The Beginning of Wiraqah among Muslims

Wiraqah as one of the common jobs among Muslims had an important role in producing and popularity of the Books. One who works in this Occupation have called Warraq (scribe, illuminator, bookbinder, etc. simultaneously). The first Question comes to mind on this profession is how the Wiraqah had begun as a job and who were the First Warraqs. According to a common view, making paper by Muslims was started in the Middle of the second Century A.H. So some scholars believe the Wiraqah was shaped by entrance of Chinese papermaker prisoners to Samarqand after battle of talas (751 A.D.) and the word Wiraqah is derivative from Waraq meaning paper. There is another view saying the entrance of paper happened some years earlier. This research tries to show a clear picture from the beginning of the profession among Muslims by studying the sources and remained reports and by restudying two mentioned views. Accordingly, in spite of proving that paper was entered to Muslim world in the middle of second century, there is no clear connection between this event and beginning of wiraqah. According to existed reports, wiraqah actually shaped in the second half of the first century A.H.