Nizami, Ghanjavi. Makhzan al Asrar, Illustrated and Illuminated Persian Manuscript, Copied by Mir Ali B. al-Yasi al-Tabrizi al-Bawargi, Jalayrid, Persia, Dated 20th Jumadi al-Awal A.H. 790/A.D. 1388

55 leaves, 21 lines per page in 2 columns of nasta'liq in black ink on buff paper, margins outlined in blue and gold, frontispiece in colours and gold with headings in gold thuluth and text in cloud bands heading throughout in black thuluth within cloud bands, a fine illustration of the Mi'raj of the Prophet on f4b with the Prophet mounted on the celestial horse Buraq, later brown leather stamped and tooled binding

In generally good condition, passages of staining, rubbing and thumbing associated with age, as viewed.
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This beautifully illuminated manuscript copy of Nizami's Makhzan al-Asrar is remarkable not only for its elegant illumination, but also the iconic image of the mi'raj of the Prophet Muhammad on the fourth folio.

The mi'raj is the Prophet's miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, guided by the angel Gabriel and carried on the back of the winged creature Buraq. Traditionally the western Islamic lands did not approve of the representation of the Prophet; where he is depicted his face is often obscured by a white veil or a wreath of flames. Not so in Persia where the approach was more mystical and less puritanical; the miracle of the mi'raj was often represented both in images and prose, for the opening of many poems included a proclamation of the Prophet's Ascension. As Sir Thomas Arnold remarks: "It was a frequent practice of the poets... to include in the Preface... a lyrical outburst on the theme of Muhammad's Ascension." (EI, VII, p.104).

Interestingly, the depiction of the mi'raj is often found at the beginning of the Khamsa of Nizami in particular, even if the copy is otherwise un-illustrated (Sims, E., 2002, p.151). The mi'raj itself and the representation of the Prophet, was viewed as a mystical symbol of the human link between the divine and the mundane, God's great universe and the physical world. As such the image was invested with a profundity that is generally reserved for icons and religious relics.

Considered to be one of the most influential and important poets of the Persian language. Nizami refused attachment to a court for fear of losing his artistic integrity, and as a result his poems are executed with a veracity impossible had he been censored by a patron. His work is both lyrical and insightful, with characters that mature and develop with a realism that is paralleled more in theatre than poetry.

The Makhzan al-Asrar is the first poem in Nizami's epic quintet, the Khamsa. It is a didacto-philosophical work with mystical overtones that champions the poor and the humble. The work is religious, and takes pains to remind the reader of the transience of this life and the eternity of the next. The poetry is iconic itself, and is imbued with a depth and gravitas appropriate for an illustration of the mi'raj.