Kitāb al-aḥkām ‘alá al-nisbah al-falakīyah كتاب الأحكام على النسبة الفلكية Sahl ibn Bishr سهل بن بشر

Content

A treatise on interrogatory astrology by Abū ‘Uthmān Sahl ibn Bishr al-Isrā’īlī (أبو عثمان سهل بن بشر الإسرائيلي; AD 786-c 845). The copy was produced by an anonymous scribe on the night of 5 Dhū al-Ḥijjah 1093 (5 December 1682).

Folio 45r contains an astrological table written by a hand that appears to be later than that of the main scribe.

The text is divided into two chapters, each one subdivided into sections (أبواب). The first chapter gives an introduction to the science of astrology, and the second explains how answers to questions are to be found in the movements of the heavenly bodies. The first chapter of the treatise was translated into Latin as the Liber introductorius ad astrologiam or Introductorius ad scienciam iudiciorum astrorum in interrogationibus; the second chapter was translated as De interrogationibus.

Contents:

• Chapter One (ff. 1v-8v);
• Chapter Two (ff. 8v-44v).

Begins (f. 1v, lines 2-4):

قال سهل بن بشر الإسرائيلي اعلم أن البروج الإثنى عشر منها ستة ذكور

وستة الإناث فالحمل برج ذكر نهاري والثور برج أنثى ليلي وكذلك يتلو الذكر

الأنثى والأنثى الذكر إلى آخر البروج ...

Ends (f. 44v, 19-23):

فانظر إلى موضع السعود والنحوس في هذه المواضع الإثنى عشر فكلّ برج كان فيه سعد

وكان صاحبه مسعودَا فأقض على ما ينسب إلى جوهر ذلك البيت بالفرح والخير وأيما برج كان

فيه نحسّا وكان صاحبه منحوسًا أفسد كلّ ما نسب إلى ذلك البيت والله تعالى أعلم بالصواب

وإليه المرجع والمأب وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليمًا

كثيرًا إلى يوم الدين ...

Colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. (f. 44v, 23-26):

... تمت الرسالة لسهل بن بشر الإسرائيلي

تحريرًا في ليلة الأحد المبارك 5 ذي الحجة الحرام

سنة 1093

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. iii+45+iii

Physical characteristics

Material: Paper

Dimensions: 204 x 142 mm leaf [154 x 105 mm written]

Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil; quire Collection of papers folded in half and stitched together to form a gathering of folios. marks on ff. 10, 20, 30 and 40 indicate quinions

Ruling: Misṭarah ; 23 lines per page; vertical spacing 15 lines per 10 cm

Script: Naskh

Ink: Black ink, with rubricated headings and overlinings in red

Binding: British Museum binding

Condition: Minor water damage in outer margin towards middle of volume

Marginalia: Some on ff. 1r-7r

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

Type

Manuscript

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: Oriental Manuscripts

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Or 12802

History of this record

Date(s)

5 Dhū al-Ḥijjah 1093 (AH, Hijri qamari)

Context of creation

Egypt?

Related material

Subjects

Astrology--Early works to 1800

Share this record

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook

Cite this record in your research

Kitāb al-aḥkām ‘alá al-nisbah al-falakīyah كتاب الأحكام على النسبة الفلكية Sahl ibn Bishr سهل بن بشر, British Library: Oriental Manuscripts, Or 12802, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/node/403> [accessed 23 November 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100022564524.0x000001

IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100022564524.0x000001/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Copyright: How to use this content