Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d.1111 AD), 'The Mysteries of Fasting', from the author's Ihya 'ulum al-din, Morocco, 13th/14th century

Arabic manuscript on vellum, 17 lines to the page, written in Maghribi script in brown ink, later red morocco binding

In fair overall condition, main body of text loose in binding, binding worn with spine repaired, losses to leaf edges, some staining, some fading, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A royal waqf inscription states that this manuscript was presented by the Marinid Sultan al-'Mu'ayyid al-Mansur Amir al-Mu'minin Abu 'Inan al-Mutawakkil to the prestigious Qarawiyyin mosque in Fez in 751 AH/1350 AD.

Born in 1058 AD in the Iranian province of Khurasan, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (given the honorific title hujjat al-Islam, 'the Proof of Islam') was one of the greatest jurist-theologians of the medieval Islamic period and a prolific author on the religious sciences. The present manuscript represents a part of his greatest and best-known work, Ihya' 'ulum al-din, or 'The Revival of the Religious Sciences', in which he attempted to integrate the major disciplines of Islamic religion - theology and law, ethics and mysticism. It comprises ten books in four quarters; 'ibadat (religious duties); 'adat (social duties); al-muhlikat (the ways to perdition) and al-munjiat (what leads to salvation). The work was banned and burnt during the Almoravid era (first half of the twelfth century) in al-Andalus and the Maghrib, but it returned with renewed prestige under the Almohads. This manuscript is a rare testament to the rehabilitation of al-Ghazali's work by this time. According to Mingana, “This is the work of which it is said that if all other books on the religion of Islam had perished, this loss would not be felt so long as the precious Ihya survived”.

Other sections of this work are in the Chester Beatty Library, (see A. Arberry, A Handlist of the Arabic Manuscript, Dublin, 1956, p.45, no.3353; and A. Mingana, Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, 1934, pp.88-89, no.73 [223]). See also Brockelmann, GAL, i, 422, Suppl.i, 748.