Wadh.Minasian 742 (The Ferdowsi Library, Wadham College, University of Oxford)

Oriental Manuscripts Minasian Collection

Summary of Contents: Minhāj al-vuṣūl ilá ʿilm al-ʾuṣūl is the title of one of the works written by Qāz̤ī Bayz̤āvī on the principles of Islamic jurisprudence and presented in the form of an introduction and seven books. Many commentaries have been written on this work, including 'Sirāj-i Vahhāj' by Aḥmad bin Ḥasan Jārbardī (746 AH) and 'Nahāyat al-Sūl fī Sharḥ Minhāj al-vuṣūl' by Asnavī. There is allegedly another commentary on this work called 'al-Ḥanafīyah lil-minhāj ʿalá ḥal al-matn', whose author was not known based on the avaialble sources. The present copy is a summary of the aforementioned commentary, whose author has remained unknown too.

Language(s): Arabic

Principles of Islamic jurisprudence

Title: Ikhtiṣār al-ḥanafīyah lil-minhāj ʿalá ḥal al-matn

Title: اختصار الحنفیه للمنهاج علی حل المتن

Author: Unknown.

Incipit: بسمله، حمدله، و بعد… من لم یظن فی قوله الا محض الخیر الی اختصار الشرح المسمی بالحنفیه للمنهاج علی حل المتن و نصرة المذهب وشیی من الاسوله…

Explicit: … لا ینسخ سیی من الادلة و لا ینسخ من الادلة به ایضا اما النص والاجماع ای لانها…||

Colophon: None.

No manuscript was found with these features in the available catalogues. It appears to be unique.

References

Sequence Number in the Persian Catalogue:

FAW 16

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Natural buff Western paper, varying thickness (regular and thick), glossy. Limited water damage on papers. Book mending.

Extent: 85 ff.

Dimensions (leaf): 21 × 15 cm.

Dimensions (written): 15.5 × 9 cm.

Layout

18 lines per page.

Hand(s)

Naskh, one hand, regular. Anonymous

Decoration

Rubricated titles. The last two folios are newly written.

Additions: Note. A description of the text.

Binding

Brown leather, 16 × 22 cm, front + back cover, single layer of leather only. Simple tooling (a medallion and two half-medallions)

History

Origin: Unknown place of origin; 12th century Hijrī AH.; 18th century. CE

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.

Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World