Title: Kitab at-Tamhid fit Tanzil al-Usool ‘ala al-Furu |التمهيد في تنزيل الأصول على الفروع
Author: Abdur-Raheem bin Al-Hasan bin ‘Ali Al-Asnawi ash-Shaafi’ee, Abu Muhammad Jamaaluddeen (d. 772H) | عبد الرحيم بن الحسن بن علي الإسنوي الشافعيّ، أبو محمد، جمال الدين
Biography:
Scribe: Unknown | مجهول
Script: Naskh
Date: Beginning of Safar, 880H | June, 1475CE
Size: 27 X 18 CM
Folios: [1] + 27ff. [1]
Description: 28 Lines/Page | Arabic manuscript paper |The script in Naskh script in Black ink with rubrication of “Qawluhu” and chapter titles | The cover page is repaired with only the title itself from the original paper. The coverpage states the title of the work along with indication that it is the fourth Juz of a collection of unknown size. The title states: التمهيد في تنزيل الأصول على الفروع “At-Tamheed fi Tanzeel al Usul ‘Alal Furu'”. This title may be a different book altogether as it doesn’t match another work of Al Asnawi known as التمهيد في تنزيل الفروع على الأصول “At-Tamheed fi Tanzeel al Furu’ alal Usul”. Several other names have been recorded for that work, among them is ا لتمهيد في تخريج الفروع على الأصول “At-Tamheed fi Takhreej al Furu’ ‘alal Usul”. | There are Hawashi (Marginalia) and Tas-heehaat (corrections based on verification with another manuscript) in the margins. | There is one folio that has been inserted and pasted (fol 18) in the hand of the scribe | Ta’qeebaat on the bottom left of Recto |
Incipit: كتاب الزنا مقصود وقديم وهو من الكبائر
Explicit أن إبليس يلبس من رحمة الله وقشط … اسم أعجمي والله أعلم تم الجزء الرابع في أول صفر سنة ثمانين و ثمانمئة يليه في الخامس كتاب العتق
Provenance: Private Collection from the UK.
Research Notes: This title may be a different book altogether as it doesn’t match another work of Al Asnawi known as التمهيد في تنزيل الفروع على الأصول “At-Tamheed fi Tanzeel al Furu’ alal Usul”. A lot more research is required at this stage. The text doesn’t match the published copies of at-Tamheed fi Tanzeel al-Furu’ alal Usul, it is not even in the same style of the book so it is not likely to be an Ibrazah (edition) or a Musawwadah (draft).
It is possible that the cover page is incorrectly attached to the manuscript, or that it was intentionally misattributed. However, the handwriting on the cover matches the scribes in the matn.
It’s also possible that this work is not from Al-Asnawi, but I cannot verify that either way. In my preliminary investigation, I cannot find a published book of this text.
It is possible that it’s an unpublished or uncatalogued work of Al-Asnawi, but more research has to be done on Al-Asnawi’s writing style and works with this text in comparison.
The Muhaqqiq of At-Tamheed fi Tanzeel al-Furu’ alal Usul , Abu Abdillah Muhammad Hasan bin Mahmoud Haysu, in the 1391H/1981 CE Ar-Risaalah, Damascus print mentioned that the first time it was published was in 1353H in Makkah and was a very bad edition with many errors [pg. 37]. He notes that an old manuscript is in the Dhaahiriyyah library that was read to Al-Asnawi in 771H just before his death. This copy has insect damage that has affected the text and the writing is not clear, especially in the last few pages. The scribe is noted as: Ahmad bin Ahmad bin ‘Umar bin Ahmad Al-Mudliji An-Nasa’iee. Another three manuscript is noted to be in the Azhar library [#361-1531]; [362- 4120]; [363]. Another manuscript exists in the Dar al Kutub Al-Misriyyah #853.
Accession #: Ms.060j.c