According to researchers, carbon dating of fragments of a Quran suggests the book could predate the prophet Muhammad. As per some Islamic scholars, the claim is not true. In July, the world's oldest Quran was found in Birmingham, England.

It has been reported by The Times of London that according to researchers from the University of Oxford, it seems that fragments from the oldest Quran predate the founding of Islam by the prophet Muhammad. They are saying that this could reform early history of Islam.

According to Keith Small, a researcher at the University of Oxford, "This gives more ground to what have been peripheral views of the Koran's genesis, like that Muhammad and his early followers used a text that was already in existence and shaped it to fit their own political and theological agenda".

In July, Birmingham University revealed parts of oldest fragments of the Quran. However now, the researchers made use of carbon dating to discover that the pages were from nearly 1,448 to 1,371 years ago.

As per reports, historian Tom Holland said that it weakens the idea that it is possible to know anything with surety regarding how the holy book appeared. It suggests new information about the history of Muhammad and the Companions, he added.

Reports say if the carbon dating is correct, the Koran was formed between 568 AD and 645 AD. It is believed that Muhammad lived between AD570 to AD632.