Delhi Persian 1140 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

India Office Library

Malfūẓāt-i ʻUbayd Allāh Aḥrār by Khvājah Muḥammad Qāz̤ī

Summary of Contents: A collection of sayings, teachings and miraculous powers ( kirāmāt ) ofKhvājah ʻUbayd Allāh Aḥrār, compiled by Muḥammad ibn Burhān who became his disciple in 885/1480 (f.4r). The author started writing the book in 910/1504. It is divided into a preface, 3 chapters and an ending.

Author: Muḥammad ibn Burhān al-Dīn, known as Muḥammad al-Qāz̤ī محمد بن برهان الدین المشتهر بمحمد القاضی

Title: Malfūz̤āt-i ʻUbayd Allāh Aḥrār

Title: ملفوظات عبید الله احرار

Incipit: الحمد لله ذی الافضال والکرم/ رب الخلایق طر باری النسم... حمدی که حامد آن رب معبود باشد نه عبد مربوب و ثنایی که مثنی آن حق غالب بود نه خلق مغلوب.

Explicit: قسم سیوم طایفه ای اند که مطلقا متسبب اند در ضرورت و غیر ضرورت لیکن اعتماد ایشان بر مسبب است نه سبب.

Colophon: تمت هذه الرسالة السریعة المیمونة المتبرکة الموسومة ب... بفضله و کرمه.

Title supplied from label on binding, but is given as Silsilat al-ʻārifīn va taz̲kirat al-ṣiddīqīn in the preface (f. 7v). In the colophon, it has been crossed out and deliberateely erased (f. 361r).

Language(s): Persian

Physical Description

Form: codex

Extent: ff. i+362+i

Dimensions (leaf): 237 × 150 mm.

Dimensions (written): 165 × 75 mm.

Foliation:

India Office stamped foliation.

Collation

Catchwords.

Condition

Loose leaves and detached binding. Worm-eaten and slightly damp-stained.

Layout

15 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Nastaʻlīq; copied in black ink. Headings, overlinings and punctuation marks in red. The last two folios (ff. 360-361) are in another hand, added more recently.

Additions:

Folio 1r contains a Hadith ascribed to the Prophet Muḥammad, written by ʻAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Maqāl.

Some marginal corrections and notes.

Binding

18th or 19th century plain leather binding with an embossed gilt paper border and leather doublure.

Seal(s):

Black Government of India Delhi MSS oval stamp (ff. 1r, 361v).

History

Origin: Undated, probably 18th century; India.

Provenance and Acquisition

Probably owned by ʻAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Maqāl (his note on f. 1r).

Purchased by the Government of India at sale organised by Delhi Prize Agents, 1859.

Acquired by the India Office Library as an administrative deposit in 1876.

Record Sources

Based on R. Levy's description in Drafts for Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the India Office Library, vol. III, Mss Eur E207/13, f. 87r. Revised bySheida Heydarishovir

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact British Library, Registering for a Reader Pass. For information on catalogues and ordering manuscripts see Finding and ordering Persian manuscripts in the British Library.

Surrogates

Microfilm IOL 3143

Funding of Cataloguing

Subjects

Sufism

Comments

Comment on this record