A Comprehensive Database of 53 Documented Textual Variants between the Ṣanʿāʾ Palimpsest (DAM 01-27.1) and the Standard Uthmānic Qurʾān
Complete the Hajj and ʿUmrah for Allah…
Complete the Hajj and ʿUmrah for the House…
Lexical substitution: لله (for Allah) → للبيت (for the House/Kaaba).
lexical
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing.
And slay them wherever you find them and drive them out from wherever they drove you out, for persecution is more severe than slaughter.
Orthographic/morphological variants: omission of فيه, different spelling.
orthographiclexical
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity.
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection].
Omission of إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ — shorter reading.
omissionsyntactic
…they increase in disbelief… (yazdādūna kufran)
…it increases them in disbelief… (yazīduhum kufran)
Grammatical subject change: active vs causative form.
syntactic
And do not let their wealth and their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.
[Verse entirely absent from lower text]
Complete verse omission — possibly due to parablepsis (scribal eye-skip).
omission
And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him…
And she sought to seduce him…
Omission of relative clause الَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا (in whose house he was).
omissionsyntactic
Verse 31: Strengthen me through him / Verse 32: And make him my partner in my task
[Verses appear in swapped order: 32 then 31]
Internal verse sequence variation within the sura.
sequence
O you who believe, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.
O you who believe, let not your wealth divert you from the remembrance of Allah.
Omission of وأولادكم (and your children) — parallels Ibn Masʿūd codex tradition.
Ibn Masʿūd
omission
O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name.
O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not made before him anyone with this name.
Syntactic reordering while preserving core meaning.
syntactic
We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it.
We do not cancel a sign or cause it to be forgotten, but We bring a better one or its like.
Morphological variants in theologically significant terminology about abrogation.
lexicalsyntactic
This is a Day the truthful will profit from their truth.
This is the Day that the truthful will profit from their truth.
Minor grammatical particle insertion (anna - that) for syntactic clarity.
lexicaladdition
And never say of anything, Indeed, I will do that tomorrow, except [when adding], If Allah wills.
And never say of anything, I will do that tomorrow, except you say, If Allah wills.
Syntactic variance in conditional construction — stylistic difference.
syntactic
And [it is] a Quran which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period.
And a Quran which We have distinctly parted that you might recite it to the people over a span of time.
Lexical variants in description of Quranic revelation methodology.
lexical
And [also forbidden are] married women except those your right hands possess.
And [also forbidden are] married women except those your right hands possess. (with early spelling)
Spelling differences in legal terminology without semantic change.
orthographic
The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.
The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers, and he is their father.
Reconstructed addition of وهو أبوهم (and he is their father). This reading is highly disputed.
Ubayy ibn Kaʿb
lexicalsyntacticaddition
Say, [O Muhammad], My Lord knows whatever is said...
He said, My Lord knows whatever is said...
Lexical variant: imperative قل (Say) is replaced by declarative قال (He said).
Ibn Masʿūd, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb
orthographiclexical
And when they see it, they will say, O woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense.
And when they see it, they will exclaim, O woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense.
Stylistic lexical variant in speech verb.
lexical
But the one who was saved and remembered after a time said…
But the one who was saved after a time said…
Omission of conjunctive phrase and remembered.
omission
Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel...
[Heavily damaged folio. Traces suggest possible lexical variants but no confident reconstruction of the text is possible.]
The folio is too damaged for a reliable reconstruction.
lexicaldamage
Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.
Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian. (early orthography)
Orthographic omissions reflecting early Arabic script conventions.
orthographicomission
Standard sura sequence (modern mushaf order).
Different sura arrangement, including non-standard sequences.
Codicological variation in manuscript organization.
sequence
That is the Book, wherein is no doubt...
That is the Book, wherein is no doubt... (written as ktb)
Pervasive orthographic variations reflecting early Arabic script development.
orthographic
...then he said...
...and he said...
Minor grammatical particles affecting textual flow.
omissionlexicaladdition
O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them.
O Prophet, contend with the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be firm against them.
Syntactic/lexical variants in exhortation phrasing.
syntacticlexical
And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren.
And I fear my kinsmen after me, while my wife is barren.
Minor syntactic variance reflecting scribal preferences.
syntactic
Complete readable text.
[Multiple folios show palimpsest erasure with traces only]
Lacunae requiring reconstruction — flagged as uncertain by all scholars.
damage
[The angels will be ordered], Gather those who wronged and their kinds and what they used to worship.
[The angels will be ordered], Assemble the unjust and their companions and what they used to worship.
Damage-induced lacuna with cautious scholarly reconstruction.
damagelexical
The Day it comes, no soul will speak except by His permission.
The Day it comes, no soul will speak except by His permission. (Hijazi spelling)
Orthographic variants reflecting early Hijazi spelling conventions.
orthographic
Represents Uthmanic standardization.
The collection of variants points to a textual tradition that developed in parallel to Uthmanic standardization.
Independent textual tradition — not scribal errors but legitimate early variants.
lexicalsyntacticsequence
Standard verse division markers.
The manuscript uses a different system to mark the end of verses.
Variant verse division system — scholarly disagreement on accuracy.
orthographic
...and We sent after him...
...and We sent in his footsteps...
Lexical substitution: من بعده (after him) → على آثاره (in his footsteps).
lexical
Allah will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter
Allah will punish them with a painful punishment in this world
Omission of والآخرة (and the Hereafter).
omission
Do not shave your heads until the offering reaches its destination
Do not shave until the offering reaches its destination
Omission of رءوسكم (your heads).
omission
If any of you be sick...
Should one of you be sick...
Lexical/grammatical substitution.
lexicalsyntactic
...fasting, or alms, or an offering
...fasting or an offering
Omission of أو صدقة (or alms).
omission
...good in this world and good in the Hereafter...
...good in this world and the Hereafter...
Major omission and structural change.
omissionsyntactic
They are the ones who say: Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of God until they disband
They are the ones who say: Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of God until they disband from around him
Lexical addition: من حوله (from around him) added.
lexicalsyntacticaddition
...on the life...
...on a life...
Orthographic/lexical variant (definite vs. indefinite).
orthographiclexical
...to move it away...
...to move it away... (variant form)
Lexical substitution with same meaning.
lexical
Michael (Mīkāʾīl)
Michael (Mīkāla)
Orthographic variant of the name Michael.
orthographic
...and not the polytheists (nominative)
...and not the polytheists (accusative/genitive)
Grammatical case ending variant.
orthographicsyntactic
...about fighting in it
...fighting in it
Omission of the particle عن (about).
omission
...until they have purified themselves.
...until they have purified themselves. (variant forms)
Major structural deviations, omissions, and word exchanges.
syntacticomissionlexicalorthographic
And We ordained for them therein a life for a life...
And We ordained for them a life for a life...
Omission of فيها (therein).
lexicalomission
...a law (shirʽatan)...
...a law (sharīʽaton)...
Orthographic/lexical variant.
orthographiclexical
...humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers...
...humble toward the believers, harsh against the disbelievers...
Lexical substitution: mighty → harsh.
lexical
Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light.
Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was light and guidance.
Multiple changes including switching guidance and light.
lexicalomissionsyntacticaddition
...and establish prayer and give zakat
...and do Jihad in the way of Allah
Lexical substitution: establish prayer and give zakat → do Jihad.
lexical
He said, My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has flared up with white heat.
He said, My Lord, my head has flared up with white heat.
Omission of the phrase indeed my bones have weakened.
omissionaddition
That is because they believed, and then they disbelieved; so a seal was set upon their hearts, so they do not understand.
That is because they are a nation that believed, and then they increased in their disbelief; so a seal was set upon their hearts, so they do not understand.
Additions of a nation and they increased in their disbelief.
addition
They have exchanged the signs of Allah for a small price and have averted [people] from His way.
They have exchanged the verses of Allah and their oaths for a small price and have averted [people] from the way of Allah.
Lexical substitution, addition of and their oaths.
lexicaladdition
That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
Allah will not forgive them. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.
Major lexical and structural changes.
lexicalsyntactic
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
[Basmala is absent]
Omission of Basmala between Surahs 8 and 9.
omissionorthographic
The Ṣanʿāʾ Palimpsest, also known as DAM 01-27.1, is one of the oldest surviving Quranic manuscripts. Discovered in 1972 during restoration work at the Great Mosque of Sanaa, Yemen, this manuscript is a palimpsest—a document written over earlier erased text. The lower text, which was erased and written over, represents an earlier version of the Quranic text that differs in significant ways from the standard Uthmānic codex that became canonical in Islamic tradition.
Radiocarbon dating places the manuscript between 578-669 CE with 95% confidence, making it one of the earliest Quranic manuscripts in existence. The lower text contains approximately 45% of the Quran and exhibits numerous textual variants from the standard Uthmānic text.
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Source Priority: Primary academic papers (Sadeghi, Cellard) are prioritized, followed by verified academic Twitter threads (van Putten, Sean Anthony, etc.), then academic Reddit discussions (r/AcademicQuran, etc.), and finally secondary sources.