<p>In a rather rare colour combination the beginning of Qur'an (24:35, Surat al-Nur) is written on the outside wall of a shop in Barbir, Beirut. It reads: "Allah nur al-samawat wal-ard" - "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth". "Allah" is written in a contrasting colour - it reminds me of the red-black combination of the earliest Qur'anic manuscripts in kufic script. In comparison to other Muslim shops adorned with Islamic verses, size and calligraphic quality are as well remarkable.</p>