Welcome to Al-Furqan’s E-Database
The largest gateway of Islamic written heritage
matches
- Language
- XAlbanian
- XAmharic
- XArabic
- XAzeri
- XBamum
- XBelorussian
- XBerber
- XBosnian
- XChagatai
- XChaghatay
- XCoptic
- XDagbane
- XEastern Turki
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- XPolemics
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- XSuccession Law
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- XTurkish studies
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- XVeterinary
- XWarfare
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- XZoology
‘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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| Contact: | Qism al-Makhṭuṭat, Al-Maktaba al-Markaziya (Department of Manuscripts, Central Library) Ṭariq al-Maṭar al-SariϹ |
| Telephone: | +966 444425012 |
| Date of establishment: | 1395/1975 |
| Status: | Institutional |
| Status Details: | University library (governmental) |
| Condition of access: | MSS can be consulted in the Department of Manuscripts. Photographic copies can be obtained on payment of cost or by exchange. The library is open throughout the week except Thursdays and Fridays. |
| Total number of Islamic MSS: | 9,000 (8,690 Arabic; 73 Persian; 237 Turkish), plus 12,000 photocopies and microfilms. |
| Description of Collection: | The MSS deal with various subjects: Qurʾanic recitation, tafsir,Qurʾanic sciences, Ḥadith and related sciences, jurisprudence, doctrines, Arabic language sciences, rhetoric, literature, criticism, history, biography, Sira, geography. These form the greater part of the collection, but there are also some on astronomy, astrology, arithmetic, geometry, medicine, Sufism, logic, ethics and lexicography. The Department of Manuscripts of the University is considered to be the largest of its kind in the Kingdom in terms of acquisition and care of MSS, originals as well as photocopies. The library has the most modern facilities for preservation. Most MSS of the collection date from the 10th to the 13th centuries AH, but there are some from the 6th–9th centuries. The Library's holdings include the MSS from the Rawḍat Khayri library in Buḥayra, Egypt. Rare and notable items include: i) Kitab Abniyat al-asmaʾ wa-'l-maṣadir by Abu 'l-Qasim ʿAli ibn Jaʿfar al-Qaṭṭaʿ, unique MS., dated 657 AH; ii) Diwan al-Ḥamasa by Abu Tammam, dated Shaʿban 589 AH; iii) Al-Fuṣul, a tafsir of two parts in one volume by Nur al-Din Abu Ḥanifa ʿAbd al-Wahhab ibn Muḥammad ibn Ibrahim al-Buni, probably unique copy, 7th century AH; iv) Ṭabaqat al-aṭibbaʾ wa-'l-ḥukamaʾ by Sulayman ibn Ḥassan ibn Juljul, probably unique, 10th century AH (from the Rawḍat Khayri Library); v) An 8th/14th century illuminated (partly gilt) Qurʾan; vi) A Qurʾan copied in fine calligraphy on to a roll of cloth. The microfilm collection includes Arabic MSS in major libraries in Turkey and Europe. |
| Notes: | See published World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts. 1992 - 1994, Vol.3, p 34. |
| Published Catalogues: | 11 |
| Unpublished Catalogues: | 1 |
| Online access: | https://www.imamu.edu.sa/en/Pages/default.aspx |
| Published Catalogues Total: 11 | 1960 – 1963 |
1978 | |
1978 – 1980 | |
1980 | |
1982 | |
1985 | |
1986 | |
1987 | |
1987 | |
1987 | |
1987 | |
| Unpublished Catalogues Total: 1 | There is a card catalogue covering the entire collection of MSS, originals as well as photocopies, but it gives limited descriptions. |
| Union Catalogues & Surveys Total: 21 | 1919 |
1926 | |
1936 | |
1941 | |
1947 | |
1955 | |
1958 | |
1968 | |
1968 | |
1973 | |
1976 | |
1976 | |
1977 | |
1977 | |
1979 | |
1979 | |
1980 | |
1983 | |
1983 | |
1984 | |
1990 | |
| Bibliographical appendix Total: 11 | 1967 |
1978 | |
1980 | |
1982 | |
1982 | |
1983 | |
1983 | |
1984 | |
1985 | |
1986 | |
1986 |
Cities surveyed
Libraries surveyed
Catalogues surveyed
