B. 12 (University Library, Cambridge University)
E. G. Browne Collection
Contents
Summary of Contents: مجموع
كتاب مجموع محمد المهدى
مناشير سيدنا الامام A large collection of proclamations issued by Muhammad ibn Sayyid 'Abdi-
'lláh, the Mahdi of the Súdán, given to me by Mr Vincent R. Woodland of the
Súdán Civil Service, who described it in the accompanying note as a "MS. of the
Mahdi's and Khalifa's Proclamations. Typical Súdán calligraphy. Captured by me
in house of Dervish suspect near Dobha in 1907." The dates of these proclamations, all of which appear to emanate from the
Mahdí, not from his Khalifa, vary between 1298/1881 and 1304/1886-7. They
vary much in length, and while most are addressed to his followers generally, some
are specifically addressed to such leading men as the Qadi'l-Islám Ahmad 'Ali,
'Abdu'r-Rahmán an-Nujúmí, Hamdán Abú Anja, etc. One of these is addressed
to the Wall or Ruler (f. 314a) and one to the theologians ('alamá) of Egypt (f. 308a). The following passage (ff. 143-144), in which the use of the term "Dervishes"
(Daráwish) to denote the Mahdi's followers is forbidden, is of some interest, and
may serve as a specimen of the style: التدبير .... ولا بد من اعلام جميع الاخوان صنع الأمرا والمقادم أن يتركوا تسمية الأنصار بالدراويش
لأن هذه التسمية لهم وهم وخروج عن الصَّواب لأنّ الذين سموهم بها سموهم لتسميتهم (?) ابناء الآخرة
ونسبتهم الى عدم العقل والادراك مع انّ من لم ينح نَحْوَهُم هم الذين لا عقل لهم اذ هو
في الغانيات وذلك ذهاب عقل اذ المدبر للباطل ليس له عقل (1447) (f) ويحق أن يسموا بالدراويش
ابناء الدنيا الذين يعلمون ظاهرا من الحيوة الدنيا وهم عن الآخرة هم غافلون فمن سمى الأنصار
دراويش بعد هذا يجرى عليه حكم التغيير والقذف بل أشدّ لأنّه نسب اهل العقل و الأعمال التي أمر الله بها الى السفاهة ويقرب ذلك الى النفاق والكفر والسّلام في جمادى الآخرة سنة ١٣٠١ Ff. 376 of 21.8 x 15 c. and 15 ll.; coarse, clear naskh with rubrications. The
date at the end (1304/1886-7) probably refers to the concluding proclamation, not
to the time of transcription. [Qur'an, xxx, 6]. * April, 1884. Ff. 376 of 21.8 x 15 c. and 15 ll.; coarse, clear naskh with rubrications. The date at the end (1304/1886-7) probably refers to the concluding proclamation, not to the time of transcription. Physical description: The manuscript comprises 376 folios, measuring approximately 21.8 x 15 cm, written in coarse, clear naskh script with rubrications, arranged in 15 lines per page.
كتاب مجموع محمد المهدى
مناشير سيدنا الامام A large collection of proclamations issued by Muhammad ibn Sayyid 'Abdi-
'lláh, the Mahdi of the Súdán, given to me by Mr Vincent R. Woodland of the
Súdán Civil Service, who described it in the accompanying note as a "MS. of the
Mahdi's and Khalifa's Proclamations. Typical Súdán calligraphy. Captured by me
in house of Dervish suspect near Dobha in 1907." The dates of these proclamations, all of which appear to emanate from the
Mahdí, not from his Khalifa, vary between 1298/1881 and 1304/1886-7. They
vary much in length, and while most are addressed to his followers generally, some
are specifically addressed to such leading men as the Qadi'l-Islám Ahmad 'Ali,
'Abdu'r-Rahmán an-Nujúmí, Hamdán Abú Anja, etc. One of these is addressed
to the Wall or Ruler (f. 314a) and one to the theologians ('alamá) of Egypt (f. 308a). The following passage (ff. 143-144), in which the use of the term "Dervishes"
(Daráwish) to denote the Mahdi's followers is forbidden, is of some interest, and
may serve as a specimen of the style: التدبير .... ولا بد من اعلام جميع الاخوان صنع الأمرا والمقادم أن يتركوا تسمية الأنصار بالدراويش
لأن هذه التسمية لهم وهم وخروج عن الصَّواب لأنّ الذين سموهم بها سموهم لتسميتهم (?) ابناء الآخرة
ونسبتهم الى عدم العقل والادراك مع انّ من لم ينح نَحْوَهُم هم الذين لا عقل لهم اذ هو
في الغانيات وذلك ذهاب عقل اذ المدبر للباطل ليس له عقل (1447) (f) ويحق أن يسموا بالدراويش
ابناء الدنيا الذين يعلمون ظاهرا من الحيوة الدنيا وهم عن الآخرة هم غافلون فمن سمى الأنصار
دراويش بعد هذا يجرى عليه حكم التغيير والقذف بل أشدّ لأنّه نسب اهل العقل و الأعمال التي أمر الله بها الى السفاهة ويقرب ذلك الى النفاق والكفر والسّلام في جمادى الآخرة سنة ١٣٠١ Ff. 376 of 21.8 x 15 c. and 15 ll.; coarse, clear naskh with rubrications. The
date at the end (1304/1886-7) probably refers to the concluding proclamation, not
to the time of transcription. [Qur'an, xxx, 6]. * April, 1884. Ff. 376 of 21.8 x 15 c. and 15 ll.; coarse, clear naskh with rubrications. The date at the end (1304/1886-7) probably refers to the concluding proclamation, not to the time of transcription. Physical description: The manuscript comprises 376 folios, measuring approximately 21.8 x 15 cm, written in coarse, clear naskh script with rubrications, arranged in 15 lines per page.
Language(s): Arabic
Physical Description
Form: codex
Support: Paper
Extent: Ff. 376
Dimensions: 21.8 × 15 cm.
Layout
15 lines
Hand(s)
coarse, clear with rubrications
History
Origin: Undated, written after 1394 AH; Undated, written after 1886 CE
Provenance and Acquisition
Captured by Mr Vincent R. Woodland in the house of a Dervish suspect near Dobha (Sudan)in 1907.
Bequest of E. G. Browne.
Record Sources
Summary, physical description and provenance copied from R. A. Nicholson: A descriptive catalogue of the Oriental MSS belonging to the late E.G. Browne. Cambridge, 1932.
Availability
Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact Cambridge University Library Admissions). Contact near_eastern@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript
Funding of Cataloguing
JISC
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