Or 14258

This is a miscellany consisting of four main texts, as well as a number of additional, short extracts. The contents are as follows:

(1) f 1r-34r [Kelimat-i ma‘arifiye] Risale-i Hüdayi Mahmud Efendi el-Üsküday (sic)

A record compiled by the Sufi sheikh Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi (died 1038 AH/1628 CE), renowned founder of the Celvetiye Order, of conversations between himself and his master Şeyh Üftade of Bursa (died 988 AH/1580 CE).

Heading (f 1v):

Besmele Elhamdülillahillezi hedana ila’l-hakk ve ila tarik müstakim... Hazret-i Mahmud Efendi Üsküdari... Kutbu’l-vasilin Üftade Efendi... Hazretleriyle sülüklerinde vaki‘ olan asar-ı sohbetleri ve kelimat-ı ma‘arifiyelerini müntahaplarının tercümesidir.

Begins:

Haza makalatu’l-‘Aliye fi irşat küll ehli’s-süluk ve zi-‘akli’z-zekiye. Besmele Hazret-i Şeyh buyurdular ki Kaçan ki kavl-i tövbe eyleyip Hakka inabet eylese ve üzerine hukuk-i ‘ibad olsa lazım (sic) olan oldur ki...

Ends:

buyurdular ki ehl-i fena bunun emsalına iltifat eylemez zira ki anda dahi nev‘en enaniyet ve vücut vardır.

(2) f 38r-63r [Kelimat-i ma‘arifiye]

Another record of conversations between sheikh and disciple. Both expression and content are similar to those in the preceding text, Kelimat-i ma‘arifiye. The first page contains a letter in Arabic, and the remainder comprises spiritual conversations. The marginalia include a textual emendation (f 38v).

Begins (f 38r: letter in Arabic):

Kal Hazretü’ş-Şeyh en ikteb ila’l-vezir Mustafa Paşa

Text begins (f. 38v):

Ba‘d el-‘asır Hazret-i Şeyh buyurdu ki: Bakın adem sanır ki dünya sakindir, yerinde durur. Öyle değildir belki dünya müteharrikedir gah yaylak tarafına yürür gezer gah şehre gelir gezer yürür. Ol bir kafir karşıdır...

Ends:

Biz seni Allah subhanehü ve te‘alaya ısmarladım. Biz seni takatimiz kadar doğru yola irşat eyledim bir vecihle ki ol yolda zilal yok ve hilal dahi yoktur. Andan sonra Fatiha okudu.

(3) f 67v-68v Fātiḥat al-fuḳarā’

An incantatory prayer in Arabic, for seeking protection from and control over other people and creatures.

Begins:

Basmala al-Ḥamd lillāh Rabb al-‘Ālamīn yā Ḥayy yā Qayyūm ajib yā Rukyā’īl ve Qubā’īl samī‘an muṭī‘an ‘alā mā sahhara lī qalb Fulān ibn Fulān wa qulūb al-mahlūḳāt wa al-rūḥāniyyāt min al-‘ulwiyyat wa al-sufliyyāt bi-ḥaqq al-Ḥamd lillāh Rabb al-‘Alamīn

Ends:

wa ṣalli bi-jalālika wa jamālika ‘alā Sayyidinā Muḥammad wa ālih wa ṣaḥbih ajma‘īn wa sallim taslīman kathīran wa al-Ḥamd lillāh Rabb al-‘Ālamīn wa iftaḥ lanā fa-innaka khayr al-fātiḥīn

(4) f 69v-83r Kamerü’l-akmar fi keşfi’l-esrar

A treatise on alchemy, with abundant references to the Qur’an and Hadith. The unnamed author contends that the practice of this science by those worthy of it is entirely compatible with Islamic orthodoxy.

No work with the above title appears in the main bibliographies or published catalogues of Ottoman Turkish manuscripts, but it is more likely rare rather than unique.

Begins:

Besmele Elhamdülillahillezi ‘allama’l-insan bi-esrar Zatih ve sıfatih ve talla’ahu ‘ala mükevven esma’ih ve ef‘alih... amma ba‘d Hakk subhaneh ve te‘ala Hazretine istihare ettim kim hükema sitr ettikleri işaratin keşfinde ve rümuzatın izahında bu kitabımda kim Kamerü’l-akmar fi keşfi’l-esrar tesmiye olundu ve delil-i vazıh ile sübut bulmuş

Ends:

ve bu kitabımı hıfz edip ehil olmayan kimesneden ketm ide... estağfurullah el-‘Azim ‘ala keşf sırr Rabbina Rabbena la tu’ahizna in nasina... ve’nsurna ‘ala’l-kavm’il-kafirin. Ve salla’llāh ‘ala Seyyidina Muḥammed hayr halkih ve alih ve sahbih ecma‘in

Other contents of this volume include a genealogy of the Prophet Muhammed back to Adam, followed by verses in his praise on f 63v. This is followed by a silsile (genealogy) of the Nakşibendi Sufi Order and the Evrad-ı Fethiye, litanies of the Nakşibendiyẹ, on 64r. On ff 65v-66v is an astrological tract relating hours and days to the planets, on 66v, a prayer to be said after praying ṣalātü’l-ḥācāt (hacet namazı) for the fulfilment of a need, followed by an occult table with numbers and Archangels’ names, and on 83v, a list of planetary spheres, followed by a remedy for asthma.

Although the work is undated, it is probably from the twelfth century AH/ eighteenth century CE.