[IO Islamic 2281] مصباح الهداية و مفتاح الكفاية

Miṣbâḥ-alhidâyat u miftâḥ-alkifâyat

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1837 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Hermann Ethé, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, 2 vols. (Oxford: India Office, 1903): volume 1, number 2281 here with notations and hyperlinks].

1837

Miṣbâḥ-alhidâyat u miftâḥ-alkifâyat (مصباح الهداية و مفتاح الكفاية).

A compendium of Ṣûfic maxims, theories, and doctrines, together with general ethical principles (ذكر مبانى و اصول طريقت صوفيان و بيان بعضى از علوم و معارف ايشان), being an abridged adaptation of the famous Arabic work عوارف المعارف, in sixty-three chapters, by Shaikh Shihâb-aldîn Abû Ḥafṣ ‘Umar bin Muḥammad bin ‘Abdallâh al-Bakrî al-Suhrawardî, who was born in Rajab, A.H. 539 (A.D. 1145, Jan.), and died in Baghdâd the 1st of Muḥarram, A.H. 632 (A.D. 1234, Sept. 26), see Safînat-alauliyâ, No. 148 (col. 290 in this Cat.), G. Flügel iii. p. 329 sq.; O. Loth, Arabic Cat., p. 172 sq.; Ḥ. Khalfa iv. p. 275, No. 8401, etc. (the عوارف المعارف were printed in Bûlâq, in the margins of Ghazâlî’s احياء علوم الدّين, in four volumes, see No. 1781 above, A.H. 1306). The Persian translation of another work of Suhrawardî’s, رشف النّصائح, is noticed in Rieu ii. p. 853a, see also Ḥ. Khalfa iii. p. 465; on the life of the great Shaikh compare Ibn Khallikân in De Slane’s translation, ii. pp. 382-384. The author of this Persian adaptation of the عوارف المعارف is ‘Izz-aldîn Maḥmûd bin ‘Alî al-Kâshânî (see fol. 3a, l. 9), who died according to Ḥ. Khalfa, loc. cit., A.H. 735 (A.D. 1334, 1335), see Haft Iḳlim, No. 931 (col. 445 in this Cat.). He wished at first to give, in compliance with the requests of many friends, a full translation of Suhrawardî’s work, but soon abandoned that idea, as involving too great a labour, and contented himself with writing this مختصر , in which he embodied all the principal points and doctrines of the Arabic original.

Several portions of this translation, another copy of which is noticed in W.Pertsch, Berlin Cat., p. 290, are quoted verbally in Jâmî’s Nafaḥât-aluns, viz. the 1st faṣl of the 3rd bâb, the 10th faṣl of the same, and parts of the 2nd faṣl of the 1st bâb, see Notices et Extraits, xii. pp. 322-352 and 377-391. Other Persian translations or adaptation of the عوارف المعارف are those of Żahîr-aldîn ‘Abd-alraḥmân bin Najîb-aldîn ‘Alî bin Buzghush al-Shîrâzî, who died in Ramaḍân, A.H. 716 (A.D. 1316, Nov.-Dec), see a copy of it in W. Pertsch, Berlin Cat., p. 89, and compare Safinat-alauliyâ, No. 151 (col. 290 in this Cat.), and Haft Iḳlîm, No. 176 (ib., 391); of Junaid bin Faḍl-allâh, the grandson of the preceding Żahir-aldîn ‘Abd-alraḥmân, a copy of which is described in E. G. Browne, Cambridge Cat., pp. 87-89; and of an anonymous author, see W. Pertsch, Berlin Cat., p. 291.

The Miṣbâḥ-alhidâyat is divided into ten books, each book subdivided into ten faṣls (Index on ff. 4a-5a):

Book I. در بيان اعتقادات صوفيّه, on fol. 5b.

II.در بيان علوم, on fol.20a.

III.در معارف, on fol. 32a.

IV.در بعضى اصطلاحات صوفيان, on fol. 52b.

V.در مستحسنات متصوّفه , on fol. 61a.

VI.در آداب, on fol. 83b.

VII.در اعمال, on fol. 118a.

VIII.در بيان اخلاق, on fol. 141b.

IX.در مقامات, on fol. 152a.

X.در احوال و ختم كتاب, on fol. 167a.

Beginning:حمدى كه لمعات صدق و نفحات اخلاص آن ديدۀ جان منوّر الخ.

No date. College of Fort William.

No. 2281, ff. 179, ll. 19; distinct Nasta’lîḳ; size, 81/2 in. by 45/8 in.