Endowed Manuscript Library of Al-Ward Family Judges
(whose genealogy is Shakeri, whose immigration was to Thula, and whose origin was in Arhab)
Introduction and Dedication: To every dear one who serves knowledge and contributes to enlightenment and the service of humanity now and in the future.
Written by the Endowed Library Trustee and Submitter to Sana'a Manuscript House:
Ahmed Ali Ahmed Mohammed Al-Ward – born and raised in Sana'a
French translation, proofreading, and layout by:
Dr. Hussein Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Ward
Assistant Professor of Linguistics, French Dept.,
Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Sana'a University
English translation funded by:
Mohammed Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Ward
Friday 20 Jumad Al-Awwal, 1435 A.H.
Corresponding to March 21, 2014
Contents:
- Preface
- Dedication
- A profile of Al-Ward Family Judges
- A summary of the contents of the Endowed Library
- The papers used in the endowed manuscript
- French Translation
- Annex (A) ( English - French )
- Annex (B) ( English - French )
Preface
By Dr. Hussein Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Ward
Assistant Professor of Linguistics, French Dept.
Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Sana'a University
Praise be to Allah, and peace be upon the Seal of Prophets, the mercy for all creatures Prophet Mohammed. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions.
One of the blesses bestowed by Allah upon Al-Ward Family of Thula is that their fathers and forefathers devoted themselves to the acquisition of knowledge and dedicated themselves to the pursuit of scholarship. They were so successful in this endeavor that they attained a high status and joined the hall of fame in their respective eras. They made contributions to their community by providing solutions to the jurisprudent, judicial, and legal problems and conflicts as well as speaking truth, enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and preaching at grand mosques such as the mosque in Sana'a (Queen Arwa bint Ahmed's Mosque, in the second half of the 12th century A.H.), the mosque in Amran town during the 13th and 14th centuries A.H., and in the Grand Mosque of Thula as of the 11th century A.H. till this date. Some of them were appointed as judges in the towns of Thula, Amran, 'Eyal Suraih, and Al-Jabal ('Eyal Yazeed Mountain) as of the first decade of the second half of the 13th century A.H. until the last decade of the first half of the 14th century A.H. This is evident in the appointment documents issued by the rulers of those times. Such rulers relied on the judges' capabilities and qualification to hold the judicial and jurisprudent posts. Testimonies can be found in the copies of those appointment documents included within the space of this introduction.
During their vibrant life, they strived to glean as many manuscripts as possible in order to acquire knowledge, pass their knowledge on to the people in their respective eras, and present it in the form of manuscripts that contain the output of their scholarly and practical life. Not only that, they also endowed the manuscripts to their male offspring who have scholarly pursuits. Other knowledge-seekers and scholars are also allowed to borrow them to acquire more knowledge, and feed their minds by more browsing, reading, deduction, and mental and cognitive enlightenment. The trusteeship of the manuscripts had been passing down from one trustee to another within the same family for the purpose of preservation and management of access and borrowing. The trusteeship (management) ended up in the hand of my father, me the writer of this introduction and dedication, in the second decade of the 15th century A.H. (the last decade of the 20th century). He tried to honor the requirements of the endowers by providing access to the knowledge-seekers from the family as well as the outsiders. However, in this era, things are different and the requirements are different too!
Therefore, for the sake of honoring the requirements of the endowers (may Allah have mercy on them) which consist in the maintenance of the manuscripts and allowing the scholars and researchers to access them, he decided to submit them to the Ministry of Culture's Manuscripts House in the city of Sana'a. He wrote an introduction to the submitted manuscripts and the general index, the title of which is "The Letter of Al-Ward Family's Endowed Manuscripts Trustee", in which he explained the relation between the trustee as a contributor and the Manuscripts House as a receiver. The letter included the biographies of the most prominent figures of the family and their relationships with their contemporary communities and rulers and their private and public documents( ). It has been decided to write this introduction which include sample photocopies of the beginnings and ends of some manuscripts( ) as an introduction to those interested in getting more information about this family, and its scholarly, intellectual, and enlightenment legacy it produced throughout four and plus centuries. The legacy of this family should provide an example for its current generation whom we hope would not let down their forefathers, for the sake of Allah. The trustee, may Allah hold him in the Palm of His Hand, gave me the honor to write this introduction.
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Dedication
To every mother who protects her embryo and delivers it safe and sound; to every mother who nurses her newborn two years in full; to every parents who take care of the food and health of their children so that they have healthy bodies with properly functioning minds and hearts; to every parents who fear Allah and raise their children in the right religious and social morals; to every babysitter and supervisor in any kindergarten to which parents get obliged by circumstances to take their child; to every teacher, inspector, and educator in primary schools who master their profession, honestly educate the generations, and make them mindful and like creativity; to every teacher and instructor who lectures, supervises, or manages the higher education and is satisfied that he has done his best to illuminate the way for his students; to every researcher, editor, and analyst who provide the generations with what enriches their faculties and develop their skills; to every scientist, writer, and inventor who lead the people into the way of development and welfare; to every physician and nurse who contribute to the healing of patients and make human beings smile; to every doer who leaves what makes humanity better and spares them pains and atrocities; to everyone who tries to achieve one or all that is mentioned in the Seal of Prophets (pbuh)'s saying, " When the [Muslim] son of Adam dies, his deeds stop except for three: a charity resulting in a continuing benefit, a knowledge benefitting others, and a pious offspring making supplication to Allah for him."
To all these people - with all love, recognition, and pride - I present you with an ideal family who devoted themselves, during more than four centuries, to the pursuit of knowledge, and have left a great legacy of manuscripts in different fields of scholarship, literature, and culture. They lived their lives pursuing knowledge everywhere and following scholars and authors. They did not busy themselves with the luxuries of life, though limited in their times. None of them tried to replace the tough life with a luxurious life. It is what they have left that has immortalized them. Here, I am particularly addressing the university graduates and their peers who wish to continue their higher education (M.A and Ph.D.) and the post-doctoral researchers who desire to get academic promotions from local, regional, and international universities.
I hereby attach sample photos of the beginnings and ends of their manuscripts as an inspiration for the current and future generations. To facilitate communication, and for further information, visitors are welcomed on www.alwardlibrary.com.
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A Profile of Al-Ward Family Judges
- The Surname:
Researcher Prof. Hussein Dhaif-Allah Hussein Al-Ward, member of the academic staff and Chairman of the Academic Committee of the Faculty of Agriculture, and member of the Academic Council, Sana'a University, traces the etymology of the surname saying, "Al-Ward Family's name goes back to their forefather Al-Ward bin Thi 'Abil. He was the first one to take on the name 'Al-Ward' which is one of the epithets of the lion. The plural of ward (lion) is ward, warrid, and awrad. They are terms used to describe the brave fearless person. This was a characteristic of the great Arab tribes, reflecting their valor and prestige. Al-Ward tribe grew in Arabia Felix (Yemen) during the pre-Christian era until the destruction of Mareb Dam. Then, a group of Al-Ward family remained in their original territories while others relocated to different places across the country."
- The genealogy of Al-Shakeri:
The tribe of Shaker, which is a clan of Hamdan which is a branch of Bakeel. They are the children of Shaker bin Rabee'a bin Al-Da'am bin Malik bin Mu'awia bin Sa'b bin Dawman bin Bakeel. The Shaker tribes are the ones mentioned by Caliph Ali (pbuh) in his poem when he praised the Hamdan tribes. Below are some lines:
"I summoned and was answered by a group of people: great warriors, from Hamdan; They are knights - not unarmed when wars are ablaze – from Shaker and Shibam, From Arhab, the great spear fighters, from Nihm, Al-Subai' quarters, and from Yam."
"Shaker who are mentioned above belong to the tribes of Bakeel, and Shibam is a clan of Hashid; Arahab is a clan of Bakeel; Nihm is a clan of Bakeel too; Al-Subai' and Yam are clans of Hashid. Hamid bin Hassan Shaker is a 12th century scholar and belongs to today's Shaker family of scholars in Jabal Al-Ahnoum area."
- The origin is Arhab:
Arhab is a clan of Hamdan. Poet Al-Kumait once said:
"They said he had bequeathed nothing
Indeed, he had left a great legacy
Which can be shared by Bakeel and Arhab"
Yazeed bin Qais, Amru bin Salamah, and Malik bin Ka'b (who are governors appointed by Caliph Ali (pbuh) belong to Arhab). In the book "Kifaiat Al-Mutahaffidh," there is the following definition in connection with Arhab: "Al-Arhabiah is a type of camels found with the children of Arhab, a clan of Hamdan".
Arhab land is divided into two sections: Al-Zuhairi and Al-Thibiani. The former is divided into five subsections: Zandan, Al-Khamees, 'Eyal Abdullah, Banu Ali, Shaker, and Bait Marran Khamees."
- Immigration to Thula:
Thula is a historic city that lies at the eastern foot of the well-known Thula Fort. It is 45 kms to the northwest of Sana'a. It is named after Thula bin Labakha bin Aqian bin Himiar Jr.
It is the hometown of many great scholars throughout history. Today, it is a tourist destination for many people from the West and the Americas around the year as it contains ancient historic landmarks from the Himiarite and Islamic civilizations.
- Reasons for Immigration from Arhab to Thula:
Examining the history of Arab tribes' immigration, especially that of Yemeni tribes, one can perceive that it is caused by the following reasons: 1- Looking for water and grass. 2- Seeking knowledge. 3- Seeking jobs and making livelihood.
The immigration of our forefather Ahmed to Thula is attributed to the facilities of scholarship and knowledge available in Thula especially the presence of scholars who are fully devoted to research and teaching as well as the grand mosque which serves as a prayer place and an educational center established by Imam Abdullah bin Hamzah in 560 A.H. beside other similar facilities. Our forefather Ahmed relocated to Thula in order to acquire knowledge. He settled down in the new place and raised a family of 142 members as children and grandchildren (see the main family tree (ع14880) during a period of more than four centuries, between the 11th century A.H. until the first quarter of the 15th century A.H. Some of these members are great scholars who will be profiled from time to time throughout this introduction which will be published in parts promptly. The end of this time period is marked by the death of the last venerable judge of Al-Ward Family Ali bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Ward on 20 Rabi' Thani, 1416 A.H., corresponding to 15/9/1996.
Immigrant Ahmed is considered the first and was assigned No. (1) in the tree of the family concerned with the manuscripts. The owners and endowers of the manuscripts are 14 judges plus 6 judges who devoted themselves to scholarship. The total is 20 judges. We have been able to just prepare the biographies of these 20 judges in the covering letter of the eight parts which include the documents, the index of the endowed manuscripts, and the submission document at the Manuscript House in Sana'a. The letter also covers the permanent index of the manuscripts which is being prepared at the Manuscript House of the Yemeni Ministry of Culture's Manuscript and Book Houses Sector. The information comes from the manuscripts and their attachments. However, the living beneficiaries of the manuscripts, at the time of submission, are 65, described in Family Tree (د) attached hereto. Among them are seven fathers (whose academic qualifications are not less than bachelor or licentiate degrees), and thirty one children (5 PhDs from several Asian and European universities; five bachelor degree holders in different academic fields; and 21 are still pursuing their studies at the university and high school levels). The rest of the beneficiaries are 27. They are the grandchildren. They are studying at different levels right from KG up to the primary school. They are a promising generation.
- The life of this family in the new home Thula:
Some of them sought knowledge and we will talk about them in this introduction. Some of them were interested in farming and contributed to food security of that era and are still doing the same nowadays.
Concerning the life of the knowledge seekers of this family, their life was simple and carefree. They were devoting their life to reading, learning, and teaching. This allowed them to garner the largest amount of books possible for them in different fields of knowledge. They also authored books like their great peers. Their activities can be summarized as follows:
- They continued to attend the learning groups, and formed learning groups for their students in the different educational centers in Thula and even in the capital Sana'a, Kawkaban, Kohlan, and Hadda gardens.
- They also were sheikhs and students for each other. Some of them obtained testimonies from a group of scholars as a handwritten summary of the manuscripts shows.
They had valuable knowledge and carried out practical tasks, exhibiting integrity and tirelessness while teaching their people and passing the knowledge down to future generations. They honestly shouldered the responsibility for contributing to the wellbeing of their community and, thus, were trusted by the rulers of their times. May Allah have mercy on them and make us follow in their footsteps.
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A summary of the contents of the Endowed Library
The general index of the library tells us that the bookcase of Al-Ward Family Judges contains many manuscripts: 174 volumes with 471 titles. The sheets are 32014 which means that it includes 64028 pages. It also includes 464 scraps of paper. The library covers a variety of topics including the Holy Quran and the Quranic sciences such as Tajweed, seven readings of Quran, Quraanic exegesis, and causes of revelation. It also includes books of Hadith (Islamic tradition) and its sciences such as Hadith interpretation and its narrators. Moreover, the library includes books on the life of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), Islamic beliefs, jurisprudence, the science of inheritance, preaching, Sufism, legal policy, philology, literature, general knowledge, logic, astronomy, humanities, etc.
The manuscripts are old, dating between the 6th century and 12th century A.H. such as manuscript No. (ع2-14902), entitled Mandhoumat Usoul Al-Faraidh (The Poem of Inheritance Principles), authored by Al-Hassan bin Abi Al-Fatah bin Hamzah Al-Hamdani. The manuscript is dated 567 A.H.
This library is distinguished by the presence of the books of Islam Sheikh Mohammed bin Ali Al-Shawkani. It contains 17 manuscripts by the author, most of which are double-checked under the author's direct supervision.
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The papers used in the endowed manuscript
An explanation of the papers used in the endowed manuscript library of Al-Ward Family of Thula, as described in the library documentation cards prepared by the Sana'a Manuscript House's team. They were provided by the team leader Mr. Adel Mohammed Abdu Ghanem Al-Himiari.
- Arabian paper
It is known as Kaghd and it is made in the Arab World of papyrus. It does not include a watermark and its use dates back to the period before the ninth century A.H.
- Ottoman paper
It is characterized with watermarks, such as the image of three crescents, Istanbul network, or a plate with a crescent inside. They started to produce it in the tenth century A.H.
- European paper
It carries a watermark, such as a sword, a horse, knights, or royal crowns. They started to produce it in the tenth century A.H.
- Mixed paper
Arabian/Ottoman means that a part of the manuscript was written on Arabian paper and another part on Ottoman paper. This depended on the availability of paper at the time of writing.
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Other relevant information
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The photos were selected according to the age of the manuscript, depending on the date of writing recorded in the manuscript.
- In case the writing date is not there, the time of the author was taken into consideration.
- All information about the manuscripts used as samples was taken from the Documentation Cards (8 volumes) and the draft of the general index, all of which were prepared by the Sana'a Manuscript House's work team.
Annex (A) ( English - French ) >>
Annex (B) ( English - French ) >>