A perpetual calendar together with a treatise on astrologically favourable stellar ascendants, conjunctions, etc. The text is the work of Sayyid ‘Alī Muḥammad Shīrāzī, known as the Bāb, founder of the Bābī religion (1235-66/1819-50). On the Bāb and his life and work, see D. M. MacEoin, ‘Bab, Sayyed ‘Alī Moḥammad Šīrāzī’ in EIr III, pp. 278-84 and the bibliography included there; the present work, however, is not mentioned.

That the present manuscript is the author’s autograph is attested by the wording of the simple colophon katabuh mu’allifuh 1262 on f. 25r, and by the introductory inscription on f. 3r which also states that the tables and figures were written out by Muḥammad Ṣādiq ibn ‘Abd al-Bāqī al-Iṣfahānī, a disciple of the Bāb; his seal impression is at the centre of some tables.

Other contents: f. 1r, text of a Lawḥ or sacred tablet of ‘Abd al-Bahā; description of the present manuscript, certifying the Bāb’s authorship, and esoteric verses in Persian with exposition in prose; f. 2r, notes on the calendar; 3r, calligraphed description of the work, in red ink, with attribution, dating from the author’s lifetime; ownership inscription of Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī al-Varrāq al-Iṣfahānī, and an inscription invoking Kabīkaj to protect the manuscript; back endpaper, owner’s inscription. Another description of the work is on a small label affixed to the front cover.