. It references a Quran published by “Matba’ah Bahriyah.” This publishing house belonged to the Ottoman Navy. They printed many religious texts including the Quran.
The special thing about the Turkish Bahriyah Quran was its writing style. Each page ended with the end of a verse. This “ayat pojok” or corner system made memorization easier. Before standardization, this Quran spread widely in Indonesia. Islamic boarding schools especially used it.
KH M Arwani Amin Kudus played a big role. After returning from Hajj in 1969 or 1970, he reproduced the Turkish edition. His students easily memorized the Quran using this version. It became known as the Mushaf Pojok Menara Kudus.
However, this Quran did not use the official rasm usmani writing style. Instead, it used rasm imla’i. So, standardization was needed to avoid confusion.
In 1974, scholars discussed this at the Musyawarah Kerja Ulama Al Quran I. KH. Ahmad Damanhuri Malang noted that Muslim scholars tolerated this mushaf. This was especially true for those memorizing the Quran. It only followed one of the six rules of rasm usmani.
Mushaf Bahriyah only followed the kaidah badal rule. This led to much discussion. Eventually, a standardized mushaf was created.
The front of the Mushaf Standar Bahriyah reads “Mushaf Ayat Sudut Departemen Agama.” Muhammad Abdurrozaq Muhilli completed its writing in 1988. The book is small and easy to carry. H Abdul Hafiz Dasuki and H Alhumam Mundzir checked it on September 5, 1991.
The mushaf has unique characteristics listed in the back. These include how mad thabi’i alif is written. Also, waqaf signs match the Mushaf Standar Usmani. Syaddah idgham and mim iqlab are not written. Each page ends with an ayat. Every page has 15 lines.
These features show efforts to preserve the pojok mushaf tradition. It was already popular among Quran memorizers. The Mushaf Standar Bahriyah includes special notes for readers.
Musholla Al Bahriah stands as a testament to this history. It reminds us of the dedication to Quranic learning in Indonesia. It connects us to the tradition of memorization and the beautiful script of the Quran.