Bidspirit auction | THE EPISTLES OF WISDOM (RASAʾIL

THE EPISTLES OF WISDOM (RASAʾIL AL-HIKMA), VOLUME I, NEAR EAST 18TH CENTURY - Arabic manuscript on paper, comprising 135 folios with three flyleaves; each page with 15 lines written in an elegant black naskh hand. Catchwords and significant terms are rubricated in red, while the titles of the epistles are heightened in gold, outlined in black and reserved within delicate cloud bands. The manuscript is bound in deep red leather. 14 by 20 cm. This volume represents a rich collection of epistles, including: a copy of the decree posted in the mihrab of Imam al-Hakim; the decree prohibiting wine; an account concerning the Jews and Christians; a copy of what was written by the Qurmati, the covenant of the Guardian of the Age; the work known as The Hidden Refutation; the beginning of the call to the Epistle of Truth and Unity; the Covenant of Women; the Epistle of Proclamation and the Ultimate Goal in Unity; The Goal and the Admonition; a book containing unrevealed truths; The Unveiling of Truths; and The Cause of Causes. The opening epistle, a copy of the decree posted in the mihrab of Imam al-Hakim, composed in 411 AH by an unknown author, stands out in both style and content from the rest of the Epistles of Wisdom. It does not present al-Hakim as possessing a divine nature; rather, it describes him as a friend of God, His deputy, and Commander of the Faithful. It calls for adherence to the rulings and obligations of the Sharia, employing a style and language strongly marked by Qur’anic influence. It is acceptable within the broader Islamic framework and can be circulated without difficulty, even though it contains subtle esoteric hints. This manuscript represents the first volume of the Epistles of Wisdom, which form the foundational corpus of Druze doctrine. It contains a collection of texts that present, with notable intellectual and spiritual depth, the doctrine of divine unity and the path of unveiling the sacred truth. The volume moves fluidly between proclamation and instruction, combining theological exposition with practical guidance. For example, texts such as The Beginning of the Call to the Epistle of Truth and Unity and The Epistle of Proclamation and the Ultimate Goal in Unity lay out the essential foundations of the religious vision, while covenantal texts—such as the decree prohibiting wine, the Covenant of Women, and the Covenant of the Guardian of the Age—present a vision of the ethical and social order upon which this structure rests. Interspersed within this collection are texts of a polemical and intellectual nature, such as the account concerning the Jews and Christians and the copy of what was written by the Qarmatian, reflecting the vitality of theological debates in their time. The esoteric dimension emerges in works such as The Hidden Refutation, A Book Containing Unrevealed Truths, The Unveiling of Truths, and The Cause of Causes, where the language moves from the outward meaning of revelation to its inner significance and metaphysical inquiries. Together, these texts form a coherent and compelling structure—doctrinal, ethical, and mystical—offering a rare window into a tradition that consciously and profoundly balances the outward law (Sharia) with the inward truth (haqiqa). Catalogue note: The Epistles of Wisdom constitute the principal text of Druze doctrine, presenting a complex vision of divine unity, the cosmic order, and the spiritual destiny. They address themes of creation, the nature of the soul, its transmigration, and its return to divine judgment, within a framework that combines intellectual precision with deep symbolism. These traditions emerged within the intellectual horizon of medieval Islam—while retaining their distinctiveness—engaging with the Quran, the Gospel, and the Torah from an esoteric perspective, reinterpreting inherited revelation in light of a deeper, hidden truth. They also draw on broad philosophical horizons, influenced by Greek thought—with reverence for figures such as Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus—as well as echoes of Eastern spiritual traditions and the works of Muslim philosophers such as al-Farabi and the Brethren of Purity (Ikhwan al-Safa). The concept of cyclical time is central to Druze cosmology, manifesting through seventy-two cycles (adwar), each marked by a divine manifestation in human form. This process reaches its culmination in the figure of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (d. 996–1021 CE), the sixth Fatimid caliph, who is regarded as the final and supreme manifestation of the divine presence. At the origin of existence stands the First Intellect (al-‘Aql al-Awwal), from which emanate successive metaphysical ranks—the Soul, the Word, the Preceder, and the Follower—which are successively embodied through cycles of time. In the present cycle, these principles are associated with specific historical figures, forming a sacred lineage that unites metaphysical doctrine with lived history.