Welcome to Al-Furqan’s E-Database
The largest gateway of Islamic written heritage
matches
- Language
- XAlbanian
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‘World Collections’ databank / collection
The ‘World Collections’ databank / collection holds the digitised outcome of the survey on the collections of Islamic manuscripts in the world, completed and published by the Al-Furqan Foundation in 1994, under the title “The World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts”.. This Survey is available in both the English and Arabic language.
This flagship project (the only one of this type to date) started in 1989, focusing on identifying and recording undocumented Islamic manuscript collections in the world, with the aim to support and instigate research into the field of Islamic manuscripts. A number of known scholars and experts contributed to this encyclopaedic work.
The Survey identified collections in 106 countries. It is a compilation of detailed independent studies, highlighting just over a million and a half Islamic manuscripts from just over 2,500 collections. These collections, in more than 40 languages, belong to public and private libraries in almost 1,300 cities. It gathered extensive information about these libraries, including details about their establishment and the status of their collections, unveiling in the process rare manuscripts. For example, the collection of manuscripts at the Institute of Oriental Culture (University of Tokyo) - that was acquired in 1987 - included several new and unique Islamic manuscripts. The noteworthy discoveries were two copies of Risala fi anwaʿ al-mashruʿat, a comprehensive work on the terminology of jurisprudence, by Luṭf Allah al-Kaydani (died 1349 AD /750 AH). These were significant findings, as they had not even been mentioned in the most renowned classical period references, such as Brockelmann's famous work Geschichte der Arabischen Litteratur (GAL), Sezgin's Geschichte Des Arabischens Schriftums (GAS), and Kaḥḥala's Muʿjam al-muʾallifin.
A large number of the identified libraries have listed and included detailed descriptions about the manuscripts held in their collection, in a form of a document or publication. This publication is known as a ‘catalogue’; with most of them published and available for purchase. Another form of a published catalogue is one that was compiled by a group of libraries, known as ‘library consortium’. These libraries partnered to combine their collections into one unified published catalogue, known as a ‘union catalogue’.
Some libraries held collections that were not catalogued or documented. Others made an attempt to describe their collections in simplified lists and general documentations. These were usually not published and are known as ‘unpublished catalogues’.
A unique outcome of the Survey was the identification of all the various catalogues. Just over 5,500 catalogues of Islamic manuscripts were surveyed, including the listing of almost 700 union catalogues, and almost 1,000 unpublished catalogues.
All this information and much more is ready to be explored on theAl-Furqan Digital Library, under the ‘World Collections’ databank.
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| Date of establishment: | 1877 |
| Status: | Institutional |
| Status Details: | Library attached to the University. |
| Condition of access: | Open from Monday to Saturday 9.00 -17.00. |
| Total number of Islamic MSS: | 14,460 (5,126 Arabic; 8,237 Persian; 20 Turkish; 1,077 Urdu). |
| Description of Collection: | The Manuscripts Division consists of the University Collection and also the collections of eleven donors. The most eminent donors are: (i) Janab Subhanullah Khan of Gorakhpur; (ii) Alhaj Moulvi Habibur Rahman Khan Sherwani, Sadaryar Jung of Aligarh; (iii) Janab Abdus Salam Khan of Rampur; (iv) Janab Ahsan Marahravi of Aligarh; (v) Sahibzada Aftab Ahmad Khan of Aligarh. No manuscripts are to be found in the University's Departments of Islamic studies, Shia & Sunni Theology departmental libraries, but there are a few in the Department of History and Ṭibbiya College Libraries. The Maulana Azad Library contains many important and rare Arabic and Persian Manuscripts, of which the details of four are given below: (i) Farsi ʿUlum; nos. 44 and 45 in two Vols. A Persian translation of the Kitab al-Tafhim of al-Biruni, 1st Vol. 135 folios, 2nd Vol. in modern hand 198 folios, dated ʿId al-Fitr 1266 A.H. with figures and diagrams in red in both Volumes. In the University collection. (ii) Tarjumah-ʾi Barahi-i Sanḵẖita: Persian translation of an important Sanskrit work on Astrology/Astronomy by the renowned Indian astronomer Varahamihira. The translation was made at the order of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq (752–790/ 1351–1388). The translator was ʿAbd al-ʿAziz Shams Nuri (Habibganj collection No. 44 Farsi). (iii) ʿUyun al-ajwiba fi funun al-asʾila: A mystical treatise by Abu 'l-Gasim ʿAbd al-Karim Ibn Hawazin al-Qushayri (d. 465 H/1072). Very rare and old copy, transcribed by the author himself. No other copy of this work exists. No. 21/64, Habibganj collection—29 folios. Title page states that it is the autograph of the author from fol. 5 to fol. 25. (iv) ʿAqa id al-Khawaṣ by Ibn al-ʿArabi (d. 638/1240). Unique MS. not mentioned by Brockelmann. See the description in: Aligarh Muslim University, Maulana Azad Library (manuscripts collection).By Noorul Hasan khan.In: Handbook of Libraries, Archives and information centres in India. Ed. B.M. Gupta, Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, Vol. 9 i, pp. 206–208. |
| Notes: | The library was initially established in the year 1877 with the personal collection of |
| Published Catalogues: | 9 |
| Unpublished Catalogues: | 6 |
| Published Catalogues Total: 9 | 1930 – 1932 |
1931 – 1932 | |
1955 | |
1969 | |
1973 | |
1980 | |
1981 | |
1985 | |
1986 | |
| Unpublished Catalogues Total: 6 | Abdul Hayy Collection: no printed catalogue; hand-written catalogue in Urdu available; 1194 Arabic, 228 Persian, 16 Urdu MSS. Particulars as in other catalogues. Tabular form. |
Abdus Salaam Collection: no printed catalogue, hand-written catalogue available; 50 Arabic, 498 Persian; 23 Urdu and 2 Turkish MSS. | |
Sulayman Collection: hand-written catalogue available, 298 Arabic, 904 Persian, 16 Urdu MSS and 46 Hindi books in Arabic script. | |
University collection: no printed catalogues; two hand-written catalogues-one of Arabic MSS and one of Persian & Urdu MSS up to 1968. 577 Arabic, 1,847 Persian, 730 Urdu MSS. | |
Munir Alam Collection: hand-written catalogues of manuscripts. 23 Arabic, 158 Persian and 8 Urdu. Total 189 MSS. Particulars given: title of the book, name of the author or compiler, date of composition, no. of folios or pages, no. of lines to the page, name of scribe, style of writing, date of transcription, place of writing, additional notes. | |
Qutbuddin Collection: hand-written catalogue available. 55 Arabic, 235 Persian and 5 Urdu = total 295 MSS. |
| Union Catalogues & Surveys Total: 12 | 1917 – 1918 |
1931 – 1932 | |
1936 | |
1947 | |
1947 | |
1951 | |
1964 | |
1965 | |
1967 | |
1969 | |
1986 | |
1988 | |
| Bibliographical appendix Total: 12 | 1949 |
1958 | |
1967 | |
1967 | |
1971 | |
1972 | |
1973 | |
1979 | |
1982 | |
1983 | |
1984 | |
1984 |
Cities surveyed
Libraries surveyed
Catalogues surveyed
