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1.3 - Description of the al-Qunawi Copy and the Audition on It

Looking at the list of manuscripts mentioned above, we find that the copy preserved in Yusuf Agha collection No. 7838, or 5624 according to earlier catalogs, is the oldest and most authentic copy of the Index. Its importance stems from the fact that it is written in the hand of Sheikh Sadruddin al-Qunawi, with a hearing that is certified by Sheikh Muhyiddin himself, dated in the month of Safar of the year 627 AH, after he reviewed and corrected it by writing minor notes on the margin. Within the collection, this version starts from page 188a, which is the page on which there is the hearing certificate, then the Index text starts from page 188b and takes eleven pages ending with the page number 193b. The text is written in a beautiful and clear calligraphy (naskhi) script, up until the book of (192) al-Wasāʾil fil-Ajwiba ʿalā ʿUyūn al-Masāʾil: the Means on the Answers of the Main Issues, then (193) al-Nikāḥ al-Muṭlaq: the Abstract Marriage, but in a slightly faded font, and then the (194) Fuṣūṣ al-Ĥikam wa-Khuṣūṣ al-Kalim: the Bezels of Wisdom and the Particularities of Logos, in a clear handwriting, but then the font becomes rather pale, which indicates that it was written on two phases and at two different times, yet it is mostly with the same font and the same ink, except that the first part of it is more intense than the second part which seems to have been written in haste, and some corrections was applied on a few titles with the same pen, perhaps during the review, because they were repeated. It is also worth noting that this collection also includes a number of hearings that document the dates of Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi's reading of about forty books on Sheikh Muhyiddin, including the book of the Bezels, which was written about a month before, in the last ten days of Muharram of the same year. In addition, there are various hearings notes of Sadr Al-Din Al-Qunawi reading a number of other books on other elders, so we shall not discuss them.

However, what attracts the attention and raises some amazement and puzzles is the presence of a note that may mean that this copy was written in Cairo, or perhaps while traveling, and then it was read there, specifically in the "Ghaznawiya" school, which lies in the quarter of the Emir of Armies in Cairo. As shown in figure[ref:fihristqunawi3, we find at the top of the page 188a written in the handwriting of Sheikh Muhyiddin: “The virtuous, righteous, wise and dear son, Sadr al-Din Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Qunawi, has read on me the Index that includes the titles of our books and classifications in various arts, may Allah benefit us by science, while I am in the Ghaznawiya. (This note is) Written by Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Arabi Al-Tā’i Al-Hātimi in Safar of 627 AH. Praise be to God, and peace be upon His servants whom He had chosen.” However, this phrase “while I am in the Ghaznawiya”, which researcher Bakri Alaa al-Din affirmed in an unpublished observation that he shared with the author, is not completely clear, especially since it appeared after the supplication: Duaa, so perhaps it should be read, for example, “Nafaʿanā Allah bil-ʿIlm wa-Aātānā al-Qurba Minhu: May Allah benefit us with science and bring us near to it” even though the first reading is the closest to the exact delineation of the inscription, and Allah knows best.

[Sheikh Al-Akbar’s authentication on page 188a of the Yusuf Agha 7838 manuscript]Sheikh al-Akbar’s authentication on page 188a of the Yusuf Agha 7838 manuscript, in which he states that the index was read upon him in Ghaznaviya - see explanation above.

In any case, if the first statement is correct, then this means that Sheikh Muhyiddin traveled to Cairo during this year with his stepson Sadruddin. The Ghaznawiya school was built in Cairo by Prince Husam al-Din Qaymaz al-Najmi (died 596 AH), the servant of Najm al-Din Ayyub, the father of the immortal leader Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, who took over the Fatimid palace after the death of the Caliphate al-ʿÂđid. He then appointed as its administrator Sheikh Shihab al-Din Abu al-Fađl Ahmad bin Yusuf bin Ali bin Muhammad al-Ghaznawi (died 599 AH), a reciter and Hanafi jurist, thus it became famous by his surname. If the above statement is correct, this means that Sheikh Muhyiddin had been in Cairo in the month of Safar of that year 627 AH, while it is known that he settled in Damascus since the year 620 AH, as we showed in volume I. This also means that Sheikh Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi had visited Cairo in this year, before his well-known visit in the year 630 AH, in which he wanted to meet with the Sultan of Lovers, Ibn al-Fāriđ, but that was not fulfilled at that time, since the latter was very ill and he died shortly after that. Therefore, if Sheikh Sadr al-Din was in Cairo in the year 627 AH, he may have met Ibn al-Fāriđ and heard from him his famous Tā’iyya that he later taught to his followers after, for several decades after that. Even more astounding, this also means that Sheikh Muhyiddin had also met Ibn al-Fāriđ in this year, and therefore perhaps the attribution of his saying is correct that the book of the Meccan Revelations is an expounding of the Tā’iyya! All of these and other questions should be discussed in detail if this reading is correct.

Below are some pictures from the Yusuf Agha manuscript written in the handwriting of Sheikh Abul-Maʿāli Sadruddin Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Qunawi.

[The beginning of the first page of the Yousef Agha 7838 manuscript]The beginning of the first page of the Yusuf Agha 7838 manuscript, which is written in the handwriting of Sheikh Abi al-Ma’ali Sadr al-Din Muhammad bin Ishaq al-Qunawi.

[The last page of the Yusuf Agha 7838 manuscript]The last page of the Yusuf Agha 7838 manuscript, and we notice that the line differs slightly from the beginning of the manuscript, which indicates that it was completed in haste, and this may be due to their being on a journey as mentioned above.