Mir’āt al-ayyām wa-al-daraj مرآة الأيام والدرج Najm al-Dīn Muḥammad Ma‘rūf نجم الدين محمد معروف

Or 7716, ff 128r-144v

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The record is made up of Ff. 128r-144v. It was created in 17th century. It was written in Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: Oriental Manuscripts.

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Treatise by Najm al-Dīn Muḥammad Ma‘rūf (نجم الدين محمد معروف; fl. ca 1001/1592) describing and explaining the use of an instrument for making calendrical conversions, and calculating the beginnings of the months in the Islamic (عربي), Syro-Macedonian (رومي), Persian and Coptic calendars, including the use of the intercalary month (كبس). The instrument looked like an astrolabe Ancient instrument for astronomical observations. or perpetual calendar with a base plate or mother (أم) upon which were fitted rotating plates (دور). The text is accompanied by tables allowing the instrument to be used for the 384 years from 1001/1592 to 1394/1975.

Since the earliest date mentioned in the accompanying tables is 1001/1592, it is possible that the author of this treatise is identifiable as the Ottoman astronomer Najm al-Dīn Nuqṭah ibn Ma‘rūf (Rosenfeld and Ihsanoğlu, Mathematicians, Astronomers, and Other Scholars , 2003, p. 335 [no. 1005]), brother of the Chief Astronomer (Müneccimbası) to the Ottoman Sultan Selīm II, Taqī al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ma‘rūf (تقي الدين محمد بن معروف, d. 1585; see Rosenfeld and Ihsanoğlu, Mathematicians, Astronomers, and Other Scholars , 2003, pp. 333-35 [no. 1004]).

The text is divided into three chapters (أبواب), which appear to have been bound out of order: Chapter 1 (الباب الأول) begins on f. 129r; Chapter 3 (الباب الثالث) on f. 135r; and Chapter 2 (الباب الثاني) on f. 139r.

Diagrams and tables:

Diagram of part of the mother (أم) of the conversion instrument (130v);

Diagram of part of the back of the mother (أم) of the conversion instrument (133v);

Table of years in the Islamic (عربي) calendar in which an intercalary month (كبس) must be added in the Syro-Macedonian (رومي) calendar (f. 134r);

جدول درجة الشمس ويسمى بالشبكة الذي يستعمل من أول سنة 1001 إلى غاية سنة 1123 (Table of Solar longitude known as the 'Grid' useful from the beginning of 1001/1592 to the end of 1123/1712; f. 136v);

Diagram of part of the conversion instrument (f. 137v);

Bare table (الجدول المجرد; f. 139r);

Table of intercalary months (f. 140r);

جدول درجة الشمس ويسمى بالشبكة الذي يستعمل من أول سنة 1124 إلى غاية سنة 1279 (Table of Solar longitude known as the 'Grid' useful from the beginning of 1124/1712 to the end of 1279/1863; f. 141r);

جدول درجة الشمس ويسمى بالشبكة الذي يستعمل من أول سنة 1280 إلى غاية سنة 1394 (Table of Solar longitude known as the 'Grid' useful from the beginning of 1280/1863 to the end of 1394/1975; f. f. 141v);

Table comparing the Syro-Macedonian (رومي) months and the Zodiac signs (ff. 142v-143r).

The text is followed by a brief tradition about a meeting between Muḥammad ibn Wāsi‘ ibn Jābir (d. 123 AH) and Satan (f. 145v).

Begins (f. 128v, lines 2-4):

الحمد لله مبدع الكون على غير مثال مودع قلب الإنسان غايات مبادي

الكمال مكور الأكوار ومدور الأدوار وجاعل الليل والنهار عبرة لأولى الألباب

مقدر القمر منازل لتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب ...

Ends (f. 144v, lines 2-6):

... وسموا كل قسم منها فنك وقسموا هذه الفنكات على الچاغات والکههات فخص کل چاغ ثمانیة

وثلثة وثلثون فنكًا وثلثًا فنك وخص كل كه مائة وأربعة

فنكات وسدس وجعلوا ابتداء اليوم بليلته من خامس كه من الچاغ

Extent and format
Ff. 128r-144v
Written in
Arabic in Arabic script
Type
Manuscript item

Archive information for this record

Access & Reference

Original held at
British Library: Oriental Manuscripts
Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference
Or 7716, ff 128r-144v

History of this record

Date(s)
17th century (CE, Gregorian)

Related material

Select Bibliography

Rosenfeld, B. A. and Ekmeleddin Ihsanoğlu, Mathematicians, Astronomers, and Other Scholars of Islamic Civilization and Their Works (7th–19th c.) , (Istanbul: IRCICA, 2003), pp. 333-335

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Mir’āt al-ayyām wa-al-daraj مرآة الأيام والدرج Najm al-Dīn Muḥammad Ma‘rūf نجم الدين محمد معروف, British Library: Oriental Manuscripts, Or 7716, ff 128r-144v, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025776470.0x000003> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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