Islamic Law [IO Islamic 2142]

Law: Ḥanafite.

This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2142 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 273 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

273.

2142. Size 81/4 in. by 53/4 in.; foll. 639. Twenty-three lines in a page.

The first half of a Digest of Ḥanafite Law, styled تنویر الابصار و جامع البحار, with a Commentary (ممزوج), both by Shams al-dîn Muḥammad b. ‘Abdallah1 TIMURTÂSHÎ of Ghazzah (d. A.H. 1005). The commentary is entitled منح الغفّار بشرح تنویر الابصار.

See Ḥ. Kh. ii. 453; Stewart’s Catal. 148; Cat. Mus. Brit. 123; and Aumer, Hdss. Münch. 109.

Beginning: انّ اجدر ما افتتحت به الکتب و الدفاتر. The author relates that before commencing the work he received a direct inspiration from the Prophet, who appeared to him in a dream, at Ghazzah.

In two volumes, the first comprising the spiritual law, and the second (fol. 272) containing from کتاب النکاح to کتاب الوقف. Clearly written in different hands. The colophon runs as follows: تم الجزء الثانی بحمد الله .. لیلة الاربعاء رابع عشر شعبان سنة ۱۱۴۶ برسم کاتبه الفقیر احمد بن المرحوم المبرور محمد شمس و صلی الله الخ. Notes. Each part is preceded by an index. Fol. 3 contains an account of the author, taken from تاریخ الشیخ مصطفی فتح الله الحموی. Foll. 8 and 9 should be transposed.

1 Only the above names occur in the preface. The pedigree proceeds as follows: b. Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ibrâhîm. The surname التمرتاشی is derived from the celebrated saint Timurtâsh, of whom the author was either a descendant or a follower.