Wadh.Minasian 378 (The Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford)

Oriental Manuscripts Minasian Collection

Summary of Contents: This is one of the most famous books of Mullā Ṣadrā. Considering its comprehensiveness and its influence on the field of Islamic philosophy, the book has acquired a unique position in the recent centuries, to the extent that many works of the succeeding generations of Islamic philosophers were either derived from or inspired by this work. Mullā Ṣadrā has created his book's plot based on the four journeys of the mystics: (1) Journey from the People towards the Truth, (2) Journey towards the Truth from the Truth, (3) Journey from the Truth towards the People, and (4) Journey towards the Truth within the People. The book is compiled in four volumes, as follows: first volume, Fī al-umūr al-ʿāmmah ; second volume, Fī al-ʿilm al-ṭabīʿī ; third volume, Fī al-ʿilm al-ilāhī ; and fourth volume, Fī ʿilm al-nafs min al-mabdaʾ ilá al-maʿād .

Language(s): Arabic

Islamic Philosophy

Title: al-Asfār al-ʾarbaʿah

Title: الاسفار الاربعه

Title: al-Ḥikmat al-mutaʿālīyah fī al-asfār al-ʿaqlīyah al-ʾarbaʿah

Title: الحکمه المتعالیه فی الاسفار العقلیه الاربعه

Author: ‎‎‎Ṣadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī, Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm, -1641 ‎ صدر الدين الشيرازى، محمد بن ابراهيم، -۱۶۴۱ صدر الدين الشيرازى، محمد بن ابراهيم، ۹۷۹-۱۰۵۰ق/۱۵۷۱-۱۶۴۰ Mullā Ṣadrā ملا صدرا

Incipit: بسمله. حمدله. والصلوه والسلام علی خیر خلقه محمد و آله اجمعین. الحمد لله الذی انار بوجوب وجوده الکاینات و اشرق بنور ذاته… و بعد فهذا شروع فی طور آخر من الحکمه و المعرفه و هو تجرید النظر الی ذوات الموجودات…

Explicit: … فهو فی کل شئیی و لیس فی شر و فی کل زمان و لیس فی زمان و کل مکان و لیس فی مکان بل هو کل الاشیاء و لیس هو الاشیاء الحمدلله.

Colophon: کتبت فی سنه ۱۲۱۱.

References

Sequence Number in the Persian Catalogue:

FAW 66

Similar copies in other libraries:

GIP, 24
UTL, 17/2498
NLI, 7/318, 8/292, 9/212
MAL, 1/265-267

Similar manuscripts listed in other catalogues:

ALZ, 2/60, 6/19
ARP, 317
DEN, 1/669

Printed editions:

Tehran, 1282, 1322 AH, 1337, 1353 Shamsī
Qum, 1404 AH

On the Web:

Digitized version of another copy of this work

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Western paper (watermark), natural buff, regular thickness, one size, glossy.

Extent: 172 ff.

Dimensions (leaf): 21.5 × 15.5 cm.

Dimensions (written): 15 × 10 cm.

Layout

24 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Nastaʿaliq and cursive Naskh, one hand, regular hand. Anonymous

Decoration

Rubricated titles.

Additions: ‌Note on the endpaper of the back cover.

Binding

Brown leather, 16.5 × 22.5 cm, front + back cover, leather + pasteboard.

History

Origin: 1211 AH; 1796 CE ; Unknown place of origin

Provenance and Acquisition

Donated to The Ferdowsi Library by Dr Caro Minasian in 1972.

Record Sources

This record was created by Dr Mohammad Emami based on the information published in the Persian catalogue by Dr Ali Mir-Ansari (Catalogue of the Persian and Arabic Manuscripts in the Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford (Minasian Collection), Tehran: Miras-e Maktoob, 2016).

Availability

Entry to the Library is permitted upon presentation of a valid university ID card (for admissions procedures, please visit Wadham College Library, Persian Studies Section). Please Contact persian.library@wadham.ox.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript.

Key to bibliographical abbreviations of alternative versions:

Libraries:

AQR: Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi; FAW: Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford (Minasian Collection); GIE: Great Islamic Encyclopedia Library, Manuscripts; GIP: Great Islamic Encyclopedia Library, Photographed and Microfilmed Manuscripts; GUL: Library of Ayatollah Gulpayigani; MAJ: Library, Museum and Documentation Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; MAL: Malek National Museum and Library; MNL: Mar'ashi Najafi Library; NLI: National Library of Iran; SEP: Sepahsalar (Shahid Motahari) Mosque and School of Tehran; TCL: Tabriz Central Public Library; UTL: Central Library of University of Tehran;

Catalogues:

ALZ: الذریعه; ARP: فهرست کتاب‌های چاپی عربی; COM: فهرست مشترک نسخه‌های خطی فارسی; DEN: فهرستواره دست‌نوشته‌های ایران (دنا); FAM: فهرست نسخه‌های خطی فارسی; FAP: فهرست کتاب‌های چاپی فارسی; FIH: فهرستواره کتاب‌های فارسی; KAS: کشف الظنون عن اسامی الکتب و الفنون; RAY: ریحانة الادب فی تراجمِ المعروفین بالکنیة او اللّقب; TAB: طبقات اعلام الشیعه.

Funding of Cataloguing

Wadham College (University of Oxford)

Subjects

Islamic philosophy

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