Persian MS 94 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
This composite manuscript contains two texts: a commentary on forty prophetic traditions and a hagiography of the calligrapher and Ṣufī, ‘Abd Allāh Mushkīn Qalam, who composed poems under his pen name Vaṣfī.
Contents
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Handle text with caution. Water and insect damage.
Decoration
Ruling: Margins ruled in gold with thin double lines either side, surrounded by comparatively thick single blue lines.
Table of Contents: Listed on folio 2b.
Marginalia: Additions in the margins of the text on the right pastedown.
Inscriptions:
- The first right flyleaf b side (f. iib): Price of £3 3 shillings, and a partially legible Persian inscription.
- The second right flyleaf b side (f. iib):
Top: the title of the first text and author:
‘ رساله الاحادیث النبوییه تالیف حسین بن علی الواعظ الکاشفی’
Middle: an English inscription in the hand of former owner Sir Gore Ouseley:
‘No. 51, Commentary on the Traditions of the Prophet ’ - Folio 1a inscribed with a tughrā emblem-shaped dated in a combination of sīyāq and Hindu-Arabic numberals which records its sale on 10 Rajab 1209 AH (31 Jan. 1795):
‘بتاریخ عـه رجب سنه ۱۲۰۹ هجری تجارة رسید ’
Similar markings also appears on Rylands Persian MS 314 and an identical one on Persian MS 860. - Folio 189a bears a note on certain supplicatory prayers.
Binding
Probably bound in the Indian subcontinent.
Resewn at two stations, unsupported. Edges trimmed and twined chevron endbands worked in pink and white silk threads at head and tail. Covered in full dark brown goatskin leather over pasteboards, with the interiors lined with maroon-coloured goatskin leather doublures, excess widths adhered to the first and last flyleaves as hinges connecting the cover to the textblock.
Board margins ruled in thick and thin single and thin double gold lines. Spine titled ‘RISALAT AL ALIYAH’ in gold, likely added later by a British binder.
175 × 117 × 34 mm.
Handle binding with caution. Boards detached, exteriors and headcaps abraded. Boxed.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Probably formerly owned by Sir Gore Ouseley (1770-1844) as per an unsigned inscription on second right flyleaf b side (f. iib) that comports with his other volumes, and similar style of tooling on the spine.
Subsequently acquired by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) for his library at Randalls Park, Leatherhead. After his death, London bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) sold his oriental manuscripts to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) in 1866, and moved to Bibliotheca Lindesiana at Haigh Hall, Wigan.
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.
Persian MS 94A
Contents
The author states that he completed the work in 875 AH (1475 CE).
On oneness, faith and Islam, description and epithet of saints
On Divine worship and what goes with it
On virtues of the Quran, prayers and praises of God
On the excellencies of morals and their virtues.
On wickedness and vileness of [ill] dispositions
On the manners of the royal
On whatever relates to times, places, clothes, food, and drink
Miscellaneous traditions
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 column with 17 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in fine, minuscule black nasta‘līq with subheaders in red.
History
Bibliography
Persian MS 94B
Contents
Physical Description
Layout
Written in 1 column with 10 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in a clear black nasta‘līq hand.
History
Bibliography
Additional Information
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2022 with reference to the volume in hand.
Availability
To book an in-person or online appointment to consult the manuscript, visit Using the Special Collections Reading Rooms. For any other enquiries please email uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk.
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
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