“Risala dar istilahat-i ahli sufiya”

This manuscript presents the treatise Risala dar istilahat-i ahl-i sufiyya, a work dedicated to the terminology of the Sufi tradition.
Its author, Shah Nematullah Vali, was a prominent mystic of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries whose teachings spread widely across the Islamic world. The manuscript on display is a later copy dated 1807, demonstrating the enduring relevance of the text.
The treatise focuses on explaining the specialized conceptual vocabulary of Sufism. In Sufi literature, many terms carry metaphorical meanings that require interpretation. Such works functioned as explanatory guides and were used in educational and intellectual settings.
The manuscript’s margins are particularly significant. They contain numerous annotations, known as hashiya. These marginal notes reflect processes of reading, teaching, and interpretation, and often include clarifications or references to other authoritative works. As a result, the manuscript serves as a layered historical document.
The text is written in nasta‘liq script, typical of Persian manuscript culture in later periods. Its structured layout supports the comprehension of complex material.
The relatively compact format suggests practical use. Manuscripts of this type were often employed in study or devotional practice and could accompany their owners in daily life.
This object illustrates that Islamic intellectual tradition in the region encompassed not only legal and theological knowledge, but also a developed system of spiritual interpretation.