Melca'ü'l-hükkam fi mü'ini'l-kudat - ملجأ الحكام في معين القضاة

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or 15916
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1174
  • Language of Material
    • Arabic Turkish
  • Physical Description
    • 1 text 243 ff Material: Turkish laid paper. Foliation: European, 243 ff, original Arabic foliation begins on f [5], ends on 239. Dimensions: 210 x 132 mm; text area 158 x 78 mm. Pricking and Ruling: 17 lines; Rubrics; Text frames: gold and black. Moisture causing ink to run has made the text difficult to read in parts of ff 3v-7r and in the lower far left (versos) and right (rectos) of ff 3-42. Script: Nestalik. Binding: Original black morocco binding with flap, gilt and red impressed ornamentation, worn.

Scope and Content

This volume contains a compilation of specimen documents for use by judges (kadılar), composed by Seyyid Mehmed Masum La'lizade (Şeyh Mehmed Ma'sum ibn es-Seyyid Hacc 'Abdullah ibn-i Şeyh Mehmed La'lizade), who was a kadı himself in Istanbul. This text is rare and has not been found in published catalogues. There is a table of contents on ff 1v-2r, which is dated 1175 AH/1762 CE, the year after the text was completed. The work covers a range of practical, day-to-day subjects, including marriage and divorce, inheritances, endowments, and purchases, sales, and exchanges. Begins:. Besmele el-Hamd... ve's-salat... amma ba'd Bu 'abd-i fakir-i kalilü'l-biza'a ve 'adimü'l-istita'a Ebi (sic) 'Arif es-Seyyid Mehmed Ma'sum...el-med'u bi-La'lizade...Dar'ül-Hilafetü'l-'Aliye ve makarru's-Saltanati'l-'Osmaniye...de...hizmet-i Şeriat-i şerifte olup. Ends:. İnşallahü'l-Mevla vademi tamamında deyin-i mezkûrumuz tamamen eda olundukta işbu deyin temessükümüz ahz ve sakk oluna ve's-selam. Kad tamm haza'l-kitab…. Other contents include a full-page marginal annotation on f 44, and a few marginal corrections and additions elsewhere. There is a draft letter on the front flyleaf verso, notes on legal and other matters at ff 242v-243r, and a table of contents on 1v-2r. There is an illuminated heading in gold and polychrome on f 3v, and in gold only on 1v (table of contents). There are gold and black text frames throughout. The copy is dated to 1174 AH/1761 CE.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Available for research unless otherwise stated

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Mr A. Al Shakri through Mr T. Jalal on 28/10/2002

Related Material

Another, more popular work for use by judges, Ravzatu'l-kudat fi'l-mahazir ve's-sicillat, can be found at Or 14492.