Islamic Manuscripts at Michigan
المشاركة في الفهرسة: المخطوطات الاسلامية في جامعة ميشيغان

Merahü'l-maali fî şerhi'l-Emali,[1216, i.e. 1801].مرح المعالي في شرح الامالي,[1216ه, 1801م]

Shelfmark:

Isl. Ms. 424

Title:

Merahü'l-maali fî şerhi'l-Emali,[1216, i.e. 1801].مرح المعالي في شرح الامالي,[1216ه, 1801م]

Author:

Ahmet Asım,1755-1819 or 20.احمد عاصم.

Place/Date of Production:

[1801].

Size:

101 leaves :paper ;240 x 147 (167 x 72) mm.

Summary:

Elegant, apparently autograph copy of the commentary by the celebrated Ottoman offical historiographer (vak’anüvîs / vakanüvîs) Ahmet Asım Efendi, also known as Mütercim Asım (d.1820) on al-Ūshī's (fl. 12 cent.) renowned theological poem in lām, Badʼ al-amālī or Qaṣīdat yaqūlu al-ʻabd fī badʻ al-amālī.

Other Title(s):

Merahü'l-meâlî fî şerhi'l-EmâlîMerh ül-maali fî şerh il-EmaliMaraḥ al-maʻālī fī sharḥ al-Amālī

Subject(s):

Islam--Doctrines--Early works to 1800.
Hanafites--Early works to 1800.
Manuscripts, Turkish--Michigan--Ann Arbor.
Ūshī, ʻAlī ibn ʻUthmān,--12th cent.--Badʼ al-amālī.

Genre:

Headpiece (layout features)19th century.

Language:

Ottoman Turkish.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from illuminated headpiece at opening on p.2 and in opening matter on p.4.

Incipit:

"سبحان من توحد فى ذاته القديم سبحان من تفرد فى وصفته القويم ... اما بعد صورت مقدمۀ اتيه ده بيان اولنديغى اوزره جملۀ علوم شريفه وجلمۀ فنون منيفه دن علم كلام ايله معلم اولان ... بو عبد مكزين يعنى در مائده اواصر قواصم السيد احمد عاصم جعله الله من عصبة المعاصم ... شرح وامل سنه وضع قلم ابتدا اولنوب اسلوب مطلوب ومنهج مرغوب اوزره توفيق رب منعامله قرين حسن ختام ومرح المعالى فى شرح الامالى ايله بنام ..."

Explicit:

"مفهوم بيت بو در كه بر كمسنه بنم ايچون بر كون كه مراد بر وقتدر دعاى خير ايدرسه مدت عمرمده زمايت قدرتمى آنك خير دعاسنده افراغ ايدرم فنرجو من الله العميم المراحم البسيط المكارم ان يعفو عنا وعن الناظم ويرحمنا ويرحمه ويرحم آبائنا وامهاتنا ومشايخنا واحبائنا وجميع المؤمنين بحرمة رسوله الامين ولله الحمد اولا واخرا"

Colophon:

"Scribal," triangular reads "نجز بقلم شارحه الحقير فى م سنه ١٢١٦"

Dedication:

As appears in opening matter (preface, see p.5) dedicated to Sultan Selim III (r.1709-1807).

Contents:

Unidentified-Can you help supply this information? Please comment!

Physical Details:

Collation:

i, V+1 (11), 9 V(101), i ; exclusively quinions ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (skips two pages each between pp.9-10 and 183-184).

Layout:

Written in 21 lines per page ; frame-ruled.

Script:

Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; compact hand in a heavy line ; serifless, with effect of words inclining to the right and descending to baseline, closed counters, elongated horizontal strokes, pointing in strokes rather than distinct dots ; text being commented upon fully vocalized.

Decoration:

Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening of the preface on p.2, consisting of scalloped w-shaped piece with gold cartouche (carrying the title "مرح المعالى فى شرح الامالى" in white) surrounded by swirling floral vegetal decoration in gold with red, blue, and light blue accents on a gold ground, entire piece set in an elaborate well of pink, black and light blue bands flanking a heavy band of gold interlace with red and turquoise accents and surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue and red ; second superb illuminated headpiece at opening of the main text ( beginning with introduction, مقدمۀ كتاب) on p.8 ; written area of incipit and facing page surrounded by heavy gold frame with divisions within defined by narrow gold bands ; elsewhere written area (and divisions within) surrounded by light blue (evoking silver) band defined by inner and outer red rules ; keywords and text being commented upon rubricated ; overlining in red ; textual dividers in the form of red inverted commas.

Support:

non-European laid paper with 8-9 laid lines per cm. (vertical, fairly indistinct, curved), no chain lines visible, cloudy formation with fibers and inclusions visible, quite sturdy, transluscent and crisp, highly sized and burnished, beige to light brown in color ; board linings and flyleaves in European laid paper with large scrollwork watermark (difficult to make out).

Binding:

Pasteboards covered in dark brown leather ; Type II binding (with flap), likely two-piece binding (seam of overlapping flanges visible at spine) ; board linings and flyleaves in orange-tinted, silver-flecked European laid paper ; upper and lower covers carry exquisite stamped mandorla (gold-painted recessed onlays, vegetal composition, compare Déroche class. NSd 7) and pendants, as well as gold-tooled accents and guilloché roll border ; design continues on envelope flap ; sewn in pink thread, two stations ; worked chevron endbands in pink and yellow, fairly good condition with tailband and primaries detaching from textblock but still well-attached to spine lining ; overall in good condition with only minor abrasion, some lifting of spine leather, spine lining detached from most of text block, etc.

Former Shelfmarks:

"329 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on verso of front flyleaf.

Origin:

As appears in colophon on p.197, transcription completed by the author in Muḥarram 1216 [May-June 1801]. A note on the 'title page' (p.1), "مترجم مرحوم خطيله", also indicates that the manuscript is in the hand of the author.

Ownership and History:

Glosses and marginal corrections in same hand.

Contributor(s) / Included work(s):

Unidentified-Can you help supply this information? Please comment!

Scribe(s):

07 Ahmet Asım, 1755-1819 or 20, scribe. 07 احمد عاصم, ناسخ.

Former Owner(s):

Abdülhamid II, Sultan of the Turks, 1842-1918, former owner.

In Collection:

Abdul Hamid Collection.

References:

Sicill-i Osmanî,iii, 283