Wadh.Minasian 631 (The Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford)

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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 . The current copy is on the third journey, i.e. The Journey towards the Truth from the Truth, called al-Safar al-S̱ālis̱ fī al-ʿIlm l-ʾIlāhī . However, the explicit is defective and the text does not continue beyond a chapter called: Faṣl fī mā tamassak bihī aṣḥāb ah-inṭibāʿ .
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، کتاب الثانی فی السفر من الحق الی الحق. الحمد لله الذی انار بوجوب و وجوده وجوه الکاینات و اشرق بنور ذاته… امّا بعد فهذا شروع فی طور آخر من الحکمه و المعرفه و هو تجرید النظر الی ذرات الموجودات و تحقیق وجود المفارقات و الالهیات المسمی بمعرفه الربوبیه…
Explicit: … فصل فی ما تمسک یه اصحاب الانطباع…||
Colophon: None.

References

Sequence Number in the Persian Catalogue:

  • FAW 65

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:

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Western paper (plain and watermark), dark and natural buff, blue and pistachio, varying thickness (regular and thick), one size, glossy. ⟨Infestation of some folios ; some folios have their edges mended.⟩
Extent: 1+245 ff.
Dimensions (leaf): 26 × 16 cm.
Dimensions (written): 23 × 13.5 cm.

Layout

20 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Shikastah Nastaʿaliq, one hand, large hand. Marginalia in Nastaʿalīq, Shikastah Nastaʿaliq, and Shikastah. Anonymous

Decoration

Rubricated titles; rubricated line above some terms and expressions.

Additions: ‌Note on f. One-a: a piece of poetry in 5 couplets by Mīrzā Khāvarī در مدح بنای آقابزرگ dated 1278 AH/1861. ‌Note on f. 1a: a note in Persian written by someone called Muḥammad bin Yūsifʿalī on Socrates' thoughts about humanity.

Binding

Brown leather, 17 × 27 cm, front + back cover, leather + pasteboard.

Gold tooling (medallion + 2 half-medallions + corner-pieces at all four corners).

Condition

Infestation of the cover's leather. Damage to the back bone of the cover. Gold flaked off from the medallion, half-medallions and quarter medallions.

History

Origin: 13th century AH; 19th century 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

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