Lesson Title
Endowment, Ownership and Reading Notes in the Arabic Manuscript: A Study of Their Elements and of Analytical Skills
Introduction
Shaykh Salih Muhammad Abd al-Fattah al-Azhari opened his lecture by introducing the subject from a specialized academic perspective, stressing that the study of the texts accompanying the authored text is central to understanding the development of Arabic manuscripts (makhtutat) and grasping their historical contexts. He explained that the texts written on manuscripts fall into two main categories:
- The authored text: the text that reflects the author’s thought and forms the body of the book.
- Accompanying texts: texts added to the book in various periods, including marginal notes (hawashi), insertions, and ownership notes (quyud al-tamalluk).
Definition and Importance of Accompanying Texts
The Shaykh defined accompanying texts as those attached to the authored text, whose functions range from commentary and clarification to documenting ownership and endowment (waqf). He pointed to the academic debate over what to call them: while some researchers prefer the name khawarij al-nusus (“texts outside the text”), because it indicates texts lying outside the context of the authored text, others hold that calling them accompanying texts (al-nusus al-musahiba) reflects their function more clearly.
Ownership Notes
Their Definition and Dimensions
Ownership notes (tamalluk) are records that establish the transfer of ownership or the use of a manuscript, and they form part of the accompanying texts. The Shaykh stressed that analyzing these notes requires familiarity with their historical and social background in order to ensure accurate understanding.
Types of Ownership Notes
- The bare name: this type appears in early manuscripts, where only the owner’s name is written, with no further indication.
- Adding the possessive lam: such as “لمحمد بن أحمد” (“belonging to Muhammad ibn Ahmad”); this style gives clarity to the note.
- Using implicit phrases: such as “يعتمد على الله” (“he relies upon Allah”), phrases that may be implicit but carry an indication of ownership.
- Using explicit phrases: such as “ملك فلان” (“the property of so-and-so”) or “اشتراه فلان” (“so-and-so bought it”), which make the note clear.
- Symbolic or cryptic phrases: these are rare and require careful interpretation to be understood.
Locations of Ownership Notes in the Manuscript
- The opening pages: ownership notes are most often recorded on the title page.
- The final pages: where they appear next to the conclusion.
- Scattered places inside the book: these are rare, but may appear in certain contexts.
The Development of Ownership Notes
The Shaykh reviewed the development of these notes, explaining that they began with bare names in the early centuries and then developed into more detailed formulas in the medieval period. In later periods, the custom of writing ownership notes on the spine of the binding appeared.
Ways of Tampering with Ownership Notes
The Shaykh discussed the phenomenon of tampering with ownership notes, pointing out that its purpose is usually to conceal the previous ownership of the manuscript. The most prominent methods include:
- Removing the text indicating ownership: by cutting away parts of the pages.
- Covering the text with pasted paper: used to hide the original note.
- Scraping or blotting out: using tools designed to remove text.
- Adding new notes over the old ones: to document a new ownership.
Practical Examples
The Shaykh presented applied examples from heritage manuscripts that reflect the complexity of these notes. For example, he pointed to manuscripts of Ahmad Shakir that contained attempts to conceal previous ownership notes using pasted-over paper.
The Importance of Studying Ownership Notes
The Shaykh stressed that analyzing ownership notes reveals important aspects of a manuscript’s history and its circulation among owners. He explained that failing to read these notes accurately may lead to mistaken conclusions that compromise the integrity of scholarly editing. He also highlighted the role of these notes in documenting the historical movements of manuscripts, which makes them an integral part of the processes of cataloguing and editing.
Conclusion
The Shaykh concluded the lecture by stressing that understanding the rationale of ownership notes and their building blocks is an essential tool for any researcher in manuscript studies. He indicated that the coming lessons would deal with related subjects, such as endowment notes and reading notes, enriching the participants’ specialized knowledge.