Publication Date
[1568]
Subject
Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd ibn ʻUmar,, Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd ibn ʻUmar, /
1075-1144., Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd ibn ʻUmar, / 1075-1144. /
Kashshāf., Qurʼan, Qurʼan /
Commentaries, Qurʼan / Commentaries /
Early works to 1800., Manuscripts, Arabic, Manuscripts, Arabic /
Michigan, Manuscripts, Arabic / Michigan /
Ann Arbor., Headpieces (layout features)
Type
Book
Language
Arabic
Digital
No
Manuscript
Unknown
Pages Count
531
Physical Dimensions
531 leaves : paper ; 260 x 180 (209 x113) mm
Library
HathiTrust Digital Library
Record ID
006806231
Library Location
University of Michigan
Notes
About: Elegant copy of what appears to be a commentary of uncertain authorship (though possibly by Abū Ḥafṣ ʻUmar ibn ʻAbd al-Raḥmān al-Qazwīnī al-Fārisī, author of a commentary entitled al-Kashf ʻan mushkilāt al-Kashshāf) on al-Kashshāf, the renowned commentary on the Qur'an by Abū al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʻUmar al-Zamakhsharī (d.1144). | Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center, Isl. Ms. 467
Origin: As appears in colophon on p.648, transcription of first section (through p.648) completed 24 Rabīʻ II of an unspecified year (lacuna follows سنة). As appears in colophon on p.1063, second section copied by Ismāʻīl ibn Muḥammad al-Zurqānī ( Ismāʻīl ibn Muhammad al-Zurqānī ) with transcription completed ("wa-qad faragha min katbih...") 7 Rabīʻ II 976 [ca. 29 September 1568].
Accompanying materials: a. Acquisitions slip from Judah.
Former shelfmark: From inner front cover (upper lining) and front edge label, "IL 304" (likely supplied by Yahuda, see acquisitions slip).
Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark red leather ; Type II binding (with flap); doublures in brown leather ; upper and lower covers carry large blind-stamped mandorla (filled with symmetrical vegetal decoration, reminiscent of Déroche class. NSd 5) and pendants, along with gold-tooled border in a series of s-shaped stamps ; sewn in pink thread, two stations, most quires loose ; overall in somewhat poor condition and ill-fitting with much staining, abrasion, lifting and losses of leather, delamination of boards, etc. ; repair to fore edge flap in a tooled red leather apparently taken from the spine of another book ; other repairs in tan and red leathers.
Support: non-European laid paper of several types ; opening type with 9 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chains either grouped (on the order of 9) or very closely spaced 13-14 mm. apart (V), well-burnished to glossy, brown in colour, sturdy and fairly transluscent ; next type with both laid and chain lines quite diffuse, roughly 7 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), possibly grouped chains lines (in threes) with 11-12 mm. between chains and 39 mm. between groups, much lighter in colour, thicker, sturdier and more opaque, burnished to glossy ; from p.350 on still a different paper, lighter in color with 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chain lines possibly very closely spaced if not in large groups, 14 mm. apart ; final section (from p.650) on another thin, crisp, well-burnished, brownish paper with 7 laid lines per cm. (vertical or horizontal) and chain lines spaced approximately 39 mm. apart ; opening flyleaf in a European laid paper with 7 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 29 mm. apart (vertical), and anchor in circle watermark with six-pointed star above (66 mm. tall) ; staining and tidelines ; pigment burn to break-through at frame surrounding written area.
Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān) at opening on p.4 consisting of rectangular panel carrying the basmalah in gold muḥaqqaq on a dark blue ground accented with swirling arabesque in green, surrounded by border of gold bands (the innermost with red accents). palmette (ansa) in the margin ; written area of incipit and facing page surrounded by gold frame with outermost blue rule ; keywords, sūrah headings (final section) and abbreviation symbols (two-teeth stroke, referral signs, etc.) rubricated.
Script: Nastaʻlīq and Naskh ; three main hands ; opening through p.398 (where hand abruptly changes) in a fine nastaʻlīq, serifless, fairly vertical though with slight effect of tilt to the right and of words descending to baseline, some elongation of horizontal strokes, mainly closed counters, pointing (two and three dots) in strokes rather than distinct dots ; from p.398 to p.522 another fine nastaʻlīq, serifless with dramatic tilt to the right, scarcely pointed, mainly closed counters, sweeping descenders ; from p.522 through p.569 again opening hand, then back to second hand ; final section (from p.650 to close) in an elegant Egyptian or 'Syrian' naskh, serifless and compact with a slight effect of tilt to the left, many closed counters, pointing (for two and three dots) in distinct or conjoined dots, rounded with curvlinear descenders.
Layout: Written in 32 lines per page ; frame-ruled.
Collation: i, IV-1(7), 2IV(23), III+2(31), 5IV(71), IV+1(80), 2IV(96), I(98), 12IV(194), 6V(254), I(256), 2IV(272), III+1(279), 6(285), II(289), 3(292). V(312), V+2(324), 20V(524), IV-1(531) ; catchwords mainly cut off, but present in final section ; leaves between sections left partially blank (see pp.198, 648-49) ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes flyleaves).
Colophon: [opening section] "The event of the release [?] of Tahrir in the fortieth and twentieth of the month of Rabi' al-Akhr of the month of Sana'a ___ Al-Rahmin" ; [final section] "Scribal," triangular, reads "There is a gap from the book of the wisest creation of Allah Almighty and their arguments to His mercy Al-Abd al-Da'if Ismail ibn Muhammad al-Zarqani Blessed Fourth Seventh of the second month of Rabi' al-Thani Sunnah St. and seventy-seven and seventy-two.
Explicit: "Oppression of the order and I am reading the last thing you intended in this story with confession in all cases of fault and discovery of the initial drug consumption such as mine One of the disbelievers but for the Mujtahid punishment ... We ask Allah to bless and exalt the transgression of the dangers of illusion and the effects of the declaration واصحابه العز المحجلين وعلى من اتبعهم باحسان الى يوم الدين"
Incipit: "Praise be to Allah, Who created man with the knowledge of the Qur'an, the knowledge of the statement, the Messenger, the Prophet, and the religion of truth الحمد لله سيجئ معنى الحمد لله
Title from inscription on front flyleaf (p.1).
Ms. composite codex.
Book price on front flyleaf (p.1) ; at least two ownership or waqf statements on 'title page' (p.3) now obscured by affixed paper scraps ; "waqf" in margins of many leaves, mainly erased but occasionally missed (see p.282 and 283) ; collation statement at close on p.1063 dated 8 [?] Dhū al-Qaʻdah 977 [ca. 14 April 1570], reads "Praise be to Allah al-Wahab [?] Balgh Muqablah wanthey on the Sabbath when [?] the sacred al-Qa'dah was established from the month of Sana'a seven and seven and seven and seven and I reckoned with Allah and the name of the Wakeel" ; numerous glosses and marginal corrections ; collation marks in final section.
