المُدامة الأرجوانية في المقامة الرّضوانية للداعي مصطفى أسعد اللقيمي الحَنَفى

Abstract

The present study deals with a maqÁma from the Ottoman period, composed by the writer MuÒÔafÁ AsÝad b. AÎmad b. MuÎammad Ibn SalÁma al-QaymÐ al-ShÁfiÝÐ (1105-1178/1693-1765). This maqÁma, whose presentation here will enrich the Arab store with a unique composition which is absent in the already known collections, sheds light on aspects of social, political and religious life in Egypt during the Ottoman period, and in particular during the rule of RaÃwÁn KatkhudÁ al-JalafÐ, whose administration was known for luxury, wantonness and depravity. The manuscript of al-QaymÐ's maqÁma which we use is a copy downloaded from the al-Azhar website, consisting of twelve 20×14 cm pages in clear handwriting. We compare this manuscript to another, which was only published in al-JabartÐ's ÝAjÁÞib al-ÀthÁr. Our comparison of the two versions has revealed a number of small differences. We complete lacunae and indicate their locations in each manuscript. We have also made a great effort to correct misspellings and various morphological and syntactic errors, with the help of ancient lexicons and other linguistic works. Biographical details are provided concerning many of the personalities mentioned in the text. We have taken great care in correctly vocalizing the words and in the use of marginal notes to give the references of QurÞÁnic verses, ÎadÐths, and the numerous verses of poetry with which this maqÁma abounds.