Or 16812 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

The renowned compilation of biographical notices of 611 Sufis by ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Jāmī (d. 898/1492), completed in 881/1476. See Storey PL I/2, pp. 954-59, 1344.

In the present manuscript, an early copy, the text is preceded by a table of contents (f. 1v-6v), the text itself beginning on f. 9v. There are numerous marginal annotations and corrections by the scribe.

Begins: Basmala al-Ḥamd li-Llāh allazī ja‘ala marā’ī qulūb awliyā’ih majālī jamālih va vajhih al-karīm ... va ba‘d Mīgūyad pāy-shikasta-’i zāviya-’i khumūl va kam-nāmī ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Aḥmad al-Jāmī…

Ends: Rubā‘iyyāt (sic) fī l-tārīkh Īn nuskha-’i muqtabas zi anfās-i kirām / kaz vay nafaḥāt al-uns āyad ba-mashām az hijrat-i khayr-i bashar va Fakhr-i anām / dar hashtṣad u hashtād u siyum gasht tamām

Other contents: owners’ inscriptions, etc.; Ottoman seals, inscribed Vaqf-i Valī al-Dīn Pāshā. Folio 7r-v, Iṣṭilāḥāt-i awliyā; 7v, Dar bayān-i Ḥaqīqat-i Muḥammadiyya. Fore-edge title: Nafaḥāt al-uns Fārsī.

Manuscript completed at midday (ẓuhr), Monday 20 Rabī‘ al-ākhir 934/13 January 1528. By Rafī‘ al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Uzghandī.

Good nasta‘līq. 19 lines Red headings. Beige laid paper. 366 f. 245-251 x 174-176 mm. Brown leather binding of later date, faced with faded paper with designs resembling wallpaper.

Purchased from Christie’s (8 October 2010, part of Lot 22).