Book/Printed Material Al-Furqānī's Qurʼanic "Duʻā".
About this Item
Title
- Al-Furqānī's Qurʼanic "Duʻā".
Summary
- This 13-page manuscript is a Muslim mystic duʻā (prayer) attributed to Sayf ibn ʻAlī ibn ʻĀmir al-Furqānī, an Omani Ibadite (also seen as Ibadhite and Ibadi) scholar who is known for his writings on Islamic esotericism. Ibadism (also seen as Ibadhism) is an Islamic denomination that traces its roots to the seventh century, at the time of the Sunni-Shiite schism. It is named after Abdullāh ibn Ibāḍ, one of the founding scholars of the doctrine. Today's adherents of Ibadism are found primarily in Oman, in addition to other communities in North and East Africa. Al-Furqānī's additional name attribute, al-Nizwī, suggests he hailed from Nizwā, one of the oldest cities and centers of scholarship in the interior of Oman. It is unclear when he lived, but a note at the end of the prayer states that the manuscript is in his own hand, and another note, albeit in a different ink, adds that it was copied in Rabīʻ al-Awwal 1318 AH (June 1900). It is believed that al-Furqānī used to perform this duʻā after each of the five daily Muslim prayers. The text on the margins of the first two pages gives guidance about the nature of the duʻā and how to perform it. The language is clearly of Sufi nature, with frequent use of terms such as nūr (luminosity), ʻilm (knowledge), luṭf (sublimity), and sirr (mystery). The last page of the manuscript shows another prayer, in the form of a grid consisting of six-by-six squares. Each square is divided into two triangles that are inscribed with the phrase Allāhu ʻalīm (Allah is all-knowing) and the number of times the phrase should be repeated. The use of the root letters ʻa-l-m (to know), together with the numbers, suggests a belief in the so-called ʻilm al-ḥurūf (knowledge of the letters), where the letters, especially those comprising the name of God, are believed to carry divine secrets that may be perceived only by those who worship diligently.
Names
- ʻUmānī, Sayf ibn ʻAlī ibn ʻĀmir al-Furqānī al-Nazawī Author.
Created / Published
- [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1900.
Headings
- - Oman
- - 1800 to 1900
- - Arabic manuscripts
- - Ibadites
- - Islamic manuscripts
- - Prayers
- - Sufism
Notes
- - Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
- - Original resource extent: 16 pages : black ink; 22 centimeters.
- - Reference extracted from World Digital Library: Hussein Ghubash, Oman-The Islamic Democratic Tradition (London and New York: Routledge, 2006).
- - Original resource at: Sultan Qaboos University Library.
- - Content in Arabic.
- - Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
Medium
- 1 online resource.
Digital Id
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2021667306
Online Format
- compressed data
- image