^{page 325 note 1} Moritz, in the Encyclopædia of Islam, classifies the earliest monuments of Arabic writing belonging to the Muslim period in three categories, (i) Those written on coins, the earliest of which is dated a.h. 20 (a.d. 641); (ii) those found on monuments, the earliest of which is dated a.h. 72 (a.d. 691–2); (iii) those written on papyrus, the most ancient of these is dated a.h. 22 (a.d. 642–3). But this has not yet been studied (see Encyclopædia of Islam, p. 383 and seq.). As to the first and last of these they do not concern us.

[In passing I should like to notice that Moritz did not mention writings found on glass weights, which we can place under the first category. The earliest of these glass weights is that found in the collection of the late Dr. Fouquet, and is dated a.h. 44 (a.d. 664) in the name of 'Oḳbat. But the late Casanova is doubtful about its authenticity. He says in the MMAFC, tome vi, p. 373, under the title of “Noms d'Emirs, et de lecture douteuse ou incomplete”, No. 166, … (?) (?) … L'Emir 'Oḳbat (?), ayez des mesures exactes(?) … and supposing this version is correct, it does not necessarily follow that the date is a.h. 44, since'Oḳbat ibn'Amer ruled from a.h. 44–7 (a.d. 664–7). We can also place under the third category two letters written in the time of the Prophet. The first is the letter sent by the Prophet to Al-Moḳawḳis. It is presumed to have been found accidentally by a young orientalist in Manfalouṭ in Upper Egypt in a.d. 1851 (see the Journal Asiatique, 1854, p. 482 and seq.). But this is doubtful. The second was the document given by the Prophet to Tamim al-Dary and his brothers in the year a.h. 9 (a.d. 630). It was written by 'Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib on a piece of leather from his boot. The document was seen by ibn Padl-Allah El-'Omary in the year a.h. 745 (a.d. 1345) (Masalik al-Abṣar fi Mamalik Al-Amṣar, vol. i, p. 172). It was also seen by Ḳalḳashandi in the year a.h. 821 (a.d. 1418).]