Lot 34
  • 34

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d.1111 AD), Ihya' ulum al-din ('The Revival of the Religious Sciences'), part I, chapters I-III, signed by 'Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Bakri al-Baghdadi, Jazira, Anatolia or Mesopotamia, dated 560 AH/1164 AD

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • ink on paper, bound
Arabic manuscript on paper, 61 leaves, plus 1 flyleaf, 22 lines to the page, written in naskh script in black ink, two visible remains of a seal impression on f.1a and f.61a, in brown stamped morocco binding, later decoration to doublures comprising interlacing geometric motifs, with flap

Condition

In good overall condition, the margins are overall clean with only occasional catchwords, some marginal notes erased, water staining affecting especially the upper part of the manuscript, occasional repairs and minor damages to the edges throughout, various stains, f.24 with a tear, f.26 and 29 with the bottom angle missing, a clear remain of a seal impression on f.1a and 61a and signs of rubbing on f.38a, the binding worn, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Born in 1058 AD in the Iranian province of Khurasan, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (given the honorific title hujjat al-Islam, 'the Proof of Islam') was one of the greatest jurist-theologians of the medieval Islamic period and a prolific author on the religious sciences. The present manuscript represents a part of his greatest and best-known work, Ihya' 'ulum al-din, or 'The Revival of the Religious Sciences', in which he attempted to integrate the major disciplines of Islamic religion - theology and law, ethics and mysticism. It comprises ten books in four quarters; 'ibadat (religious duties); 'adat (social duties); al-muhlikat (the ways to perdition) and al-munjiat (what leads to salvation). The work was banned and burnt during the Almoravid era (first half of the twelfth century) in al-Andalus and the Maghrib, but it returned with renewed prestige under the Almohads. This manuscript is a rare testament to the rehabilitation of al-Ghazali's work by this time. According to Mingana, “This is the work of which it is said that if all other books on the religion of Islam had perished, this loss would not be felt so long as the precious Ihya survived”.

Other sections of this work are in the Chester Beatty Library, (see A. Arberry, A Handlist of the Arabic Manuscript, Dublin, 1956, p.45, no.3353; and A. Mingana, Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, 1934, pp.88-89, no.73 [223]). See also Brockelmann, GAL, i, 422, Suppl.i, 748.

This manuscript contains three chapters from the first section (rubua al-‘ibadat) with the following titles:

Kitab adab talaua al-qur’an
, ‘Etiquette of Qur’anic Verses’
Kitab al-adakar wa ald’eiwat, ‘On Invocations and Supplications’
Kirab tartib al-awrad wa tafsil ihia’ al-layl, ‘On the Arragements of Litanies and Divisions of the Night Vigil’.