Abu al Shadill - Hizb al-Bahr - 1868

A beautifully illustrated manuscript page from the Hizb al-Bahr, a famous Sufi prayer traditionally attributed to Abu al-Shadill (d.1258), founder of the Shadhili order. it is widely used for protection while traveling, especially by sea. Under the basmala, is text from the opening line of Hizb al-Bahr, "O Allah, You are the Lord and I am the servant". The folio was from the remnants of a manuscript of a Kashmiri Koran. Binding the al-Bahr and other du'a, such as the Du a Khatm al-Qur'an, as an appendix to a Qur'an was common practice.

The remainder of the text is paired attributes to Allah in a call and response structure, such as that described above. This litany style repeating "You are the [Divine Attribute] and I am the [corresponding human condition] is characteristic of the opening invocations found in similar Shadhili protective prayer, building rhythmically before the main body of the supplication begins.

The elaborate, gold-ground arched header with dense floral scrollwork, a central rosette medallion, and blue triangular cartouches framed by red-green and gold border, is very typical of the Persian influence on Kashmiri decorative art. The single page of large script is in a very fine hand, with the whole bordered in gold columns. It would be a wonderful and colourful edition to any collection or make a wonderful gift.

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