Five Old Manuscripts From the Collection of the Institute of Oriental Studies in Sarajevo

Abstract

The present paper gives the description of the five oldest works from the area of the Shari'a Law. The works belong among the oldest manuscripts of the collection of the Institute of Oriental Studies, both by the time they had been written, as well as the time they were copied.

The paper deals with the manuscripts of the following works:

1. Al-ğāmi' al-saġīr fi al-furu' (No. 2127) - originally written by Imam Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Shaybani in the second half of the 8th ·century; and later re-written and enlarged by numerous authors. The present copy was done by Tag al-din Ahmad b. al-Sadr al-Shahid Burhan al-din Abd al-Aziz b. Umar in the middle of the 1'2th century, and was copied by Aswad b. Ahmad al-Fiqhi from Boukhara, 549/1154.

2 Sharh al-Ğāmi' as-saġīr (No. 404·6) -a commentary on the above work written by Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Umar al-Attabi at the end of the 12th century. The Manuscript was copied in 613/1216.

3. Al-nawāzil fi al-furu' or Al-nawāzil min al-fatāwā (No. 2503) - was written by Abu al-Layt al-Samarqandi in the second half of the 10th century. This copy was done by Ahmad b. Abdallah al-Qa'id Albu Shuga' al-Shalhi (?)413/1023. This is the oldest manuscript in the Collection of the Institute.

4. Muhtalif al-riwaya or Ihtilaf al-riwaya wa·al-madahib (No. 4070) - the work in which the opinions of the greatest legal authorities were put forward on the certain problems of the legal-Shari'a practice. The work was written by Muhammad b. Nuh al-Silgnaqi 654/1256. There are well-founded beliefs that the copy in question is an autograph.

5. Fatāwā al-ḥaṣṣī (No. (405,8) - a collection of decisions the author of which was Yusuf b. Ahmad b. Abu Bakr al- Ḥaṣṣī al-Hwarezmi. The :flirst part of the manuscript was copied by- ail' unknown scribe, and the second, somewhat shorter part, was copied by Yusuf b. Alb'i Sa'd b .. Ahmad al-Siğistānī, 625/122'8. Common for all these old manuscripts is the fact that their age is clearly seen, not only because of the clear notes about their origin and copying, or the patina of the paper, the handwriting, the color of the ink, the binding, but also owing to some other elements. it is not known when or how these on manuscripts have come to these parts.