This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: For a comprehensive understanding of the content of millions of Arabic manuscripts held in libraries around the world, it is crucial for scholars to first examine what their marginalia reveal, according to a new study published in the Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization. Called samāʿāt (Arabic for "hearing" or "audition"), the marginal notes are among the most fascinating features of Arabic manuscript culture.
Without them, the authenticity of the documents would be in doubt. They provide evidence of who authorized the text following a review session during which the document was read aloud before scholars, while students attended and heard the reading. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Sharjah, reveals that some manuscripts accumulated dozens, and occasionally hundreds, of samāʿāt over successive generations, preserving a record of how books were read, taught, authenticated and transmitted across the Islamic world.
"The findings show that audition records can fill gaps in existing historical sources and reveal individuals whose names are not documented elsewhere," said Dr. Saleh Muhammad Zeki Mahmood Al-Leheabi, associate professor of Islamic history and civilization and the study's lead author. Al-Leheabi translates samāʿāt as certificates of audition, describing them as vital records and "independent sources for reconstructing Islamic intellectual history" that remain largely unexplored.
Codicologists specializing in Islamic manuscripts typically pay close attention to the marginal notes found in ancient Arabic writings because of their significance for the authenticity and value of content. In many cases, the margins themselves may prove to be as valuable as the manuscript's main text. The authors highlight four key findings.
They emphasize the role of samāʿāt in providing detailed and valuable historical information, and they note that the volume of marginal notes preserved in Arabic manuscripts is immense, necessitating systematic study and classification. According to Al-Leheabi, once systematically researched, the margins of Arabic manuscripts could help reconstruct the contents of lost or unidentified works. "Their references to people, places and dates offer insights into scholarly and cultural life across different periods," he explained.
"Organizing these records into structured databases and catalogs would make their information more accessible to researchers." The authors base their findings on a corpus of 47 manuscripts from which they extracted 132 different marginal notes. They were selected by careful examination of published catalogs by Leder and Seidensticker, as well as digital and physical collections. The manuscripts date back to different centuries, ranging from the sixth century to the 15th century.
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