Kitab al-Kahf wal-raqim fi sharh Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim [A commentary on the Bismillah].

4to (150 x 200 mm). 76 ff. Arabic manuscript on paper. Black naskh script in 21 lines per page, with headings and important words and phrases picked out in red, marginal commentaries. In two sections bound together, both dated. Modern boards preserving original red leather spine. A two-part commentary of the all-important Bismallah, the phrase which appears before each sura in the Qu'ran, by the well-known Sufi poet and mystic Abd al-Karim al-Jili (1365-1424/28 CE). Al-Jili was made famous by his work Universal Man, in which he expounded on the philosophical teachings of 13th century Sufi scholar Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 CE) and discussed the nature of reality, the self, and human perfection. Beyond Universal Man, al-Jili wrote widely on matters religious and philosophical, including commentaries like this one, which were important in solidifying his standing as a well-respected religious scholar of the Muslim world. - This particular manuscript was copied by the scribe Abdul-Rahman al-Masiri in the Ottoman Empire, probably Ottoman Palestine, in a handsome, clear naskhi script. - Binding professionally renewed. Provenance: private UK collection (now deceased).