Koranic Science, a Commentary [IO Islamic 1760] کتاب جامع الجوامع

• al-Qurʼān القرآن الكريم
• This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1790 in the India Office collections.
• [metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 64 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

64.

1790. Size 11^1/2 in. by 7^1/2 in.; foll. 399. Twenty-five and twenty-seven lines in a page.

Another, more concise Commentary on the Koran, by ṬABARSÎ,² called کتاب جامع الجوامع, and composed in A.H. 542 and 543. Cf. Ḥ. Kh. ii. 638, جوامع الجامع, and also v. 401. His statements are, however, very incorrect.

The Preface begins: الحمدلله الذی اکرمنا بکتابه الکریم، و منّ علینا بالسبع المثانی و القران العظیم، و ما ضمّنه من الآیات و الذکر الحکیم

The author relates that, after finishing his مجمع البیان, he read for the first time Zamakhsharî’s Kashshâf, and made extracts from it, which he afterwards published as a separate book, serving as a Supplement to his first work, and entitled الکافی فی الشافی. Finally, at the instance of his son, Abu Naṣr al-Ḥasan [ابو نصر الحسن بن الفضل الطبرسي], he combined the contents of both in a third and more abridged work,-- the present one. As to the time of its composition, the author writes as follows in the Epilogue (fol. 398v.):

و کان ابتدائی بتالیفه سنة اثنتین و اربعین و خمسمائة فی یوم السبت الثامن عشر من صفر و فراغی منه بعون الله و منّه لستٍّ بقین من المحرّم الشهر الثانی عشر فی مدة شهور العام و عدة نقباء موسی الاعلام بارض الشام فی سالف الایّام¹ و خلفاء نبیّنا محمّد علیه و علیهم السلم ائمة الاسلام و حجج المهیمن السلام

This MS. consists of two volumes of the same paper, executed by different hands. The first (to Sû. 18) is well written, and has some marginal notes. The two following lines have been added at the end (fol. 196v.):

فلم ارَ ودّهم الّا خداعاً

و لم ارَ دینَهم اِلّا نفاقا

Together with the following notice:

هذا الکتاب من اوّله الی هاتین القسیمتین الجدیدتین بخط محمد بن علی بن محمد بن ابراهیم بن احمد المعلّم غفر الله له و لوالدیه و تاریخه کما کتبه یوم الاحد الرابع من شهر شعبان احد شهور سنة ست و تسعین و ثمانمائة

The second volume, from Sû. 19 to the end, is likewise well written. The scribe was also a Shî’ite, for at the end he blesses ‘Alî and all the Imâms.

Fol. 21 should follow fol. 15, and foll. 48 should come after fol. 6.

Seals and notes of several owners on the title page, one of them of A. H. 963 [=1555-65 CE].

[Hastings.]

² His full name, as given above, is found in the colophon.

¹ See Sû. 5, 15.

• [ed note: Quick link to other manuscripts of this author]