A Unique Unpublished Manuscript: Text, Verification, and Commentary

Abstract

This manuscript is a letter by Al-Shamakhy in response to a scholar who asked him about endowment (waqf). In the past, correspondence between scholars resembled the modern web of communication; it covered an important aspect of knowledge production and provided researchers with an additional source to learn about significant aspects related to the relationships between scholars and their students on one hand, and between the scholars themselves on the other. It also reveals general social life aspects, especially in transactions.