Hidayat al-Murid fi Taqlib al-Abid - Dimn Nawadir al-Makhtutat
- Author died
- 924 AH
- Editions
- Sharikat Maktabat wa-Matba'at Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi wa-Awladih
Hidayat al-Murid fi Taqlib al-Abid (Guidance of the Aspirant in the Examination of Slaves) is a short treatise on physiognomy (firasa) and the physical inspection of enslaved people, written by the Ottoman-era Egyptian author Muhammad al-Ghazali .
Authorship and Dedication
The work was composed in Ottoman Egypt by Muhammad al-Ghazali, an obscure figure for whom biographical dictionaries preserve no dedicated entry . In the prologue, the author notes that he frequented the circle of an official in Egypt, Ahmad ibn Muhammad, known as the Afandi of the Egyptian lands (Afandi al-Diyar al-Misriyyah), who was known for his benevolence toward ascetics and poor scholars . Seeing the practical need of buyers to recognize physical soundness and hidden defects prior to purchase, al-Ghazali sought and obtained the Afandi's approval during an intimate gathering to write the treatise and dedicate it to him .
Structure and Contents
The subject matter and themes of the treatise parallel earlier Arabic manuals on the purchase of enslaved persons, notably the work of Ibn Butlan . Drawing on humoral medicine, classical physiognomy, and citations from Galen, al-Jahiz, and Ibn al-Jawzi's Laqt al-Manafi', the text is divided into seven chapters and an epilogue (khatimah) :
- Chapter 1: Diagnostic signs drawn from bodily complexion, color, structural build, and skin, such as identifying yellow, pale, or leaden skin tones as markers of humoral imbalances, and detecting concealed blemishes, leprosy, or old cauterizations .
- Chapter 2: Signs derived from the head and neck, covering hair quality, cranial shape, defects of the eyes and vision, hearing impairments, the nose, the tongue, speech impediments, teeth, gums, and breath odor .
- Chapter 3: Signs drawn from the chest, armpits, and upper limbs, including signs of tuberculosis, symmetry of the hands, and grip strength .
- Chapter 4: Physical examination of the viscera, kidneys, bladder, and private parts to identify conditions such as splenic and hepatic swelling, uterine ailments, kidney stones, varicoceles, and hemorrhoids .
- Chapter 5: Signs from the lower limbs, focusing on gait, leg symmetry, knee conditions, and elephantiasis .
- Chapter 6: The implications of obesity, emaciation, tallness, and shortness on health, stamina, and temperament .
- Chapter 7: Identification of the four primary temperaments (hot, cold, moist, and dry) and their combinations through pulse, skin warmth, hair texture, and behavioral tendencies .
- Epilogue: Post-purchase regimens, focusing on the proper timing, benefits, and types of physical exercise (riyadah)—such as riding, brisk walking, archery, wrestling, and ball games—as well as the detrimental effects of excessive idleness on bodily health .
Manuscript and Publication
The work is known from a unique manuscript preserved at Dar al-Kutub in Cairo under the shelfmark 40 Firasa . The manuscript contains ownership and scribal notes written by Hasan Ali Mahfuz for Sidi Abd Allah al-Shubrawi, dated 3 Safar 1126 AH . The text was edited by Abd al-Salam Harun and published as part of his collection Nawadir al-Makhtutat (Rare Manuscripts) .
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