Seeing and Hearing the Book. A Moroccan Edition of the Quran

International audience This article focuses on the creation in 2010 of a Moroccan edition of the Qurʾan distinguished by its method of recitation (Warsh), its calligraphic style (maghribī), and the plant ornamentation surrounding its text. The idea behind studying the book’s production process, which involves calligraphers, illuminators, graphic designers, and others working under the watchful eye of institutional clerics, is to examine how the monarchy mobilizes the Qurʾan’s material specificities to support the sensorial relationship of the faithful to the divine word and to ensure a transmission aligned with a strictly Moroccan and homogenous sensory system. Based on memorization practices, Qurʾanic learning mainly relies on vision and hearing to facilitate practitioners’ absorption of the text. This study, conducted between 2010 and 2017, delves into how the book “mediates” personal and social relationships with God and how its materiality is designed to build a unique connection to the divine through and by the monarch.