Or 14319

This is a collection of fetvalar (fetava) or legal decisions authored by Mehmed Salih ibn-i İbrahim ibn-i Mustafa ibn el-Hac Ahmed ibn-i Recep el-Üsküdari, eş-şehir bi-Mezari Ga’ibzade. The present manuscript is in the hand of the compiler and is therefore likely to be unique. He was a kadı, as is shown by the presence of fetvalar of his as well as the wording of the colophon. He is not, however, included in ‘OM; nor do any of the entries in S‘O vol. III under ‘Ṣāliḥ Meḥemmed Efendi’ appear to refer to him.

The contents, comprising a total of 125 bablar, are detailed in a table on f 1v-4v, referring of course to the original foliation. The first part of the introduction (f 1v to near the end of 2r) is in Arabic. A considerable amount of text has been added by the compiler himself in the margins of f 10r and 129v-139v, and a few elsewhere. The names of the authors of most fetvalar are given; many are signed Mehmed Salih. In addition, f 5 contains an ownership inscription and seal of Mehmed Salih. The seal contains the words el-kâtib bi-mahkemet Üsküdar and is dated to 1209 AH /1794-5 CE.

Text begins (f 5v):

Besmele Kitab’ut-Tahare el-Hamd li-Velihi ve’s-selat ve’s-selam ’ala Nebihi ve alihi ve sahbihi amma ba‘d, fe-lemma su’iltu ‘ani’l-hacir (?) el-müsemma bi’s-Samak iza sara mücevvefen ve vuzi‘a fi cevfihi ehlü’l-küfri

Text ends (f 148v-149r):

Harrerehü’l-fakir Mehmed Salih el-kâtip bi-mahkemet Üsküdar fi 15 min Ramazan sene 1214. Elhamdülillahi ‘ala’t-tamam / ve’s-selat ‘ala Seyyidina Muḥammedin hüve eşrefü’l-enam / ve ‘ala alihi’l-‘izam / ve eshabihi’l-kiram / ma te‘akabe’l-leyali ve’l-eyyam.

The colophon, which is in Arabic, is found on f 148v and 149r. It states that the text was completed in Istanbul on 15 Şaban 1213 AH/22 January 1799 AD (f 149r), and that the copying was completed on 15 Ramazan 1214 AH/20 February 1800 CE (f 148v).