An Edition of Tanbih al-Mashi

In 1999, I made a critical edition of the Arabic text, Tanbih al-Mashi al-Mansub ila Tariq al-Qushashi (Directions for the adepts of the brotherhood of al-Qushashi), written in Aceh by Abdurrauf ibn Ali al-Jawi in circa 1669. This work has been published as Menyoal Wahdatul Wujud.

Now, I present you the full downloadable Arabic text in PDF format, here. This text is the edited version based on the 4 copies of manuscripts preserved at the National Library in Jakarta (A 655 and A 101) and the Leiden Univesity Library (Cod. Or. 7030 and Cod. Or. 7031). However, I removed all 1440 notes resulted from the comparison of all copies.

Currently, Abdurrauf's writings, like other ancient works, exist as manuscripts, some of which, due to their age, are in a worrying condition. The most efficient way to preserve the value of these old manuscripts — apart from keeping them in libraries— is to analyze their contents and to publish them.

This text contains the teachings of Abdurrauf presented as five stages: the dogma (akidah), the law (syariat), the path (tarikat), the truth (hakikat), and the gnosis (makrifat). The first exposes his interpretation of the Unicity doctrine, while the other four reflect his teachings regarding mysticism. The precepts he puts forward, particulaly those regarding the invocations (zikir), show that as an ulema, he followed and promoted the Shatariyyah brotherhood, the name of which is derived from that of its founder Abdullah al-Shattar (ob. 1429).

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