The Required Conditions for an Arabic Manuscript and Its Verifier (A Descriptive and Analytical Study)

Abstract

Manuscripts have played a pivotal role in advancing and developing Arab knowledge and, subsequently, human knowledge. The Arab culture, recognized as a global culture, encompasses both Arab and Islamic heritage. During the peak of its civilization and urbanization, the Islamic state extended its influence across vast territories in the ancient world, spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe. Its heritage sources were diverse, including contributions from Arabs, Romans, Persians, Chinese, Indians, and Greeks. This extensive and diverse heritage endows Arab and Islamic manuscripts with immense scientific value. Scholars of the time left a substantial legacy of manuscripts across various fields of knowledge, necessitating a clear understanding of these manuscripts, the conditions they must meet, and the qualifications required of their researchers. This study employs a library-based, qualitative descriptive approach, gathering data from literature sources. The researcher systematically collects, classifies, synthesizes, and interprets ideas, issues, or events both directly and indirectly. The findings highlight the critical importance of manuscript verification as an academic discipline equivalent to other Arabic sciences, requiring greater attention from academic institutions and researchers. Manuscripts undergoing verification must fulfill specific conditions to maximize their scientific utility. Many valuable manuscripts are housed in Western libraries, necessitating extensive research efforts. Manuscript verification is founded on two primary pillars: the manuscript itself and the verifier, both of which must meet stringent scientific standards. Preliminary analysis of manuscripts is essential to ascertain their scholarly value, ensuring that efforts are not wasted on documents with limited relevance. This enduring heritage has significantly contributed to global culture, particularly during Europe’s Renaissance.