Daiber Collection Database Makes Manuscripts Online

Totally unexpected, I have found a downloadable copy of Ithaf al-Dhaki, the manuscript I am doing research on it, in the Daiber Collection Database (click the left picture to get the link). This Database includes the Arabic manuscripts on various fields, viz. al-Quran, Tafsir, Hadis, Fiqh, Tasawwuf, Tauhid, and others, and is organized by the Institute of Oriental Cultur, University of Tokyo.

I have recognized this online copy as a pure copy of the manuscript kept in 'Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin'. I could not yet establish the date of writing of this Daiber copy, since the script in the marginalia is quite tough to read, but the Berlin colophon contains a helpful information that backs to 3 Jumadil Ula 1110/1698, which means this is the oldest copy among the seven others. So, I assume that the Daiber copy was made after the Berlin date.

The text, however, is not complete, since there are eight separated passages omitted from the text. Fortunately, the comparison of all 8 copies indicates that the Berlin and Daiber copies have close relation to the Malaiologie copy (originated from Turkey?), which is totally complete and has the finest script. So, I provisionally assume that the best copy of all is the Malaiologie version, which probably has an isnad that might take it back to the author (Ibrahim al-Kurani) himself, not the Al-Azhar version as Prof. Johns argued, and I also agreed before.

I highly appreciate the efforts of the Institute of Oriental Cultur, University of Tokyo to make the manuscripts online. This will give a very great contribution to the scholarly world, for the old manuscripts are generally hard to access.

As far as I know, research institutions in Japan are the most leading to do such efforts. Usually, they begin with the catalogization of manuscripts, and then digitalize them.

In 2005, I involved in a Project of catalogization of Ali Hasjmy collections in Aceh, thanks to a collaboration between PPIM UIN Jakarta, Manassa, and C-DATS Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. All manuscripts have been catalogued and the book has been published in January 2007 last. Furthermore, we need to digitalize the manuscripts and make them online.

This year, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, fully supported by the Toyota Foundation, and also in collaboration with the same institutions, will launch a Project of catalogization and digitalization of manuscript collections in Dayah Tanoh Abee Aceh, which preserve numerous manuscripts, especially those relate to religious issues.

Probably, someday, we do not need to go abroad to do research on manuscripts kept in several libraries, just click, and the manuscripts appear…:-)

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