Sharḥ al-tadhkirah شرح التذكرة Birjandī, ʻAbd al-ʻAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn برجندي، عبد العلي بن محمد بن حسين [‎294r] (600/806)

Content

Commentary by ‘Abd al-‘Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn al-Birjandī (عبد العلي بن محمد بن حسين البرجندي, d. 923/1525 or 26) on the Kitāb al-tadhkirah fī al-hay’ah (كتاب التذكرة في الهيئة; see British Library, MS Or. 11209) a treatise on the astronomical system presented in the Almagest of Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus; c 90-c 168) by Naṣīr al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ṭūsī (نصير الدين محمد بن محمد الطوسي; d. 1274). Al-Birjandī completed his commentary in Rabī‘ I 913/July or August 1507 (see author's colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. , f. 393v, lines 22-23, transcribed below).

Since the commentary follows the structure of the text commented upon, it is divided into four books (أبواب) each subdivided into chapters (فصول):

• Book One: What Must Be Presented (الباب الأول فيما يجب تقديمه, ff. 6r-45v [2 chapters]);
• Book Two: The Arrangement of the Heavenly Bodies (الباب الثاني في هيئة الأجرام العلوية, ff. 45v-272r [14 chapters]);
• Book Three: The Arrangement of the Earth and What Pertains to it on Account of the Different Positions of the Heavenly Bodies (الباب الثالث في هيئة الأرض وما يلزمها بحسب اختلاف أوضاع العلويات, ff. 272r-362v [12 chapters]);
• Book Four: Knowing the Measure of the Distances and the Heavenly Bodies (الباب الرابع في معرفة مقادير الأبعاد والأجرام, ff. 362v-394r [7 chapters]).

The text contains numerous diagrams including one of the so-called 'Tusi couple' (f. 212v [Book Two, Chapter Eleven]), which demonstrates how linear motion can result from circular motion. This chapter was translated into Sanskrit in the 18th century (Takanori and Pingree, Arabic Astronomy in Sanskrit [Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2002]).

This copy was completed on Morning of Sunday 30 Sha‘bān 1097/22 July 1686 at Qom by Muḥammad Yūsuf ibn Muḥammad ‘Alī ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān (محمد يوسف بن محمد على بن عبد الرحمن, see colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. , f. 394r, lines 2-6, transcribed below). In two notes next to the colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. , the copyist complains of the difficulties he faced in producing a correct copy of the text, specifically that although he collated his copy as best he could, he was unable to find a correct copy for the collation. Nevertheless, he believes that he has produced the most correct copy in Qom (وظني أنه لم تكن في تلك البلدة نسخة أصح من نسختي والله أعلم, see collation note next to colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. , f. 394r).

A scrap of Western laid paper containing verses and calligraphic inscriptions seemingly unrelated to al-Birjandī's text is found inserted between ff. 49 and 50. A scrap of purple Western (?) laid paper containing calculations concerning measurements in cubits (ذراع) has been pasted to f. 273r.

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

الحمد لله الذي خلق السموات والأرض وجعل الظلمات والنور وبسط على

بساط الساهرة بميامن قدرته الباهرة الظل والحرور زين بحكمته السماء

الدنيا بزينة الكواكب ونور وجه الغبراء بأنوار النجوم الثواقب ...

Ends (f. 393v, line 21-394r, line 1):

... وقد اتفق جفاف القلم علن تأليفه وترتيب

ما أودعت فيه وترصيفه في شهر ربيع الأول من السنة الثالثة عشر المنيفة على

التسعمائة من الهجرة وأنا المتوسل إلى الله تعالى وبنبي الثقلين عبد

العلي بن محمد حسين أصلح الله شأنه وصانه عما شانه آمين رب العالمين

Copyist's colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. (f. 394r, lines 2-11):

نمقه العبد المحتاج إلى رحمة ربه الرحمن محمد يوسف بن محمد على

بن عبد الرحمن في بلدة قم صانها الله عما شانه وقد تم

تنميقه صبيحة يوم الأحد سلخ شهر شعبان المعظم من شهور

السنة السابعة من العشر الأخير من المائة الأولى

من الألف الثاني من الهجرة النبوية

المصطفوية على هاجرها ألف ألف

تحية وعلى آله خير الورى

الورى سحية

ما كرر النهار

والعشية

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. i+394+ii

Physical characteristics

Material: Eastern laid paper

Dimensions: 247 x 130 mm leaf [175 x 65 mm written]

Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil

Ruling: No ruling visible; 23 lines per page; vertical spacing 13 lines per 10 cm

Script: Naskh ; the scribe is Muḥammad Yūsuf ibn Muḥammad ‘Alī ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān (محمد يوسف بن محمد على بن عبد الرحمن, see colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. , f. 394r, lines 2-3)

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

Binding: Plain brown leather Islamic binding without envelope flap

Condition: Excellent; very minor water damage

Marginalia: Corrections and notes by hand of copyist and others

Seals: ff. 1v, 394r, 394v and back flysheet iii-v

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

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