Unknown - Dala'il Al Khairat - 1820

A beautifully illuminated miniature folio copy of a page from the Dala'il Al Khayrat, a collection of devotional prayers for the Islamic prophet Muhammad, which was written by the Moroccan Shadhili scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli (died 1465 AD), and believed to have been scribed in Bukhara. 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. The leaf has exquisite detailing.

It is penned in tightly scripted lines of Arabic naskhi in black ink, pillowed within gold clouds that separate and embellish the individual lines. The opening line is the traditional Bismillah and the remaining text can be paraphrased with the following:

" There is no god but God alone, without partner; to Him belong dominion and praise....God grants mercy, forgives sins, raised the believer in rank, and records this remembrance among righteous deeds".

The text is enclosed within polychrome rules and surrounded by an illuminated floral border in blue, red, green and gold.

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