The Manuscript of Imam Al-Baydawi in the Kosovo Archives: An Analytical Study

Abstract

It is a well-known historical fact that the Ottoman Empire was present in the Balkans for more than five centuries. This connection left a deep mark on the soul and life of the people of this region and in particular, on the people of the Republic of Kosovo. Such traces are found in written documents, architecture, art, culture, folklore, and tradition. Part of this cultural heritage, which has been preserved up to the present time, consists of the Islamic-Oriental manuscripts, which are kept in certain scientific and cultural institutions of Kosovo. A rich collection of this kind, which is of great value, is preserved in the Archives of the Republic of Kosovo in Pristina. Among the manuscripts that are part of this collection is a very precious Tafsīr (a commentary on the Qur'an) by Imam al-Bayḍāwī, which was copied by Haji Mehmet Begzade-Prishtina in 1697. Manuscripts of this type show the level of commitment of the early generations to Islamic teachings, and at the same time, they serve as evidence of the early civilization in our lands, as well as of the style and meticulousness of writing for something considered precious. The aim of the research, as can be seen from the time period in which the manuscript was written, is to shed light on the values it carries. The manuscript is considered highly important and represents first-hand research material for Islamic theologians, historians, orientalists, experts in Arabic paleography, Arabic calligraphy, and as well as for literary and cultural scholars in general. Therefore, it paves the way for other researchers to study it from different perspectives. The research method used for the realization of this paper will be mainly library research, which includes an in-depth analysis of the manuscript itself and the literature published by well-known authors related to the field of archiving and manuscripts, and particularly to the manuscript and its author.