“Shifa al-Qulub”

This manuscript presents Shifa al-Qulub, a treatise devoted to spiritual ethics and inner refinement within the Islamic tradition.
Although this copy dates to 1839, the work itself belongs to a broader Sufi intellectual context. Such texts systematized the concept of the “states of the heart,” a key element of Islamic spiritual anthropology.
The author examines inner human qualities such as anger, envy, pride, humility, and sincerity. These were understood not as abstract ideas, but as real conditions requiring discipline and regulation. Manuscripts of this type were used in both educational and devotional settings.
The text is written in nasta‘liq script, typical of Persian manuscript culture. Structural elements are highlighted in color, facilitating navigation. The wide margins were likely intended for annotations and commentary.
The binding features marbled paper produced in the ebru technique. This decorative method was widely used in manuscript production of the nineteenth century.
The author originated from Anatolia, yet the text is written in Persian and circulated in Central Asia. This reflects the interconnected intellectual landscape of the Islamic world, where ideas moved across regions and cultural boundaries.
This manuscript demonstrates that religious knowledge in the nineteenth century encompassed not only law and theology, but also a structured approach to inner moral development.