Lot 214 MUHAMMAD BIN SULAYMAN AL-JAZULI (D.1465 AD), DALA'IL AL-KHAYRAT KASHMIR, NORTH INDIA, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, a finely illuminated copy of the Dala’il al-Khayrat, the celebrated collection of prayers and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad composed by the Moroccan Sufi master Imam Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. 1465). Each folio contains 11 lines of Naskh script, written in black ink and set within cloud-shaped reserves against a sprinkled gilt ground, with interlinear divisions in red. The text is framed by finely ruled gilt and polychrome borders, while titles and important words are highlighted in red ink. The opening folio is richly illuminated with elaborate gilt and polychrome ornament, and the chapter headings are set within decorated gilt and polychrome panels.

The final pages contain the Duʿa al-Khatm, the traditional prayer recited upon completion of the Dala’il al-Khayrat, followed by a finely executed depiction of al-Rawda al-Sharifa, the Prophet Muhammad’s sacred tomb in Medina, together with the tombs of his two companions.

The Dala’il al-Khayrat occupies a distinguished place within Islamic devotional literature and has, for centuries, inspired calligraphers, illuminators and painters throughout the Islamic world. Its manuscripts reflect the artistic traditions of different regions and dynasties, while the practice of reciting its prayers and blessings (salawat) in both public and private devotional gatherings continues to the present day. Housed in its original floral papier-mâché binding, with some damage. Text: 7.5 × 13.5 cm Panel: 12 × 19 cm