Scholastic Theology [426]

• Scholastic Theology.
• This manuscript is now IO Islamic B203 in the India Office collections.
• [metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 426 here with further notations and hyperlinks].

426.

B 203, 234. Size 9^1/2 in. by 6^3/4 in.; foll. 178. At first from eleven to fifteen, afterwards about thirty lines in a page.

1. Foll. 4-90r. Nâṣir al-dîn ‘Abdallah b. ‘Omar BAIḌÂWÎ’S (d. A.H. 685) Compendium of Scholastic Theology, entitled طوالع الانوار من مطالع الانظار. Cf. Ḥ. Kh. iv. 168, and Flügel, Hdss. Wien, ii. 607.

Well written in a bold hand. With numerous glosses, which are chiefly derived from a commentary, for which the abbreviation صد is used; this is perhaps the commentary by ‘Abd al-ṣamad Farâbî, mentioned in Ḥ. Kh. iv. 169.

Fourteen leaves are missing after fol. 34.

1. Foll. 90v.-94r. A Commentary by TAFTÂZÂNÎ (d. A.H. 792), on the Exordium (الخطبة) of Marghînânî’s الهدایة (see no. 211).

Written in a smaller character than the preceding. Dated 10^th Muḥarram (یوم عاشورا), 798.

1. Fol. 94v. and 95r. An explanation of the Exordium (الخطبة) of Baiḍâwî’s طوالع الانوار, taken from the commentary of IṢFAHÂNÎ (see the following no.).

Foll. 95v.-178. A Commentary on the طوالع االانوار. The author is, according to Ḥ. Kh. iv. 169, Burhân al-dîn ‘Ubaidallah b. Muḥammad ‘Ubaidalî Sharîf Farghânî, commonly called ‘UBRÎ (d. A.H. 743). Cf. Cat. Bodl. i., no. exl., and ii. 570.

The text and the commentary are distinguished by the words قال and اقول. The author says in his preface: و بعد فهذه حواشٍ کتبناها علی کتاب الطوالع المنسوب الی القاضی ...بالتماس جمع من الاصحاب مقتصرا علی حَدِّ الکتاب تیسیرًا للامر علی الطلّاب الخ.

The commentary begins: قال رحه و بعد فمقصود الکتاب مرتب علی مقدّمة و ثلاثة کتب اقول مقصود الکتاب مرتب علی مقدمة اعنی ما یتوقف علیه المباحث الآتیة الکلامیة.

Carefully written in a small character, with copious marginal notes. Several leaves are missing after foll. 130 and 132.

The whole volume was written by Muḥammad b. Shihâb الوابکنوی (!)¹ Sirâj, who was a pupil of Taftâzânî.

Foll. 1-3 are filled with Persian poetry and various extracts from Arabic works, partly in the original hand. Fol. 4r. bear an ornament intended to contain the title.

This MS. was brought from Muḥammadâbâd-Bîdar, and came into the Bîj. Libr. A.H. 1028. Seal of Maḥmûd Khwâjah Jahân.

Cf., on this and the following nos., Cat. 224, ii.; 226, xvi. 2, 3, 4, xvii., xxvii.

¹ The regular form of this surname is الوابکنی, from وابْکَنة, or وابَکْنة, a place near Bukhâra. See Liber as-Sojutii de nom. rel., ed. Veth, p. ۲۷۰, and Yâḳût, iv. ۸۷۲.