Ṣûfism and Ethics [IO Islamic 1180]

Ṣûfism and Ethics. 

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1180 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 684 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

684.

1180. Size 9 in. by 5 in.; foll. 59. Seventeen lines in a page.

An anonymous Commentary (ممزوج) on the theosophic treatise, التحفة المرسلة الى النبىّ , by MUḤAMMAD B. FAḌL ALLAH Hindi Burhânpûrî (d. A.H. 1029). The latter was a disciple of Shaikh Wajîh al-dîn b. Ḳâḍi Naṣr Allah ‘Alawî Hindi Aḥmadâbâdi, who lived from A.H. 910 to 998, and was the pupil of Shaikh Muḥammad b. Khaṭîr al-din Ḥusainî, commonly called al-Ghauth, the author of الجواهر الخمسة (see above, no. 671). A co-disciple of the author’s, Shaikh of Ṣibghat Allah b. Rûḥ Allah b. Jamâl Allah Ḥusainî Hindî Barûjî, who died at Madînah, was the Shaikh of Abu’l-mawâhib Aḥmad b. ‘Alî b. ‘Abd al-ḳuddûs Ḳurashî ‘Abbâsî Shinnâwî Madanî, and a pupil of the latter was شيخنا الامام ثم الهدلى الانصارى المعروف بالقشار طيفى (!) الدين احمد بن يونس بن احمد المقدسى الرجالى ثم المدنى الانصارى المعروف بالقَشارى (!)1 , who was born A.H. 991, and died A.H. 1071, at Madînah, and was the Shaikh of the author of the present commentary. The latter, therefore, lived in the eleventh century, probably at Madinah. His name is not mentioned, His commentary is entitled اتحاف الزكىّ بشرح التحفة المرسلة الى النبىّ . He wrote it for the instruction of the Muḥammadans of Java, whose notions of orthodoxy had recently been troubled by the introduction of Ṣûfî writings, which their divines were not able to interpret. He, therefore, selected the present treatise, which was very popular with them, in order to show its entire accordance with the doctrines of the Koran and the Sunnah.

The preface begins:الحمدلله الاول الذى ليس قبله شئ . The commentary refers only to the commencement of the treatise, and its chief subject is the absolute essence (الوجود) .

The treatise begins:الحمد لله رب العالمين اما بعد فيقول العبد .. 2 هذه نبذة من الكلمات فى علم الحقائق الخ.

Well written, of about A.H. 1100. The text of the treatise has been added at the end, by a different hand; the greater part of it is, however, lost.

Cf. Stewart’s Catal. 47.

[Tippu.]

1 These names are given more correctly in no. 696, II.

2 Here follows the name of the author, as given above.