An amulet on long scroll of vellum or snake skin, rolled around a central axis into a silver hexagonal tube with a cap; niello etched in an arabesque pattern in gold, with three loops where a chain can go through, so that it can be worn as a necklace. The scroll is written in a long central column surrounded by eight different rectangular compartments in different colors. The central column contains Surat al-Qadr (Qurʼan: Chapter 97), followed by Surāt al-Fātiḥat (Qurʼan: Chapter 1), followed by the Creator's verse of Sūrat al-Ḥajj (Qurʼan: Chapter 22:65), followed by a long invocation asking God for help and guidance, followed by a Shiʻī invocation asking for the intecession of Imām ʻAlī, followed by a magic square. The amulet is meant to have magical powers to protect the owner. Name of copyist (and/or creator) and place and date of copying/and or production not mentioned, probably from the 18th or 19th century
Description:
In Arabic., Incipit: Starts with Sūrat al-Qadr (Qurʼan: Chapter 97): "Innā anzalnāhu fī Laylat al-Qadr ...", Title supplied by cataloger., Romanization supplied by cataloger., 39.5 x 6 cm., and The central part of the amulet is written in ruqʻah/naskh script and the compartments in thulth script, in black, blue, red and gold.
A collection of Islamic prayers, invocations and decorations, as follows: 1. Part of an invocation in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic (folio 1a). The first leaf seems to be missing. 2. Asmāʼ Allāh al-ḥusná (The 99 most beautiful names of God), written within gold squares (folio 1b-3a). 3. The name of the Prophet Muḥammad (folio 3a-4b). 4. Duʻāʼ istighfār kabīr (A prayer for seeking God's forgiveness) (folios 4b-5a). 5. Sharḥ muhr kabīr sharīf (An explanation of the noble seal of God) (folio 5b). 6. The seal itself written in large thulth script (folio 6a). 7. The word "Allāh, jalla jalāluh", written within a crescent moon surrounded by a decorative rectangle in gold and blue (folio 6b). 8. The word "Muḥammad, ʻalyhi al-salām" written in a similar fashion (folio 7a). 9. The name of "Adam" written within a circle surrounded by a decorative rectangle in gold and blue (folio 7b). 10. The names of Noah, Muḥammad, Abū Bakr, ʻUmar, ʻUthmān, ʻAlī, Ḥasan, Ḥusayn in a similar fashion (folios 8a-12a). 11. The names of the famous companions of the Prophet Muḥammad, written within decorative circles: Abū Bakr, ʻUmar, ʻUthmān, ʻAlī, Ṭalḥah, Zubayr, ʻAbd Allāh, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān, Ibn ʻAwf, Saʻd, Saʻīd, Abū ʻUbaydah, Ḥasan, Ḥusayn (folios 12b-19a). 12. The names of "Ahl al-Kahf" (Seven sleepers of Ephesus): Yamlīkhā, Makshalīnā, Mithlīnā, Marnūsh, Bardanūsh, Shādhanūsh,Kafshaṭṭayyūsh and their dog "Qaṭmīr" (folios 19b-23a). 13. A prayer in the form of cypress trees (folios 23b-32a). 14. Invocation seals "muhrs": "Yā Ḥannān", "Yā Mannān" (Oh Merciful, Oh Generous), "Wa-huwa ʻalá kull shayʼ qadīr (He is able to do anything), Unity of God, Shifāʼ al-Qurʼān (Quranic medicine), seal of a prayer for getting well, seal for the great prayer of getting well, the seal of the Prophet, the seal of Sulaymān (Solomon), explanation of the seal of Jaʻfar al-Ṣādiq (the sixth Shiʻī Imām, died 765), the seal of the Almighty, all written within decorative circles (folios 32b-38a). 14. Drawings of: "Hand of Faṭimah", "Dhū al-Fiqār" (ʻAlī's sword), foot of the Prophet Muḥammad, the Prophet's shoes, "Tawakkalū ʻalá Allāh" (Rely upon God), the staff of Moses, an ax, a rose, the banner of gratitude, the cloak of the Prophet Muḥammad, his rosary, his ewer and his basin, all drawn in gold (folios 39b-43a). 15. Decorative sketches of Mecca and Medina in gold and other colors (folios 43b-44a). 16. A prayer for attaining "al-Maqām al-Maḥmūd" (the Glorious Station "a place in Heaven") (folios 44b-45a). 17. Various Islamic flags drawn in gold (folios 45b-47a). 18. Various prayers for variety of occasions (folios 47b-69a). 19. Various talismanic numerology squares (folios 69b-72b). Name of copyist and place and date of copying not mentioned, probably from the 18th century
Description:
In Arabic and Ottoman Turkish., Title supplied by cataloger., Romanization supplied by cataloger., Incipit: The first leaf seems to be missing., Secundo folio: al-rāfiʻ al-muʻizz al-mudhill., 12 x 19 cm; written surface: 6 x 10 cm; lines per page vary., Binding: In brown leather binding with flap; covers richly gilt with central medallion on both sides and corners decorations; edges slightly rubbed., In large and beautiful naskh or thulth scripts, in black ink on thin white paper; with headings in white ink on gold background; catchwords., and Colophon: Last page seems to be missing; ends with a magic square and the katchword "barkamsah".
