Legal document: T-S AS 182.291
Legal document T-S AS 182.291Tags
Description
Legal query to Muslim jurisconsults regarding the practice of prostration (sujūd) and genuflection (rukūʿ), during the synagogue liturgy. The said practice was customary for the previous 20 years, and there are concerns regarding its recent abrogation. Dating: ca. 638 AH, which is 1240/41 CE. This was written after the death of Avraham Maimonides, who had innovated these practices. Writing exercises are found on the upper margin of recto and on verso. (Information from CUDL)
Edition: Khan, Geoffrey
Translation: Khan, Geoffrey (in English)
T-S AS 182.291 1r
Transcription
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Legal and Administrative Documents in the Cambridge Genizah Collections (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).Recto
- بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
- ما يقول السادة الفقها الائمة ائمة الدين وقدوة
- المسلمين وفقهم الله الطاعتــــ[ــهــــ]ـــــم واعانهم على مرضاته
- في جماعة من اليهود الذين يرجع اليهم الكلمة وهم
- رئيس اليهود و من تبعه من علمائهم اثبتوا الركوع و السجود
- في دينهم وقالوا ان ذلك كان من شرعهم قديم فاقاموا
- ما كان داثر من دينهم و اثبتوا و علموا به مدة سنين
- متطاولة نحو عشرين سنة فلما مات الرئيس الذى لهم قام
- من ليس هو من اهل العلم تكلم على خلاف من [ [ا] ] تقدم
- من علمائهم و انكر الركوع و السجود ماذا يلزمه
- على مخالفته ان كان يخالف افتونا يرحمكم الله
Translation
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Legal and Administrative Documents in the Cambridge Genizah Collections (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).Recto
- In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate.
- What do our lords, the jurisconsults, the imāms, imāms of the religion and model
- of the Muslims, may God grant them success for their obedience and assist them to gain his satisfaction, say concerning the following.
- A group of Jews whose word is authoritative, namely
- the head of the Jews and those of their sages who are his followers, have established the practice of genuflection and prostration
- in their worship. They have stated that this was an ancient practice and that they have revived
- an aspect of worship that had fallen into disuse. They established and practiced it over a long period,
- amounting to approximately twenty years. When their head died,
- a man who was not a sage took office. He spoke against the earlier (opinion) of
- their sages and disapproved of genuflexion and prostration. What action should be taken with regard to him
- on account of his opposition, if he opposes (the practice). Grant us your opinion, may God have mercy upon you.
T-S AS 182.291 1v
