Islamic Traditions, SHÂFI'ITES [IO Islamic 2308]

Science of Tradition-Law.

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2308 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 288 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

288.

2308. Size 81/2 in. by 41/2 in.; foll. 288. Sixteen lines in a page.

I. Foll. 1-223. A treatise on the differences between the four orthodox Imâms, entitled رحمة الأُمّة فی اختلاف الائمّة. The author, who is not mentioned, is, according to Ḥ. Kh. iii. 351, either ṢADR AL-DÎN Abu ‘Abdallah Muḥammad b. ‘Abd al-raḥmân Dimishḳî ‘Othmânî. Who wrote in A.H. 780, or Abu’l-Ḥasan SA’DÎ.

Beginning: الحمدلله الذی اجزل احسانه، و انزل قرانه، و بیّن فیه قواعد دینه و ارکانه،. The order of arrangement is that of the Shâfi’ite law-books. As a rule, only the dissenting doctrine is given in cases where the rest agree.

II. Foll. 224-228. The Collection of Fatwas of Nawawî, as arranged and augmented by his pupil ‘Alâ al-dîn ‘Alî b. Ibrâhîm Dimishḳî, commonly called IBN AL-‘AṬṬÂR (d. A.H. 724). Cf. Ḥ. Kh. iv. 369; Wüstenfeld, das Leben des al-Nawawî, p. 53 sq. and 31; and also Orientalia, ii. 339.

The editor states in his preface that he added to the original collection other “questions” (مسائل) collected by him from the lectures of Nawawî. On the other hand, those of the original Fatwas which did not refer to the law were placed by him at the end of the work.

Well written. The copyist gives his name at the end of the first treatise, as Muḥammad Gharîb, of India.

The second treatise is inscribed الجزو الاول من منتخب الفتاوی النوویة الشافعیة. The book was once in the possession of Jamâl ‘Alî.

[College of Fort William, 1825.]