European International Journal of Philological Sciences
93
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
93-96
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
25 April 2025
ACCEPTED
21 May 2025
PUBLISHED
30 June 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue 06 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
The Manuscript Copies Of
Siyari Sharifi Turkiy: A
Codicological Study And
Analysis Of Distribution
Patterns
Xamidxonov Axadxon Obidxon o‘g‘li
PhD Candidate, 2nd Year Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language
and Literature named after Alisher Navoiy, Uzbekistan
Abstract
: This article explores the codicological and
paleographic dimensions of Siyari Sharifi Turkiy, an
autonomous Turkic work composed by Muhammad
Rahim Miskin in the 18th
–
19th centuries. Although the
narrative originates from the Persian Miʿraj al
-
Nubuwwa, the Turkic version contains major structural
transformations, original interpolations, and cultural
adaptations that qualify it as an independent work
rather than a mere translation. This study examines 24
verified manuscripts from repositories in Uzbekistan,
Turkey, Germany, Russia, and Sweden. Each manuscript
is analyzed in terms of textual structure, scribe
attribution, copying date, and physical characteristics
such as number of folios and lines per page. Through
this codicological comparison, the article seeks to
reassess the neglected position of Siyari Sharifi Turkiy in
modern scholarship and to contribute toward a more
inclusive understanding of Turkic Islamic textual
production.
Keywords:
Siyar literature, Muhammad Rahim Miskin,
Turkic Islamic literature, manuscript studies, codicology,
paleography, copyist, Miʿraj al
-Nubuwwa, Siyari Sharifi
Turkiy, historical sources.
Introduction:
1.1 Siyari Sharifi Turkiy as an Independent Work in the
Turkic Siyar Tradition
The genre of prophetic biography (siyar) occupies a
prominent position in Islamic historiography, emerging
in the 8th century through the foundational works of Ibn
Ishaq and Ibn Hisham. In the broader Islamic world, siyar
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
94
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
texts have served both didactic and devotional
purposes. Among Turkic-speaking communities, this
genre gained widespread circulation from the 15th
century onwards, evolving into a localized tradition
enriched by oral narrative, poetic forms, and accessible
language.
The Siyari Sharifi Turkiy, composed by Muhammad
Rahim Miskin, is a paradigmatic example of such
localized innovation. While it is structurally inspired by
the Persian Miʿraj al
-Nubuwwa, the Turkic work
incorporates substantial modifications
—
ranging from
interpolated episodes and folk motifs to poetic
digressions and exegetical comments. These features
transform the text into a culturally embedded,
independently structured work reflective of Central
Asian religious consciousness.
Muhammad Rahim’s adaptation cannot be classified
merely as a translation. The composition is deeply
inflected by the Turkic literary idiom, and includes
linguistic, stylistic, and conceptual expansions. The
presence of Turkic oral traditions, didactic anecdotes,
and poetic invocations demonstrates a creative
process of textual appropriation and rearticulation.
Thus, Siyari Sharifi Turkiy must be studied as an original
composition rooted in Turkic Islamic literary traditions.
1.2 State of Research and Existing Gaps
Despite the evident historical and literary value of
Siyari Sharifi Turkiy, scholarly attention to the work
remains limited. A.A. Semyonov was among the first to
document two manuscript copies housed at the
Institute of Oriental Studies in Tashkent, offering
preliminary codicological observations regarding date,
script, and scribe attribution¹. However, his study,
while pioneering, lacked a systematic codicological
framework and did not examine the textual structure
or literary uniqueness of the work.
Broader studies on Turkic Islamic manuscripts
—
by
scholars such as Y. Bregel, A.K. Savitsky, D.Yu.
Yusupova, Carl W. Ernst, and Ahmed Yaşar Ocak—
have
contributed significantly to our understanding of the
Islamic manuscript tradition in Central Asia.
Nevertheless, these works tend to offer generalized
typologies or focus on canonical Arabic-Persian texts,
often bypassing Turkic compositions like Siyari Sharifi
Turkiy altogether.
This research seeks to address that gap by conducting
a comprehensive codicological analysis of all known
manuscript witnesses of the work.
II. MANUSCRIPT COPIES OF SIYARI SHARIFI TURKIY:
DISTRIBUTION, STRUCTURE, AND CODICOLOGICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
2.1 Geographical Spread of the Manuscripts and Their
Scholarly Value
The work Siyari Sharifi Turkiy, created by Muhammad
Rahim Miskin in the 18th
–
19th centuries, survives today
in 24 identified manuscript copies, preserved in
Uzbekistan, Turkey, Germany, Russia, and Sweden.
These manuscripts not only attest to the historical
significance of the text within Uzbek and broader Turkic
literary traditions but also reveal the extent of its
dissemination.
Some of the copies have been preserved in full, while
others are fragmentary. Moreover, the manuscripts
bear diverse titles such as Mi‘rāj al
-
Nubuwwa, Ma‘ārij
al-Nubuwwa, Siyar-
i Sharif, and Tarjimai Ma‘ārij, which
reflect variations in regional naming practices, recording
conventions, and audience orientation.
The most abundant collection is found at Lund
University Library in Sweden (15 copies), while the
earliest dated manuscript
—
from 1170 AH / 1756
–
57
CE
—
is preserved at the Institute of Oriental Studies,
Tashkent. This diversity of copies and locations suggests
an active transmission network throughout Central and
South Asia.
2.2 Codicological Features of the Manuscripts
The manuscript copies of Siyari Sharifi Turkiy differ in
script style, number of folios, line density per page, type
of handwriting, information about the scribe, and
presence of seals. Each manuscript thus requires
individual codicological analysis.
a) Script and Writing Style
The majority of the copies are written in Taliq script, a
style commonly associated with madrasa culture. Some
employ Naskh, Shikasta, or mixed scripts. For instance,
the Suleymaniye Library copy (1301 AH / 1883
–
84) is
written in Taliq and reflects classical Islamic manuscript
aesthetics.
b) Number of Lines and Folios
Each manuscript presents different specifications in
terms of layout:
•
Jarring Prov. 348: 15 lines, 482 folios
•
Berlin No. 35: 21 lines, 950 folios
•
Ankara 06 Hk 1673: 17 lines, 321 folios
These numbers illustrate not only differences in copying
practice but also the broader book-making standards of
the era.
c) Scribes and Seals
Some manuscripts contain detailed colophons
mentioning the name of the scribe and the date of
transcription. Examples include Ibn Ismail Beg of
Kashgar (Jarring Prov. 428), Mulla Abdulmajid Kashghari
(Prov. 348), and Musa ibn Mulla Adil (Prov. 86).
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
95
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
A notable instance is the Tashkent 5344 manuscript,
which bears a seal indicating the date 1170 AH (1756
–
57 CE), possibly confirming its association with a
specific madrasa or waqf library.
2.3 Structural Differences among the Manuscripts
The contents of the manuscripts vary by section:
•
Only Sections 1
–
2: e.g., Ankara 06 Hk 1673,
Jarring Prov. 243
•
Only Section 3: e.g., Jarring Prov. 252, Prov. 418
•
Sections 3
–
4 (in full): e.g., Berlin No. 35
Such variation may be attributed to practical, economic,
or ideological factors during reproduction. In many
cases, only the portions relevant to local communities
were copied.
2.4 Manuscript Locations and Distribution Trends
A summary of the manuscripts by region and characteristic features:
Country
No. of Copies Distinctive Features
Sweden
15
Jarring Collection; multiple scribes; wide variation
Uzbekistan
2
Oldest known copy with seal and verified date
Germany
4
Large volumes; relatively complete sections
Turkey
2
Preserved in Suleymaniye and Ankara public libraries
Russia
1
Located in St. Petersburg with partial content
CONCLUSION
The data presented above clearly indicate that Siyari
Sharifi Turkiy was not merely a translation but evolved
into an autonomous literary work with regional
modifications. Its transmission across multiple cultural
and religious centers of the Turkic-Islamic world in the
18th and 19th centuries demonstrates its deep impact
on Islamic devotional literature. The variations in
handwriting, structure, and terminology emphasize
the dynamic manuscript culture of the period.
III. SIYARI SHARIFI TURKIY AS AN INDEPENDENT
WORK: STRUCTURE, CONTENT, AND AUTHORIAL
ADAPTATIONS
3.1 The Authorial Position of Muhammad Rahim
The work Siyari Sharifi Turkiy, composed by
Muhammad Rahim Miskin in the 18th
–
19th centuries,
was originally inspired by the Persian treatise Miʿrāj al
-
Nubuwwa by Husayn Vāʿiẓ Kāshifī. However, it would
be misleading to classify this text as a mere translation.
Muhammad Rahim not only transposed the content
into Eastern Turkic but also extensively revised,
supplemented, and culturally localized the material for
a Turkic-speaking readership.
The author incorporates distinct Sunni theological
elements, liturgical expressions, and folk narrative
techniques that significantly deviate from the Persian
original. He frequently uses direct address and
pedagogical expressions that reflect his self-
conception not as a translator but as an educator and
spiritual guide:
“We prepared this treatise in a simple and accessible
Turkic manner for our fellow believers…”
(paraphrased from authorial prologue)
Such statements reinforce the idea that Siyari Sharifi
Turkiy is a recomposed and independently authored
religious-literary work, tailored for a specific cultural
and linguistic context.
3.2 Structural Composition and Narrative Dynamics
The structure of the text is consistently segmented into
thematic sections, although the number and scope vary
slightly across manuscripts. The most common divisions
include:
•
Introduction: Praise of God, blessings upon the
Prophet, and explanation of the text’s purpose
•
Part I: Childhood and early youth of the Prophet
Muhammad
•
Part II: The beginning of revelation and
prophetic mission
•
Part III: The Miʿrāj event, miracles, and military
campaigns
•
Part IV: The Prophet’s final days, advice to the
ummah, supplications, and conclusion
Muhammad Rahim rewrote and rearranged these parts
to emphasize certain themes. For example, the Miʿrāj
episode
—one of the narrative’s focal points—
is
enriched with Sufi interpretations and metaphysical
reflections.
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
96
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
European International Journal of Philological Sciences
Some versions of the manuscript include proverbs,
anecdotes, and elements from Chagatai and Punjabi
oral traditions, indicating a deliberate attempt to
contextualize the message for different regional
audiences.
3.3 Intertextual Links with Turkic-Islamic Traditions
The author’s voice emerges not only through stylistic
choices but also through deliberate intertextual
layering. The text frequently alludes to:
•
Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings (ḥadīth)
•
Jurisprudential positions of Imām Abū Ḥanīfa
•
Traditions attributed to al-
Bukhārī and Muslim
•
Classical didactic works such as Haft Awrang,
Rasaʾil Ikhwān al
-
Ṣafāʾ, and Turkic oral wisdom
These references place Siyari Sharifi Turkiy within the
broader fabric of Central Asian Sunni educational and
mystical literature. The influence of thinkers such as
Rabbānī, al
-
Ghazālī, and ʿAṭṭār is
evident in the
author’s choice of moral themes, narrative tone, and
didactic structure.
Thus, the work functions not only as a sīra
(biographical) narrative but also as a manual for ethical
instruction and spiritual edification.
CONCLUSION
The evidence presented confirms that Siyari Sharifi
Turkiy cannot be considered a literal translation of
Kāshifī’s Miʿrāj al
-Nubuwwa. Rather, it is a textually
and ideologically independent adaptation, bearing
Muhammad Rahim’s intellectual imprint and
pedagogical intent. The structural modifications,
insertion of local idioms, and integration of Sufi
concepts substantiate its position as an original literary
creation within the Turkic-Islamic tradition.
REFERENCES
1.
Semyonov, A.A. Opisanie tiurkoyazychnykh
rukopiseĭ Instit
uta Vostokovedeniya. Tashkent:
Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, 1957. pp.
21
–
25.
2.
Savitsky, A.K. “O podrazhanii v musulmanskoy
literature Sredney Azii.” Izvestiya AN SSSR. Seriya
istorii i filosofii, No. 4, 1951, pp. 62
–
75.
3.
Yusupova, D.Yu. Turkestanskie tiurkskie rukopisi v
bibliotekakh Evropy: Istoriografiya i opisanie.
Kazan: IYALI, 2020. pp. 91
–
96.
4.
Qosimov, Sh. “Traditions of Mi‘rājnāmas and the
Image of the Prophet.” Meros va Ma’naviyat
Journal, No. 3, 2022, pp. 44
–
50.
5.
Savitsky, A.K. “O
podrazhanii v musulmanskoy
literature Sredney Azii.” Izvestiya AN SSSR. Seriya
istorii i filosofii, No. 4, 1951, pp. 62
–
75.
6.
Ocak,
A.
Yaşar.
İslam
-
Türk
İnançlarında
Peygamberler. Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 2007. pp.
224
–
231.
7.
Ernst, Carl W. Following Muhammad: Rethinking
Islam in the Contemporary World. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 2003. pp. 112
–
118.
