DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5571629
title: Ṣûfism and Ethics [IO Bijapur 428]

description: Ṣûfism and Ethics. 

This manuscript is now IO Bijapur 428 in the India Office collections.

[metadata: Otto Loth, A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office, (volume 1), no. 671 here with further notations and hyperlinks].


671.

B 428. Size 63/4 in. by 41/4 in.; foll. 325. Thirteen lines in a page.

A treatise on Ṣûfism, in five books, entitled الجواهر الخمسة , by Abu’l-mu’aiyad, Muḥammad b. Khaṭîr al-dîn, commonly called AL-GHAUTH, a celebrated saint, who was born A.H. 906, and died probably A.H. 970, and was buried at Gwalior. See Ḥ. Kh. ii. 643; iii. 52, and Herklots’ Qanoon-e-Islam, p. 305 sqq. The Persian version of this work is mentioned in Stewart’s Catal. 38. See regarding the author, Garein de Tassy, Mém. Sur la relig. Musulm. 46 (according to the Ârâ’ish-i-Maḥfil).

The author was a descendant of Khwâjah Farîd al-dîn ‘Aṭṭâr. He gives his name in the preface as follows (fol. 3v.):محمد بن خطير الدين .. 1 بايزيد ابن خواجا فريد الدين العطار , but it is given more accurately in the Persian version of this work (no. B 426), thus:محمد بن خطير الدين بن لطف بن معين الدين قتال ابن خطير الدين بايزيد پارسا ابن خواجه فريد عطار.

The preface begins:الحمدلله الاحد الفرد الذى لم يلد و لم يولد2. The author relates in it that he was for a long time the pupil of the great Shaikh Ẓuhûr (al-dîn) Ḥâjjî Ḥuḍûr, and subsequently retired for more than thirteen years (?) to the mountains of قلعة الجبار , where he compiled the present work. At an ensuing meeting with his Shaikh, he offered it to him, and met with his highest approbation. He was then only twenty years of age (!). He went afterwards to Gujarât, where his work gained great popularity. At the request of many students, he made a new and better arranged edition of it, - the present one. He completed this A.H. 956, being then fifty years old.

The five parts (جوهر) of this work, which represent the gradual progress of the Ṣûfî, are enumerated in Ḥ. Kh. They are inscribed here, more fully, as follows: I.(fol. 5) فى عبادة العابدين و طريقتها ; II. (fol. 44v.) فى زهد الزاهدين و طريقته ; III. (fol. 68v.) فى عمل دعوة الاسماء العظام و شرائطها . This is the chief part of the work; it is frequently referred to in the twenty-ninth chapter of the Qanoon-e-Islam. It consists of a مقدمة and fifteen فصل , a list of which is given on fol. 75v. IV. (fol. 234) فى اذكار الذاكرين و اشغال العارفين من مشرب الشطار و طريقتها ,

1 on the spiritual exercises and practices of the order of the Shuṭṭârîyah, 2 to which the author belonged. The ‘’pedigree’’ (سلسلة) of this order is given at the beginning of this part (fol. 234v.) : it originates with ‘Alî and his immediate descendants, down to Ja’far Ṣâdiḳ. From ‘Abdallah الشطارى , the real founder, it descends at last to the aforesaid Ẓuhûr, and to the author, who is called here الشيخ الكامل الفاضل وحيد زمانه ابو المؤيّد محمد المخاطب بالغوث عندالله , and from him it is further continued as follows : وهو لقّن الشيخ العارف بالله تعالى سلطان الصوفية صاحب الشريعة و الطريقة و الحقيقة و المعرفة و الدين استاذ علماء الانام المفتخرين سراج الملة و الدين الشيخ وجيه الدين و هو لقّن الفقير الحقير من ليس بشئ غريب الله فى ارضه و سمائه صبغة الله عفى تعالى عنه و عن اسلافه الخ . See, regarding these two persons, no. 684. It would appear that Ṣibghat Allah wrote the copy from which this and the following one were taken. V. (fol. 310v.) 3 فى بيان اشغال ورثة الحق ( و عمل المحققين وطريقته) on esoteric tenets. This is the last and highest stage.

An indifferent copy, of about A.H. 1100, with tables and diagrams. Imperfect at the end. Slightly injured by insects.

Cat. 233 (Duawut), I.

 

1 Here follows an unintelligible character (؟ را) , which is not to be found in the following MS. It certainly marks a lacuna.

2 The commencement given by Ḥ. Kh. is that of the Persian version.

1 This title is taken from the list of contents on fol. 5.

2 ‘’Shootarcca, descendants of Shah Abdoollah Shootar-e-Nak’’-Qanoon-e-Islam, p. 289.

3 The words in brackets are taken from the list on fol. 5.