The catalog in hand is a major step in two important cultural enterprises. The first is an individual one; I started it- on my own- ten years ago when I discovered that the manuscript libraries, especially the ones located outside Cairo, and their contents are jeopardized to perish beyond redemption. Moreover, they suffered from seclusion away from researchers’ reach; add to it, the absence of any catalogs introducing their collections. Thus, it was a stimulus to embark on my ambitious enterprise to catalog all the manuscripts scattered all over Egypt. So I started on a long road, though it is still stretching ahead I managed so far to accomplish the cataloging of Alexandria University collection (1671 manuscripts) and the publication of its two comprehensive volumes by the Institute of Arab manuscripts. This was followed by the cataloging of the exquisite collection of Rifā‘a al-Tahtāwiy Library in Suhag, whose three voluminous catalogs were published by the aforementioned institute in three successive years, from 1996 to 1998.

During my work as manuscript and heritage Consultant and then the Director of the Manuscripts and Rare Books Administration of the grand international cultural enterprise; the Bibliotheca Alexandria, I published the first five parts of the Catalog of the Alexandria Municipal Library; the first two volumes of the Catalog of Abūl-‘Abbās Mosque; the first volume of the Catalog of the Religious Institute of Smūha and more are to follow.

The second project comes within the framework of the al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation in London. al-Furqan Foundation has been taking major steps towards the implementation of its ambitious project aiming at preserving and introducing the Arab Islamic manuscripts all over the world. It has published a host of works: manuscript catalogs, authenticated books, conference proceedings, and academic papers. Thereby, al-Furqan Foundation has emerged as one of the significant charitable establishments concerned with the conservation of heritage in the world.  

Last year, both projects met when al-Furqan Foundation published the catalog of Rosetta’s and Damanhur’s manuscripts. The appearance of the catalog brought both collections into light after long decades of negligence and withdrawal away from the reach of specialists, whom regarded and welcomed them with great appreciation. Thank is due to Allāh.

By the time of the publication of the above-mentioned catalog, I had not have the pleasure of meeting Sheikh Ahmad Zakī, founder and chairman of al-Furqan Foundation. I was introduced to him few months ago in Istanbul during one of the international conferences. I discovered then the reason for his interest in the Arab Islamic heritage, as he possesses an attentive mentality of deep perception and a sincere involvement in our culture. Thus, it is not surprising to find a man of such a wonderful combination of extraordinary attributes and orientation to be deeply concerned with heritage that forms the quintessence of our cultural identity.

The Catalog of Shibin al-Kum Manuscripts brought again both projects together on the long road stretching between the past and the present. Before introducing this catalog, it would be fitting here to throw light on the Egyptian governorate whose capital is Shibin al-Kum.

al-Munufiyya is located in the south part of the middle of the Delta of the Nile. It is known for the excellence of its agricultural products, the thing that qualifies it for designation as ‘The Green Province.’ The history of al-Munufiyya is deeply rooted back in time. Its name was derived from the ancient Egyptian word min nafr (the good land). The Copts knew it by the name of min nūfī, and it evolved -after the Islamic conquer- into Munūfīyya.     

al-Munufiyya played an important role in introducing Islam into Egypt, when the Munufinians  joined the conquering Arabs against the Roman army whose general fled to Alexandria in 640 AD after the defeat by ‘Amr bin-al-‘Ās. Few centuries later, with the arrival of the European invader, the Munufinians stood up to the French military expedition to Egypt. Many battles took place between them and the French, which hinder the advance of the French armies jeopardizing seizing Cairo. Thus, Napoleon had to build a fleet equipped with heavy artillery in the Nile to protect his troops as well as to construct a number of forts. Nevertheless, the Munufinians attacked the General of Artillery De Martin and killed him along with 14 of his soldiers in 1799 AD.

During the British occupation of Egypt, the infamous Dinšiwāy incident took place in al-Munufiyya. A number of British officers went shooting pigeons; they hit a woman standing on a roof of a house and cause a fire to break out. While the officers were running away from the infuriated villagers, one of them had sunstroke and died. The authority of the British occupation held a fallacious trial, whereby it sentenced four men to death by hanging and twenty others were flogged and imprisoned. The national leader Mustafā Kāmil made out of this event a base to launch his war against the occupation, and he kept struggling until the prisoners were set free in 1908. The consequences of the incident were not limited to the death of a British officer, hanging and torturing of a number of Egyptian villagers, it exerted enormous impacts on international political circles. Moreover, it mobilized national sentiments as it appeared clearly in the 1919 Revolution. This event was the first nail in the coffin of the occupation in Egypt.

al-Munufiyya’s giving has continued to the present time in assorted domains of contemporary Egyptian life, especially in agriculture and development. It is note worthy that the former and present presidents of Egypt are originally from al-Munufiyya, in addition to a large number of towering figures of arts and thought such as Dr Zakī Mubārak.

Shibin al-Kum is a small town that became the capital of al-Munufiyya few decades ago. It has one of the earliest universities in Egypt and a cultural administration with a general library, originally the municipal library, which has recently affiliated to the ministry of culture.

The library was inaugurated in 1927 during the reign of King Fū’ād, it was called after the prince of the crown who succeeded later to the throne of Egypt: King Fārūq I. Among the samples of manuscripts included is the official document of the opening ceremony of the library that was attended by the Egyptian Prime Minister at that time Muhammad Mahmūd Pasha. In addition to thousands of volumes, the library comprises a collection consisting of 199 manuscripts according the library’s records; however, they number 311 according to my cataloging including 33 Qur’anic manuscripts. The manuscript collection varies in its subjects and topics; theology, philology, logic, Kalam inter alia. Before reviewing the rare and most significant manuscripts in Shibin al-Kum, it is noteworthy to indicate that some of the manuscripts included in the catalog in hand were not classified in the library as manuscripts but rather as printed books. On the other hand, a number of printed items were cataloged amongst the manuscripts! For instance: Khulāsat al-Hisāb–‘Compendium of Arithmetic’ by Bahā’ al-Dīn al-‘Āmiliy was kept among the manuscript collection and classified with the number 135/K. Although it is lithographed, the library’s staff miscataloged as a manuscript as the colophon reads the following: ‘The letters of the book are accomplished, with the guidance of the King and Bestower God, by Hāj ‘Aliy al-Radā’iy Qarrah.’

The collection owes it value to the antiquity of some of the manuscripts, the rarity of the others, the invaluable artistic quality of illumination and binding, or by being autographs or transcribed during the age of its author. Chief among them:

·        An exquisite copy of al-Burda al-Nabawiyya- ‘The Garment of Prophet Muhammad,’ a poem by al-Būsayriy, also known as al-Kawākib al-Durriyya fī Madh Khayr al-Bariyya- ‘The Luminous Stars of Praising the Best of Mankind’ (Messenger Muhammad) transcribed by Muršid al-Šīrāziy in 875H.

·        A good copy of Manār al-Anwār- ‘Beacon of Lights’ transcribed during the life of its author al-Nasafiy in 888 H.

·        An autograph manuscript of al-Šadharāt al-‘Asjadiyya wa al-Nafha al-Mi‘ttāra fī Bayān al-Haqīqa wa al-Majāz wa al-Isti‘āra- ‘Golden Fragments and Aromatic Breaths in Highlighting the True Sense, Rhetoric and Metaphor’ by ‘Abdullāh al-Mīqātiy.

·         Risāla fī Kallā- ‘Treatise on Kallā (not at all; by no means)’ by Muhammad bin-Jurayr al-Tabariy.

·        Hāšīya alā Šarh al-Dawwāniy li-al-‘Aqā’id al-‘Adudiyya- ‘Critique on the al-Dawwāniy’s Interpretation of the Doctrines of ‘Adud al-Dīn’ with remarks by the author’s, Muhammad Šarīf al-‘Alawiy, handwriting.

·        Durar al-Hukām fī Šarh Ghurar al-Ahkām- ‘Rulers’ Gems in the Interpretation of Ghurar al-Ahkām (the Prime Judgments)’ (both works are by Mullā Khusrū) transcribed in 995 H.

·        Šarh al-Farā’id al-Sirājiyya- ‘Interpretation of the Laws of Distributive Shares of Sirāj al-Din’ by Ibn Kamāl Bāšā transcribed in 970 H. (thirty years after the death of the author of the interpretation).

·        Awdah al-Masālik īlā Alfiyyat Ibn Mālik- ‘The Clearest Path to Ibn Mālik’s Alfiyya’ (treatise on grammar in the form of a poem of 1000 lines) by Ibn Hišām transcribed in 943 H.

·        Rawd al-Akhyār al-Muntakhab min Rabī‘ al-Abrār- ‘Selected Meadows of the Pick of Human Race from Rabī‘ al-Abrār (Spring of the Righteous)’ by Ibn al-Khatīb al-Amāsiy (d. 940 H.) transcribed in 921 H.

·        Rūh al-Šurūh- ‘Gist of Interpretations’ transcribed in 1147 H. during the life of its author al-Barrāwiy.

·        A rare copy of Tāškubrā Zadā’s interpretation of his own treatise on arts. 

The catalog in hand is accomplished according to the indexing system adopted in the previous catalogs. Such a system is by far an advanced one following the set rules and standards of the major establishments of heritage such as the Institute of Arab Manuscripts. Overall, it is a cataloging system that indexes the manuscripts alphabetically taking into consideration the following points:

1.     Determining precisely the manuscript’s title and documenting it.

2.     Determining precisely the author’s name and documenting it.

3.     Including the incipit and explicit of each manuscript unless there is an older copy of the same text within the collection.

4.     Providing physical description of each manuscript whether being rare or copied.

5.     Indicating the classification number and subject heading.

It will not be fitting here to include more elaborate details concerning the system. However, the abovementioned points highlight its general nature. For more details see the first chapter in al-Mutawāliyāt:, Studies in Heritage published by al-Dār al-Masriyya al-Lubnaniyya, Cairo/ Beirut, 1998. The chapter, entitled the ‘Heritage Map of Egypt,’ includes a comprehensive description of the manuscripts cataloging and indexing methods. For further readings, my research published in the magazine of the Institute of Arab Manuscripts, originally the paper presented in the cataloging symposium held in Cairo under the title “Manuscripts Cataloging: Problems of Title and Author Documentation,” is recommended.

Finally, this is the first cataloging of the manuscripts of Shibin al-Kum. The first scientific introduction of the collection that remained for a long time away from the reach of scholars. If it were not for the support and unrelenting efforts of Dr Kamāl ‘Arafāt Nabhān, Director of al-Furqan Foundation and Sheikh Ahmad Zakī this catalog would not have come into existence.