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Lot Essay
The treatises in our manuscript deal with the magic attributes of letters, numerals and symbols, and are illustrated with diagrams (ashkal) and tables (jadawil), showing various ways they can be arranged in combination with, the bismallah for instance. The second treatise deals with letters of the alphabet in the Arabic and Indian languages. The treatises are richly illustrated with letters and other symbols used in writings on magic, and include ancient symbols that make up magical and talismanic combinations.
From the 12th century, manuals on magical formulas and procedures became very popular, particularly in Egypt and Syria. The acknowledged master of the art was Abu al-‘Abbas al-Buni al-Qurashi (d.1225), whose most popular manual is Shams al-Ma'arif , 'The Book of the Sun of Gnosis and the Subtleties of Elevated Things', a 13th-century grimoire written on Arabic magic and a manual for achieving esoteric spirituality. It discusses the construction of magic squares and talismanic designs based on letters composing the 99 names of Allah (al-asma al-husna). Shams al-Ma'arif is generally regarded as the most influential textbook of its type in the Arab and Muslim worlds. The author(s) of the texts included in our manuscript have not been identified. However, it is clear that the text is very much influenced by al-Buni and his disciples. For later examples of manuals on magic and further reading on the subject see F. Madison and E. Savage-Smith, Science, tools and magic, volume I, Treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London, 1997, pp.59-71.
The chapter titles are as follows:
Dhikr ma-sahhahna min al-awfaq al-‘adadiyah, 'A Treatise on the Corrections Made to Numeral Magic Squares'
Hadhihi sifat al-asma’ fi’l ‘arsh wa ashkaliha kama tara, 'A Treatise on the Names as Shown in Diagrams of the Throne'
Kitab maratib al-huruf al-‘arabiyah wa’l hindiyah, 'A Treatise on the Order of Arabic and Indian Letters of the Alphabet'
Sharh kitab bism allah al-rahman al-rahim bi-asrar al-huruf al-‘arabiyah, 'A Commentary on the Book of Attributes of the Letters in the Bismallah'
Sifat tarkib al-asma’ wa kayfiyat istikhrajiha min ‘ilm al-harf ba’da al-taksir, 'A Treatise on the Various Combinations of Names and Letters'
A carbon date test performed on this manuscript confirms the suggested dating.
From the 12th century, manuals on magical formulas and procedures became very popular, particularly in Egypt and Syria. The acknowledged master of the art was Abu al-‘Abbas al-Buni al-Qurashi (d.1225), whose most popular manual is Shams al-Ma'arif , 'The Book of the Sun of Gnosis and the Subtleties of Elevated Things', a 13th-century grimoire written on Arabic magic and a manual for achieving esoteric spirituality. It discusses the construction of magic squares and talismanic designs based on letters composing the 99 names of Allah (al-asma al-husna). Shams al-Ma'arif is generally regarded as the most influential textbook of its type in the Arab and Muslim worlds. The author(s) of the texts included in our manuscript have not been identified. However, it is clear that the text is very much influenced by al-Buni and his disciples. For later examples of manuals on magic and further reading on the subject see F. Madison and E. Savage-Smith, Science, tools and magic, volume I, Treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London, 1997, pp.59-71.
The chapter titles are as follows:
Dhikr ma-sahhahna min al-awfaq al-‘adadiyah, 'A Treatise on the Corrections Made to Numeral Magic Squares'
Hadhihi sifat al-asma’ fi’l ‘arsh wa ashkaliha kama tara, 'A Treatise on the Names as Shown in Diagrams of the Throne'
Kitab maratib al-huruf al-‘arabiyah wa’l hindiyah, 'A Treatise on the Order of Arabic and Indian Letters of the Alphabet'
Sharh kitab bism allah al-rahman al-rahim bi-asrar al-huruf al-‘arabiyah, 'A Commentary on the Book of Attributes of the Letters in the Bismallah'
Sifat tarkib al-asma’ wa kayfiyat istikhrajiha min ‘ilm al-harf ba’da al-taksir, 'A Treatise on the Various Combinations of Names and Letters'
A carbon date test performed on this manuscript confirms the suggested dating.