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London, British Library, IO Islamic 681

[Colour scanned images of the textblock and covers.]

Single work: Arabic. Date:

unknown (estimated late 16^th–17^th c.).

Or.:

unknown, perhaps India; unknown scribe.

Prov.:

a seal dated 1135/1722-3 of ʿAẓīm, courtier of the Mughal emperor Muḥammad Shāh (r. 1719–1748). A seal of ʿAbbād Allāh, dated 1188/1774-5 (2r). An undated and partially erased ownership statement of a certain al-ʿAbd Muḥammad …. An undated statement of purchase with seal in the lower left corner (2r). Ex-libris Richard Johnson (1753–1807, his name in pencil on f. 1r), incorporated into the collection of the East India House in 1807 (stamps on ff. 2r and 369v) (Qatar Digital Library). Old shelfmarks: ‘Loth 742’ (1r) and ‘339’ in Arabic numerals (2r).

Cod.: laid paper (Islamic), II+369+I^a ff. (foliated with Arabic-European numerals in pencil; quire signatures in light red ink; catchwords in the hand of the scribe on almost every folio). A single clear naskh hand in black. Mostly dotted ductus, hardly any shaddas and vowels, hardly any hamzas, substantial lām-alif warrāqiyya. Chapter headings in dark red; paragraph beginnings partially highlighted with red ink on ff. 1–70, from f. 70 onwards the rubrication appears blue/grey due to sulphurisation of the lead contained in the ink; from f. 123v onwards the lemmata are missing. Substantial figures and tables in red and black; tables partially with hasty ruling (cf. 46r). Stains in the beginning and partially worm-eaten, increasing damage and oil stains towards the end. Dimensions: 218×120 mm, written area: 160×75 mm; 29 lines per page. Partial leather binding; upper and lower covers decorated with marble paper. Type III binding.

Cont.: astronomy. — Index: Ptolemaica (2v–369r). Small slip of paper (305^bis) with annotations in a script very similar to that of the Arabic title on f. 1r. Blank: none.

Bibl.: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, London: Stephen Austin and Sons, 1877, p. 216 (no. 742). British Library Archives and Manucripts: http://searcharchives.bl.uk/permalink/f/79qrt5/IAMS032-003311703; Qatar Digital Library: https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100030968238.0x000001.

2v–⁠369r	\1v\ الحمد لله الذي جعلنا من المتفكّرين في خلق السموات والأرض وألهمنا طريق معرفة مقادير حركات الأجرام النيّرة في الطول والعرض خلق سبع سموات طباقًا وجعل القمر فيهن نورًا وجعل الشمس سراجًا — \369r\ والحمد لله أوّل اً (كذا) وآخر (كذا) وظاهرًا وباطنًا والصلوة والسلم (كذا) على زبدة الليالى والأيّام محمّد سيّد الثقلين وخير الأنام وآله الأخيار العظام وشيعته الأبرار الكرام وقد فرغت من تأليف هذا الشرح وتسويده وتصحيحه بقدر الإمكان. فالتمّ (؟) م. م. = al-Birjandī, Sharḥ Taḥrīr al-Majisṭī (C.1.42) . — Title: Sharḥ Majisṭī (1r, 2r). Index: author’s preface, 2v–3v; Book I, 3v–67v; II, 67v–99r; III, 99r–132r; IV, 132r–151v; V, 151v–189v; VI, 189v–223v; VII, 223v–245r; 〈VIII〉, 245r–275v; IX, 275v–300v; X (headed ‘XI’)/XI, 300v–320r/309v–325v; XII, 326r–343r; XIII, 343r–369r. — Undated authorial colophon; no scribal colophon. Some marginal collations, partially trimmed, glosses mostly in a single hand different from the scribe, minor corrections.

2v–⁠369r

\1v\ الحمد لله الذي جعلنا من المتفكّرين في خلق السموات والأرض وألهمنا طريق معرفة مقادير حركات الأجرام النيّرة في الطول والعرض خلق سبع سموات طباقًا وجعل القمر فيهن نورًا وجعل الشمس سراجًا — \369r\ والحمد لله أوّل اً (كذا) وآخر (كذا) وظاهرًا وباطنًا والصلوة والسلم (كذا) على زبدة الليالى والأيّام محمّد سيّد الثقلين وخير الأنام وآله الأخيار العظام وشيعته الأبرار الكرام وقد فرغت من تأليف هذا الشرح وتسويده وتصحيحه بقدر الإمكان. فالتمّ (؟) م. م.

= al-Birjandī, Sharḥ Taḥrīr al-Majisṭī (C.1.42)

. — Title: Sharḥ Majisṭī (1r, 2r). Index: author’s preface, 2v–3v; Book I, 3v–67v; II, 67v–99r; III, 99r–132r; IV, 132r–151v; V, 151v–189v; VI, 189v–223v; VII, 223v–245r; 〈VIII〉, 245r–275v; IX, 275v–300v; X (headed ‘XI’)/XI, 300v–320r/309v–325v; XII, 326r–343r; XIII, 343r–369r. — Undated authorial colophon; no scribal colophon. Some marginal collations, partially trimmed, glosses mostly in a single hand different from the scribe, minor corrections.