Kutubkhana Asfia Manuscripts Digitized [Aug 2010]
We are thrilled to announce a significant expansion of our Digital Resource Center dedicated to the works of Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi. This month, we have successfully digitized and uploaded an additional 40 rare manuscripts, substantially enriching our online archive for scholars and enthusiasts worldwide. Our core mission remains steadfast: to provide free, open access to the primary textual sources of Akbarian studies. A great number of Ibn al-Arabi’s seminal works still lack critical editions, making the availability of original manuscripts not just beneficial but essential for rigorous academic and spiritual research.
We uphold a strict ethical policy for our digital publications; we only host manuscripts that are either free from copyright restrictions or for which we have obtained explicit permission from the copyright holders to publish online. This ensures our repository is both a valuable and a legally compliant resource for the global community.
While some of these manuscripts may not be considered ancient or historic in the traditional sense of dating back many centuries, their value is immense. Many of these texts contain invaluable marginalia (hawashi), ownership seals, and meticulous chains of transmission (shajrah-e-naskh) recorded by the scribes. Furthermore, several manuscripts include precise transcription dates, which in themselves grant certain copies a distinct historical importance for tracing the study and dissemination of Ibn al-Arabi’s ideas across the Indian subcontinent. Perhaps most importantly, this collection includes texts that have never been published in any form, even in the original Arabic. Therefore, their digitization represents the crucial first step towards their eventual publication and wider scholarly circulation.
Financial support by Dr. Hamid
This phase of our ongoing manuscript archival project was made possible through the generous technical and financial support of Dr. Hamid, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude. His commitment to preserving this intellectual heritage has been instrumental. We also wish to express our profound thanks to all the individuals and institutions who have provided moral and logistical support, encouraging us to persevere in this ambitious undertaking. We humbly pray that Allah blesses this effort, accepts our intentions, and guides us steadfastly on the right path to serve this noble cause.
To access and read these newly available manuscripts online, please click on the link provided below. We will continue to seek out, digitize, and publish every accessible manuscript of Ibn al-Arabi’s works found in the subcontinent, building a comprehensive digital archive we hope will be of great benefit to present and future generations of students and scholars in the field of Akbarian studies.
Complete Collection
View this complete collection here
