SPL Hand Coloured Rare Book Collection Featuring Norman R Bobins

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Muhammad ibn Suleyman al-Jazuli.

Soon after it was written, the Dala'il al Khayrat swept across the Islamic World, from North Africa to Indonesia. All well-to-do homes had one; princes exchanged magnificently embellished copies of it and commoners treasured it.

Published
Morocco, ca 1820
Plates
7
Binding/Size
S=8vo
Value
0-5000
Published
Morocco, ca 1820
Ref
1606

A single volume 105 x 95mm, 304 leaves (plus a contemporary free endpaper at the end), complete, a decorated Arabic manuscript on paper (laid paper of Western export), five decorated headings; opening important sections of text - three in bright yellow banners with decorative medallions extending into the margins. Two full-page illustrations in the text of holy sites in Mecca (the tombs of the holy prophet and the three caliphs), text in a single column, nine lines in dark brown maghribi script per page with the words "Allah" and 'Muhammad' copied in red, blue, green and yellow. Contemporary catch-words throughout, some light marginal finger-soiling, leaves trimmed with fractional loss to marginal decorations. Housed in a modern dark brown morocco over pasteboards with flap. Al-Jazuli was born in the Sous area of Morocco and compiled this [best known] work in Fez after spending almost 40 years traveling to Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. He is one of the Seven Muslim Saints of Marakkesk and is buried in a mausoleum in the city. The text is a popular collection of Sunni Muslim devotional prayers for the Prophet Mohammad, including the 100 names of Allah and illustrations of holy sites at Mecca.