Ṣûfism and Ethics [IO Bijapur 75]

Ṣûfism and Ethics. 

This manuscript is now IO Bijapur 75 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 683 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

683.

B 75. Size 93/4 in. by 63/4 in.; foll. 572. Twenty-three lines in a page.

A large Commentary on a letter on mystic subject, which Saiyid Ḥâtim b. Aḥmad al-Ahdal Ḥusainî of Mokha (d. in Muḥarram, 1013) wrote, A.H. 1004, to the author of this Commentary, who was his pupil.

The name of the latter occurs on fol. 45v., viz., ‘ABD AL-ḲÂDIR B. SHAIKH AL-‘AIDARÛS. He belonged to the ‘Alawî family, was born A.H. 978, and died A.H. 1038, at Aḥmadâbâd.1 He wrote this commentary after the death of Ḥâtim, A.H. 1016, and entitled it (fol. 2v.) الزهر الباسم من روض الاستاذ حاتم . Cf. regarding Ḥâtim, Catal. Mus. Brit. 309a.

The preface begins:أَفتتحُ الرقيم ربّنا تقبّل منّا انك انت السميع العليم ..... الحمد لله الذى فتح ا[لوجو]د بنبيه الخاتم و ختم الاولياء بصفيه حاتم .... و بعد فان الاستاذ الاعظم و الشيخ الذى هو الاخ و ابن العم .... حاتم بن احمد الاهدل الحسينى اليمنى صاحب المخا اخو الحاتمى و سمّى حليف السخا قدّس الله روحه .... كان ارسل فى سنة اربع بعد الف الى العبد مكتوبا يشتمل على اشيآء فى السلوك و الطريق هدانى اليها و معان فى التصوّف و علم التحقيق اطلعنى و لله الحمدُ عليها جوابا لكتاب جاءه منى الخ.

The commentary is preceded by a long memoir of Ḥâtim, which contains numerous extracts from his writings and poems; also another short letter of his, addressed to Shaikh ‘Abd al-wahhâb Hindi, with ample comments; and (fol. 41v.) a full account of his correspondence with the author, which was miraculously continued after his death. It concludes on fol. 50, as follows:فهذه نبذة من احوال شيخنا و استاذنا ذكرتها استطرادا و ما ذكرته من احواله و مقاماته دون ما تركته بكثير و لنشرع الآن فى المقصود من حل النفثات و شرح الاشارات قال الاستاذ الخ.

The commentary begins with the Basmalah. The first words of the letter are (fol.53):حمدا لك يا من عمّ الخلق احسانه . The commentary, which is much swelled by extracts from other works and long quotations of poetry, ends, after discussing (from fol. 435) the very signature of the letter, on fol.466, as follows:هذا آخر الشرح واول الفتح قلت وانما خصصت هذه الرسالة من بين الرسائل لكثرة ما اشتملت عليه من الفوائد و الفضائل و قد احتوت على جملة من مسائل الصوفية و لعمرى انها جمعت التصوف كله الخ.

In the remaining part of the work the author treats in a very prolix manner of Ṣûfism and Saints in general; he also gives an account of his Shaikhs and his spiritual pedigree. In the appendix ( خاتمة الكتاب fol. 558v.) he speaks of the asking of forgiveness (الاستغفار) , and winds up with a long Ḳaṣîdah, each verse of which begins:استغفرُ اللهَ . The date of the work (fol. 572) runs as follows:انتهى ما تيسر من الكلام على هذه الاشارات اللطيفة و الكلمات الشريفة فى ساعة من الثلث الاخير من ليلة الثلثاء حادى عشرى شهر ربيع الاول سنة ست عشرة بعد الف ختمها الله بخير الخ.

Well written by two hands. On the margin are numerous corrections and additions, which are apparently due to a collation with a revised edition of the work. Worm-eaten towards the end.

Cat. 231, iii.

1 These statements are derived from المشرع المروى , a biographical history of the ‘Alawî family, which will be described under no. 717. There the name of the author is given in full, as follows: ‘Abd al-ḳâdir b. Shaikh b. ‘Abdallah b. Shaikh b. ‘Abdallah al-‘Aidarûs (fol. 121).