Lot Essay
The present manuscript section is an early and fine copy on vellum of Kitab al-Mudawwana al-Kubra . The Mudawwana is a famous text of the Malikite school of law, which comprises a set of opinions given by 'Abd al-Rahman bin al-Qasim al-Utaqi (d. 806 AD) in response to questions posed by the author, Sahnun bin Sa’id al-Tanukhi al-Himsi al-Qirwani (d. 854 AD). 'Abd al-Rahman's answers were, in turn, based on the work of his teacher, Malik bin Anas, who was responsible for laying the foundations of the Malikite school. To 'Abd al-Rahman's answers, Sahnun added various relevant hadith to provide proof for the opinions expressed. The complete work runs to 16 parts each consisting of a number of books.
The Maghrib and Spain were among the earliest regions to accept the doctrines of the Malikite school of law, and it became the official rite of the Umayyad dynasty in Andalusia.
Sections from a manuscript of Kitab al-Mudawwana dated 1133 AD were sold in Christie’s, 25 April 1997, lot 41; 11 October 2005, lot 32 and 23 October 2007, lot 59.
The Maghrib and Spain were among the earliest regions to accept the doctrines of the Malikite school of law, and it became the official rite of the Umayyad dynasty in Andalusia.
Sections from a manuscript of Kitab al-Mudawwana dated 1133 AD were sold in Christie’s, 25 April 1997, lot 41; 11 October 2005, lot 32 and 23 October 2007, lot 59.