On the art of reciting the Qur'an

Shatibi, Abu al-Qasim al-. [Matn al-Shatibiyyah].

€ 4,500.00

A beautiful copy of the poem "Hirz al-amani wa-wajh al-tahani", commonly known simply as "al-Shatibiyyah", written in two columns of tidy black naskh script on polished paper dyed pale green. The poem "al-Shatibiyyah" was named after its author, the Andalusian Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Shatibi (1144-94 CE). Still popular today with Muslims learning the art of Qur'an memorization and recital, the poem is used to guide a student of qira'a through the proper recitation of Qur'anic Arabic in a series of verses designed to be easy to memorize.

Its author, al-Shatibi, was a scholar in the thriving intellectual milieu of 12th century Muslim Spain and Egypt. Born in Xàtiva (modern País Valencià), he moved to Cairo in 1176 to teach at the al-Fadilya madrasa, where he devoted the rest of his life to the art of the recitation of the Qur'an, instilling his students with a better understanding of Arabic grammar, correct pronunciation, and working to improve the overall understanding and performance of the holy book of Islam.

This copy was made by a scribe named Hafez Ahmed Nazif.