Unknown - Dala'il Al Khairat - 1820

A beautifully illuminated folio manuscript from the Dala'il Al Khayrat, a collection of prayers in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, which was written by the Moroccan Shadhili scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli (died 1465 AD), and believed to have been scribed in Bokhara. It is the first major book in Islamic history which compiled litanies of peace and blessings upon Muhammad. It is thought to be the most copied book in Islam after the Qur'an. It is a classic tasliyah (invocation blessing), consisting of repeated formulas asking for blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad.

The detailing and colours are quite exquisite, from the tightly scripted verse in naskhi, to the floral border and frame work. Each line of text is written within an individual gold cloud-band, a device typical of fine Ottoman and Persian influenced devotional manuscripts, to give the impression that the words are floating inside burnished clouds. Small rosette markers in red and gold punctuate phrase breaks. The outer margin carries a delicate florals rolling vine, border style common to C18th/C19th Ottoman and Indo-Persian manuscripts.

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