Although calligraphy existed in Arabia before Islam, on a much smaller scale, the revelation of the Qur’an plus the invention of paper shortly after meant that scribes could practice their calligraphy on a cheaper medium, unlike parchment and papyrus, which were expensive, and they could also spiritually benefit from this. Certain verses in the Qur'an, such as “Ayat Al-Kursi” or “Surah Mulk“ and “The Verse of the Throne,” can ward off evil, and this, among other verses and words, became the central focus of Muslim calligraphers during the Islamic Empire and even today.