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A rare and visually striking pair of illuminated Arabic manuscript leaves, likely from a copy of Ihya’ Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Religious Sciences) attributed to Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111).
These finely executed leaves feature elegant Arabic calligraphy in a clear naskh hand, framed within richly decorated borders of gold and polychrome floral motifs in the Indo-Persian manuscript tradition. The composition reflects a high level of craftsmanship typical of manuscripts produced for elite or courtly libraries.
The text includes classical introductory passages praising God and referencing the composition of a work on the revival of religious sciences, strongly consistent with the opening sections of Ihya’ Ulum al-Din. إحياء علوم الدين الغزالي
“The Nawab Bahadur of Moorshedabad”
This indicates that the manuscript was once part of the distinguished collection of the Nawabs of Murshidabad (Bengal, India), an important center of Islamic culture and patronage during the late Mughal and colonial periods.
ARTISTIC & HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
• Illuminated manuscript with gold decoration
• Indo-Persian artistic influence
• Likely produced in the 18th–19th century
• Reflects the intellectual and spiritual traditions of classical Islamic scholarship
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DIMENSIONS
Each leaf approximately:
• Height: 8.5 inches (21.5 cm)
• Width: 4.75–5 inches (12–13 cm)
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CONDITION
• Two original manuscript leaves
• Visible age-related wear including creases and minor losses
• Professionally framed under Tru Vue museum UV-protective glass
• Frame is modern; manuscript leaves are original
