"Al Mudawwana"… A treasure resides in Sharjah Manuscript House

Saeed Al Madawi, the general supervisor of the Manuscript House, explains that the Al Mudawwana manuscript is considered a foundational text of the Maliki school of thought. It consists of approximately 6,200 questions and answers, arranged according to the well-known chapters of jurisprudence. He notes that it is the most authoritative book among Malikis, both in the East and the West, after the Muwatta, and is known as the "Mother Book."

Al Madawi adds that the manuscript was written on parchment in the Qayrawani script in the 6th century AH (approximately the 11th century CE). The titles were written in large print and had a dotted circle, which is the mark of correspondence. These papers are part of a rare copy whose parts were scattered among several international libraries, including the Chester Beatty Library, the Al-Azhar Library, the Leiden Library, and the Sharjah Manuscript House.