Title: Al-Itqaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan | الإتقان في علوم القرآن
Author: Jalaal uddeen ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr As-Suyooti (D.911H) | وجلال الدين عبد الرحمن بن أبي بكر السيوطي
Scribe: Muhammad bin Al-Faqeeh Abil Qaasim bin Taghran | محمد بن الفقيه بن ابي القاسم بن تغرن
Script: Maghribi
Date: ~16th Century CE (906H/1501CE to 1009H/1600CE)
Size: 29.5 X 20.5 CM
Folios: [1] + 181ff +[1]
Description: 31 Lines/Page | Partial: Arabic Laid Paper, no watermarks; Majority: European Laid Paper with Anchor in circle Watermark: (1) With a six-pointed star head atop the anchor with thin (single line) shank and arms with triangle Flukes; (2) Countermark: Trefoil head atop A A. This watermark is evident in the 1500’s (906H/1501CE to 1009H/1600CE) and widely popular in Islamic manuscripts from the Ottoman empire in the 16th and 17th centuries (906H/1501CE to 1112H/1700CE). | Written in Sepia Ink with Maghribi script. Occational usage of green ink. Titles are written in larger script. Some rubrication of key terms. Ta’qeebaat (catchwords) bottom left on recto. | Some glossing (Hawashi) | There are some minor repairs in the latter part of the manuscript. The earlier section on Arabic paper has significant damage on some folios resulting in loss of text on the upper portion of the pages. The cover is a later replaced in black morroco leather |
Incomplete at beginning and end:
Incipit: لِأَبِي جَعْفَرِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ فَوَاصِلُ الْآيَاتِ لِلطُّوفِيِّ الْمَثَلُ السَّائِرُ لِابْنِ الْأَثِيرِ الْفَلَكُ الدَّائِرُ عَلَى الْمَثَلِ السَّائِرِ كَنْزُ الْبَرَاعَةِ لِابْنِ الْأَثِيرِ شَرْحُ بَدِيعِ قُدَامَةَ لِلْمُوَفَّقِ عَبْدِ اللَّطِيفِ. (Missing the first few pages of the Muqaddimah (introduction))
Explicit: وَالتَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعَيْهِمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ فَإِنَّ التَّفَاسِيرَ الَّتِي يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا كَلَامُ هَؤُلَاءِ [..] (Missing last few pages of the complete work). The published version is 4 volumes.
Provenance: No Ownership Notes visible. At the end of one Juz, there’s a colophon noting the scribe Muhammad bin Al-Faqeeh bin Abil Qaasim bin Taghrin (محمد بن الفقيه بن ابي القاسم بن تغرن) and he mentions his father, Shaykh Al-Faqeeh Muhammad bin Najl Al-Haaj Abil Qaasim (الفقيه محمد بن نجل الحاج ابي القاسم). Previously: Christie’s Arts & Textiles of the Islamic & Indian Worlds, Sale # 12283, Lot # 85 (Oct. 21, 2016) with an estimate of $5,555 to $8,332. Prior: Christie’s stated it was in Sotheby’s Auction- London, April 18th, 1983 Lot # 6. I did not find it in the Catalogue of that year, this is an error on Christie’s part.
Research Notes: Based on analysis of this manuscript, it was likely scribed in the 16th century (906H/1501CE to 1009H/1600CE). The specialists at Christie’s noted the date as 14th to 15th century (700H/1301CE to 906H/1500CE), however this is unlikely as Imaam as-Suyuti was born 849H/1445CE and died 911H/1505CE. It is more likely, based on the watermarks and paper, that this was written in the 16th Century: 906H to 1009H. My best guess would be mid to late 16th century based on the similarities in the watermark to those of that time period listed in Briquet (#548), Mošin (pg. 168-9), Mazzoldi (#89), and Gravell (#5272) database , but without the first and last pages, it is difficult to specify. |
Acquisition #: Ms.075e