Title: Ta’weel Mushkil al Qur’aan | تأويل مشكل القران
Author: Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah bin Muslim bin Qutaybah ad-Deenawri (d. 276H) | أبو محمد عبد الله بن مسلم بن قتيبة الدينوري
Scribe: ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Muhammad Ibn Habeeb Al-Ansaari al-Ishbili | عبد الرحمن بن محمد ابن حبيب الأنصاري
Script: Andalusi
Date: 9th of Dhul Qa’dah, 523H | 24th Oct, 1129
Size: 23 X 16.5 CM
Folios: [1]+-7ff.+ [1]
Description: 22 Lines/Page | Written on parchment, likely Vellum or the skin of Ghazal |Sepia ink in Andalusian script | Modern Burgundy Leather cover with Blind Tooling of a medallion. | The Sama’ah on Fol1b reads: All of this, from the beginning until the statement of the poet: “اننا اذا نا زعنا” was listened to by the Shaykh, Al-Ajal Al Mutaqi Abu Bakr Muhammad bin ‘Abdillah bin ‘Umar Ibn Mandalah Al-Ishbili [d. 533H/1139CE] [..] with the recitation of the Shaa’ir, the Adeeb Abu Nasr Al-Fath bin Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah Ibn Khaaqaan Al-Qaysi al-Ishbili [535H] [..] in the presence of Al-Adeeb ash-Shaa’ir Abul Hasan ‘Ali bin Bassaam ash-Shantareeni [542H/1147CE] [..] and his beloved young son, Abu Ja’far Hasan bin ‘Ali Ibn Bassaam and Abu Muhammad ‘Abdul Majeed bin ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Abdoon Al-Fihri Al-Yaburi [d. 529H/1135CE], Abu [..] Muhammad bin ‘Abdillaah bin Muhammad Al-Ansaari, Abul Qaasim Abdul Hameed bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin [Mugheeth?] At-Thulaythli, Abul Qaasim Ahmad bin Ja’far Al-Ghafiqi [d.569H], Abu Ishaaq Ibraheem bin Muhammad Ar-Rundi, Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullaah bin Maymoon Al-‘Abdari Al-Qurtubi [d.567H/1173CE], Abu [Al-Fudayl?] Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin Muhammad [Al-Ya’ri?] Ash-Shantareeni, and Abu Muhammad Ahmad bin Hishaam Al-Lakhmi Al-Ishbili. And the scribe of this Samaa’: ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Muhammad Ibn Habeeb Al-Ansaari who migrated to Al-Ishbiliyyah and this sitting was conducted on the 9th day of the month of Dhul Qa’dah al Haram in the year 523 [..] in the city of Ishbiliyyah from Al-Andalus al-Mahroosa walhamdulillaah wahdah. |
This section is from chapter: باب ما ادّعي على القرآن من اللحن in Ibn Qutaybah’s Ta’weel Mushkil al Qur’an.
Incipit: أي أتاني خبر لا أسرّ به. ومنه الذّكر يوضع موضع الشرف، لأنّ الشّريف يذكر قال الله تعالى: وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ
Explicit: زعمت غدانة أنّ فيها سيّدا … ضخما يوازنه جناح الجندب
Provenance: N/A
Research Notes: The book was originally published in 1373H/1954CE with the Tahqeeq of Dr. As-Sayyid Ahmad Saqr by Al-Babi Al-Halabi. The second edition was published with Dr. Saqr’s Tahqeeq published by Dar ath-Thuraath in 1393H/1973CE. It has also been published twice thereafter with the Tahqeeq of Ibraheem Shamsuddeen (Dar al Kutub al Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon) and a more recent publication of Sa’ad bin Najdat ‘Umar in 2011 (Mu’assasah ar-Risalah). | There are several manuscripts of this work: (1) The earliest work is reportedly written during the lifetime of the author- dated 266H and contains 266 pages and is in the Maktabah of ‘Aarif Hikmat in Madeenah according to Umar Ridha Kuhala in Al-Muntakhab min Makhtutat Al Madeenah al Munawwara, pg 69. (2) The earliest is in the Dar al Kutub al Masriyyah in Egypt (#663 in Tafseer section) and it contains 85 folios written by Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Yahya in 379H. Dr. Saqr notes that while this is the earliest known manuscript of the title, it is not the most reliable as the scribe did not include the poetry and much of the text is missing by the scribe and a lot is erased from the manuscript. (3) The next earliest copy is found in the University of Leiden collection (Ar.704) and is dated 404H and contains 186 Folios. (4) There is a copy in the Qarawiyyeen University in Tunis, Tunisia (#1748) from the 5th century Hijri and contains 8 folios. (5) The next earliest known copy is found in the Murad Mulla library in Istanbul, Turkey and it is dated 534H and contains 117 Folios. This is the main manuscript (النسخة المعتمدة) that Sa’ad Najdat Umar relied on for his Tahqeeq and the second manuscript that Dr. Saqr relied on. (6) The next earliest copy is found in the Dar al Kutub al Misriyyah (#518, Tafseer section) and it is dated 548H and was scribed by Abi Talib bin ‘Abdul-Wahid bin ‘Abdul-Muhsin bin Abil Wafa’ al Ansari ad-Dimashqi- known as Burhaan ad-Deen. It was read to Abu Mansur al-Jawaaliqi and contains 134 Folios. This was the main manuscript (النسخة المعتمدة) that Dr. Saqr relied on. (7) Another copy catalogued (276/889 or 18) is in the Murad Mulla library in Turkey and dated 572H. (8) A copy dated 592H is in the Dhaahiriyyah library in Damascus, Syria (23244) and contains 110 folios. (9) A copy of 160 folios and dated 619H is in the Faydhullah Effendi library in Turkey (#245). (10) A copy dated 667H scribed by Muhammad Haydar and contains 134 pages is in the University of Madeenah (4735). (11 & 12) Undated copy in Jaami’ Qarawiyyeen in Tunis (#1934 & #1932- 30 pages as part of a compilation) written in Andalusian script. (13) Partial copy in the University of Leiden and is undated (Or. 8301 s) (14) A complete undated copy in the Manuscript collection of Al-Habasiyyah in Morocco (#213). (15) A copy estimated to be the 9th century Hijri is in a Library in Tehran, Iran. (16 & 17) Undated copy in the Khazanah Qarawiyyeen in Fez, Morocco (1/944). A copy containing 30 pages is catalogued (1327) and is undated (18) There is an undated copy of 31 folios in the Ma’had al-Makhtutaat al ‘Arabiyyah (#77). (19 & 20) Undated copy in the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (ب 4695-4698 and ب 1914-1917). and (21) A copy in the Maktabah Beroukli in Istanbul, Turkey
Acquisition #: Ms.109ff