OTTOMAN ISTANBUL, TURKEY, DATED 30 RAJAB AH 1193/13 AUGUST 1779 AD

This firman is an award of a quarter of a share (qirat) of the honorary role of Office of the Sweeper, ferrashet, of the Holy Sanctuary, with a specific mention of the Prophet's tomb. The document awards the post to Hafiz bin Haji Ibrahim in July-August 1779. This follows the death of the previous holder, Mahmud bin Mustafa, the Secretary of the Treasury of the Deputy Grand Vizier.

Although the duty of ferrash in foundations was considered a low-level service, since the sweeping of the Haram-i sharif in Mecca and the Ravza-i Mutahhara in Medina was considered a great honour, the members of the dynasty and some notables symbolically called it "ferashet-i sharif". They took a certain share (nisf, rub' share) from this duty and regarded it as a means of spiritual peace and goodness. The ferashet-i sharif in these areas was counted as ninety-nine shares, and each share was considered 16 carats. Of this, 48 carats would be owned by the sultans, 24 carats would be owned by the sultans, and the remaining portion would be distributed to respected people, all of which were granted with a berat (official document with Sultan's Tughra for awards in Ottoman Empire). In the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, there are many ferashet-i sharif certificates adorned with gold in the classification of illuminated edicts.