Language(s): Arabic
Incipit: انه لكران كريم في كتاب مكنون
Explicit: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Previously believed to have been written for Qansuḥ al-Ghūri (1500-1516 CE), the penultimate Mamluk sultan of Egypt and formerly belonging to his mosque at Cairo (see Mingana catalogue). Most recently it has been dated to the 14th century, and associated with Sultan Shaʾbān (1363-1376) and his mother Khwānd Baraka. It shows similarity to MSS 9 and 10 at the National Library, Cairo (see James, Rylands Arabic MS. 42, Ohta, the Bindings of Qansuh al-Ghawri, p. 215)).
The deficiency at the beginning, caused by the piece torn away at the bottom of folios 1 and 2, consists of two lines on folio 1a, and of two lines on folio 2b (Surah 2). The corresponding portions of folios 1b and 2a were filled in with the proper words by the French restorer. However, on page 4 he inserted Surah 3:1-2 instead of the missing text (Surah 2:9-11). On folio 1a his addition is similarly false and superfluous, and seems to be simply a meaningless imitation of the Arabic script.
.
Between folios 469 and 470 - between 89:28 (ارجعى) and 98:5 (اوليك) - there are about three leaves missing.
The deficiency at the end is the absence of the last surahs from 101 to 114, which implies the loss of about 12 leaves, calculating for the amount of space occupied by the numerous headings.
Filiation: Two folios of the manuscript are now housed in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin:
CBL Is 1627 and
CBL Is 1628.
Filiation: Another folio of this manuscript is now housed in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts:
09.335, containing on one side Surah 85:13-22 and 86:1-7 (only one side has been digited and described).
1a
Title: Introductory page
Illuminated page with verses from the Quran (Surah 56:77-80) and an inscription: هذا المصحف الشريف شرفه الله وعظمه برسم الخوانة الشريفة السلطانية الملكية... بسم عطمه.
1b
Title: Sūrat al-Fātiḥah
Title: سورة الفاتحة
Surah 1:1-7.
2a-39b
Title: Sūrat al-Baqarah
Title: سورة البقرة
Surah 2.
Folio 2a: first four verse of the surah is in illuminated full border.
39b-60a
Title: Sūrat Āl ʿImrān
Title: سورة ال عمران
Surah 3.
60a-83a
Title: Sūrat al-Nisā
Title: سورة النساء
Surah 4.
83a-100a
Title: Sūrat al-Māʾidah
Title: سورة المايدة
Surah 5.
100a-117b
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAnʿām
Title: سورة الانعام
Surah 6.
117b-137b
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAʿrāf
Title: سورة الاعارف
Surah 7.
137b-145a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAnfāl
Title: سورة الانفال
Surah 8. Last two words of Surah 8:75 are in an illuminated panel.
145b-161a
Title: Sūrat al-Tawbah
Title: سورة التوبة
Surah 9.
161a-172a
Title: Sūrat Yunus
Title: سورة يونس
Surah 10.
172a-183a
Title: سورة هود
Surah 11. Last three words of 11:123 are in an illuminated panel.
183a-193b
Title: Sūrat Yusuf
Title: سورة يوسف
Surah 12.
194a-199a
Title: Sūrat al-Raʿd
Title: سورة الرعد
Surah 13.
199a-204a
Title: Sūrat ʾIbrāhīm
Title: سورة ابراهيم
Surah 14.
204b-208b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥijr
Title: سورة الحجر
Surah 15.
208b-220a
Title: Sūrat al-Naḥl
Title: سورة النحل
Surah 16.
220a-229b
Title: سورة الاسراء
Surah 17.
229b-239a
Title: Sūrat al-Kahf
Title: سورة الكهف
Surah 18.
239a-245a
Title: سورة مربم
Surah 19.
245a-253b
Title: Sūrat Ṭā Hā
Title: سورة طه
Surah 20.
253b-261a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAnbiyāʾ
Title: سورة الانبياء
Surah 21.
261a-269a
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥajj
Title: سورة الحج
Surah 22.
269a-275b
Title: Sūrat al-Muʿminūm
Title: سورة المومنون
Surah 23.
276a-285b
Title: Sūrat al-Nūr
Title: سورة النور
Surah 24.
285b-289b
Title: Sūrat al-Furqān
Title: سورة الفرقان
Surah 25.
289b-298a
Title: Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ
Title: سورة الشعراء
Surah 26.
298a-304b
Title: Sūrat al-Naml
Title: سورة النمل
Surah 27.
304b-313b
Title: Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ
Title: سورة القصص
Surah 28.
313b-320a
Title: Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt
Title: سورة العنكبوت
Surah 29.
320a-325a
Title: Sūrat al-Rūm
Title: سورة الروم
Surah 30.
325a-328b
Title: سورة لقمان
Surah 31.
328b-330b
Title: Sūrat al-Sajdah
Title: سورة السجدة
Surah 32.
330b-337b
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAḥzāb
Title: سورة الاحزاب
Surah 33.
337b-344a
Title: سورة سبا
Surah 34.
344a-347b
Title: سورة فاطر
Surah 35.
347b-353a
Title: Sūrat Yā Sīn
Title: سورة يس
Surah 36.
353a-358a
Title: Sūrat al-Ṣāffāt
Title: سورة الصافات
Surah 37.
358a-363b
Title: Sūrat Ṣād
Title: سورة ص
Surah 38.
363b-370b
Title: Sūrat al-Zumar
Title: سورة الزمر
Surah 39.
370b-376b
Title: سورة غافر
Surah 40.
376b-382b
Title: سورة فصلت
Surah 41.
382b-387b
Title: Sūrat al-Shūrā
Title: سورة الشورى
Surah 42.
387b-392b
Title: Sūrat al-Zukhruf
Title: سورة الزخرف
Surah 43.
393a-395a
Title: Sūrat al-Dukhān
Title: سورة الدخان
Surah 44.
395a-398a
Title: Sūrat al-Jāthiyah
Title: سورة الجاثية
Surah 45.
398a-402a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAḥqāf
Title: سورة الاحقاف
Surah 46.
402a-405b
Title: سورة محمد
Surah 47.
405b-408b
Title: Sūrat al-Fatḥ
Title: سورة الفتخ
Surah 48.
408b-410b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt
Title: سورة الحجرات
Surah 49.
411a-413a
Title: سورة ق
Surah 50.
413a-415b
Title: Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt
Title: سورة الذاريات
Surah 51.
415b-417a
Title: Sūrat al-Ṭūr
Title: سورة الطور
Surah 52.
417b-419b
Title: Sūrat al-Najm
Title: سورة النجم
Surah 53.
419b-421b
Title: Sūrat al-Qamar
Title: سورة القمر
Surah 54.
421b-423b
Title: Sūrat al-Raḥmān
Title: سورة الرحمن
Surah 55.
423b-426b
Title: Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah
Title: سورة الواقعة
Surah 56.
426b-429b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥadīd
Title: سورة الحديد
Surah 57.
430a-432b
Title: Sūrat al-Mujādilah
Title: سورة المجادلة
Surah 58.
432b-435a
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥashr
Title: سورة الحشر
Surah 59.
435a-437a
Title: Sūrat al-Mumtaḥanah
Title: سورة الممتحنة
Surah 60.
437a-438b
Title: Sūrat al-Ṣaff
Title: سورة الصف
Surah 61.
438b-439b
Title: Sūrat al-Jumuʿah
Title: سورة الجمعة
Surah 62.
439b-440b
Title: Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn
Title: سورة المنافقون
Surah 63.
440b-442a
Title: Sūrat al-Taghābun
Title: سورة التغابن
Surah 64.
442a-444a
Title: Sūrat al-Ṭalāq
Title: سورة الطلاق
Surah 65.
444a-445b
Title: Sūrat al-Taḥrīm
Title: سورة النحريم
Surah 66.
445b-447a
Title: Sūrat al-Mulk
Title: سورة الملك
Surah 67.
447b-449a
Title: Sūrat al-Qalam
Title: سورة القلم
Surah 68.
449a-450b
Title: Sūrat al-Ḥāqqah
Title: سورة الحاقة
Surah 69.
450b-452a
Title: Sūrat al-Maʿārij
Title: سورة المعارج
Surah 70.
452b-453b
Title: سورة نوح
Surah 71.
453b-455b
Title: Sūrat al-Jinn
Title: سورة الجن
Surah 72.
455b-456b
Title: Sūrat al-Muzzammil
Title: سورة المزمل
Surah 73.
457a-458b
Title: Sūrat al-Muddaththir
Title: سورة المدثر
Surah 74.
458b-459b
Title: Sūrat al-Qiyamah
Title: سورة القيامة
Surah 75.
459b-461a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInsān
Title: سورة الانسان
Surah 76.
Verses 37-38 are supplied in the margin.
461a-462b
Title: Sūrat al-Mursalāt
Title: سورة المرسلات
Surah 77.
462b-463b
Title: Sūrat al-Nabaʾ
Title: سورة النبا
Surah 78.
463b-465a
Title: Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt
Title: سورة النازعات
Surah 79.
465a-465b
Title: Sūrat ʿAbasa
Title: سورة عبس
Surah 80.
466a-466b
Title: Sūrat al-Takwīr
Title: سورة التكوير
Surah 81.
466b-467a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInfiṭār
Title: سورةالانفطار
Surah 82.
467a-468b
Title: Sūrat al-Muṭaffifīn
Title: سورة المطففين
Surah 83.
468b-469a
Title: Sūrat al-ʾInshiqāq
Title: سورة الانشقاق
Folio 468 supplied later, see additions.
Surah 84:1-6 (last word of verse 6 is missing).
Title: Sūrat al-Burūj
Title: سورة البروج
Surah 85.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Ṭāriq
Title: سورة الطارق
Surah 86.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-ʾAʿlā
Title: سورة الاعلىٰ
Surah 87.
Missing.
469a
Title: Sūrat al-Ghāshiyah
Title: سورة الغاشية
Surah 88:25-26.
469a-469b
Title: Sūrat al-Fajr
Title: سورة الفجر
Surah 89:1-28 (only first word of verse 28).
Title: Sūrat al-Balad
Title: سورة البلد
Surah 90
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Shams
Title: سورة الشمس
Surah 91
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Layl
Title: سورة الليل
Surah 92
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Ḍuḥa
Title: سورة الضحىٰ
Surah 93
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Sharḥ
Title: سورة الشرح
Surah 94
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Tīn
Title: سورة التين
Surah 95
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-ʿAlaq
Title: سورة العلق
Surah 96
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Qadr
Title: سورة القدر
Surah 97
Missing.
470a
Title: Sūrat al-Bayyinah
Title: سورة البينة
Surah 98:6-8.
470a
Title: سورة الزلزلة
Surah 99:1-8.
470b
Title: Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt
Title: سورة العاديات
Surah 100.
470b
Title: Sūrat al-Qāriʿah
Title: سورة القارعة
Surah 101:1.
Title: Sūrat al-Takāthur
Title: سورة التكاتر
Surah 102.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-ʿAṣr
Title: سورة العصر
Surah 103.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Humazah
Title: سورة الهمزة
Surah 104.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Fīl
Title: سورة الفيل
Surah 105.
Missing.
Title: سورة قريش
Surah 106.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Maʿūn
Title: سورة الماعون
Surah 107.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Kawthar
Title: سورة الكوتر
Surah 108.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Kāfirūn
Title: سورة الكافرون
Surah 109.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Naṣr
Title: سورة النصر
Surah 110.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Masad
Title: سورة المسد
Surah 111.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ
Title: سورة الاخلاص
Surah 112.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Falaq
Title: سورة الفلق
Surah 113.
Missing.
Title: Sūrat al-Nās
Title: سورة الناس
Surah 114.
Missing.
Form: codex
Support: Thick bombycine paper.
Extent: 470 folios
Dimensions (leaf): 860 × 540 mm.
Foliation: Foliation in pencil. Numbers 362 and 381 and have been missed out.
Hand(s)
Large Naskhi script.
Decoration
Text on first three pages in gold letters.
At the beginning of folios 1b-2a: ʿunwan with illuminated full border.
Illuminated surah headings (e.g. 39b, 137b, 172a, 470b) or illuminated panel with both the last few words of the surah and the heading of the next surah (e.g. 60a, 220a).
Additions: Folio 468 was supplied later (probably by the French restorer).
Binding
Brown leather binging; blind-tooled.
Origin: Produced in Egypt; in the 2nd half of the 14th century CE.
Provenance and Acquisition
Round seal on folio 1a.
According to D'Avennes, it was exhibited in the Exposition Universelle of 1867 in Paris (the cataloguer did not find the item in the catalogue of the exhibition); see D'Avennes, L'art arabe, 1877.
Acquired by Ambroise Firmin-Didot in 1869; see his book plate on the front pastedown; also see his manuscript catalogue Catalogue des livres précieux manuscrits et imprimés faisant partie de la bibliothèque de M. Ambroise Firmin-Didot: Ventes, Hôtel des commissaires-priseurs (Paris, 1884), pages 67-68. After his death in 1876, a large part of his collection was auctioned off in a series of sales held between 1878 and 1884 (Arabic MS 704 is listed as lot 100 for the sale on 10-14 June 1884).
Aquired by Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) Crawford, Alexander Crawford Lindsay, 1812-1880, most probably in 1884 at the last sale of Didot's manuscripts.
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913) .
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1908 to The John Rylands Library.
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