Abstract: Zakarīyā ibn Muḥammad al-Anṣārī, a Shafi’i jurist, teacher, and Sufi, was born in Egypt and studied at al-Azhar, the Sunni Islamic center of learning in Cairo. Throughout his long career (he lived about 100 years), al-Anṣārī held many positions as judge and Sufi authority. He is recognized as a major figure in medieval Sunni jurisprudence. He studied under the greatest teachers of the age and influenced later generations, being referred to by the honorific Shaykh al-Islam. Manhaj al-Ṭullāb (Students' guide) is an abridgement of Nawawī’s Minhāj al-Ṭālibīn (Path of knowledge seekers), a major juridical reference from the 13th century. It was followed by longer commentaries by numerous authors and became a standard teaching text, which was often reprinted at the Bulaq Press and elsewhere. The press was one of the principal institutions established by visionary suzerain Muḥammad ʻAlī (reigned 1805−49). Founded along modern administrative principles, it served the government and private persons by producing works of science, engineering, and history, as well as literary and Islamic classics. This copy was printed at the Bulaq Press in 1868 under the supervision of its director, Husayn Husni. The book is instantly recognizable in appearance, typography, paper, and layout as a product of this famous press. The colophon is typical of the times, containing a long encomium to Isma’il Pasha, Egypt’s ruler.Physical description: 194 pages ; 20 centimeters
Abstract: Nūr al-ibṣār fi manāqib Āl bayt al-Nabī al-mukhtār (Illumination of the virtues of the family of the Most Favored Prophet) is a collection of biographies of major personalities in Islamic history. It begins with narration of critical incidents in the life of the Prophet Muhammad, followed by biographies of Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s family), the four earliest caliphs, and other significant figures of Islamic history, such as the founders of the four canonical legal traditions and the major Sufi orders. The author, Muʼmin ibn Ḥasan Muʼmin al-Shablanji (circa 1836−circa 1890), was born and educated in Egypt and was well-known as a teacher, Sunni judge, and Sufi. Although the date of printing is not given, a note mentions that the author completed the book on September 9, 1873. The printer notes that the published text was authenticated against the author’s manuscript. On the margins is printed a second work, Is’af al-Raghibin (Assistance for the desirous), a similar biographical compilation by the 18th-century Egyptian scholar Muhammad al-Sabban. Nur al-Absar has received much attention from Shia scholars. Shia Muslims emphasize their unique devotion to the descendants of the Prophet. Books treating the Prophet’s grandson, Husayn, and other relatives tend to be carefully scrutinized by Shia readers for what they see as possible misinterpretations. In general, Shia scholars view Nur al-Absar and Is’af al-Raghibin favorably for their treatment of such topics as Husayn’s death at the Battle of Karbala (680) and the hadith entitled Ghadir Khamm which, according the Shiite interpretation, established the succession of leadership after the Prophet’s death.Physical description: 248 pages ; 27 centimeters
Abstract: Nayl al-arab fi-muthallathat al-‘Arab (Attainment of fluency in al-muthallathat poetry) is a manual of poetics for students. It discusses the use of triple short vowels (muthallathat) in a manner conforming to Arabic morphology and authoritative practice. The author, Hasan ibn ‘Ali Quwaydir (1788 or 1789−1846), does not tell us how he came to select the words and phrases in the book. In its idiosyncratic choice of examples and its prescriptive directions for use, this is a highly personal work. The verses of the main text, framed in a double border, are extensively glossed by the author with literary and morphological explanations. The main text is completely vowelled, while there is no vowelling on the marginalia. The work is organized alphabetically, with tables of contents at the beginning and end. The main lexicon is followed by a list of unusual words and proper names. According to a biographical note, Quwaydir was born in Cairo and spent his entire life there. His ancestors were from Morocco and came east to settle in Hebron. His father, a merchant, moved to Cairo, where his son was born. Although educated in language and literature under prominent teachers at al-Azhar, Quwaydir devoted much of his time to international trade. He had a close following of students who studied with him and wrote panegyric poems about him upon his death. His literary and commercial interests left him no time to compile his poetry into a diwan, or authoritative collection. This edition was printed at Al-Khayriyah Press in Cairo in 1902. It features the ornamental framing of the title page and front matter characteristic of the period.Physical description: 108 pages ; 27 centimeters