Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaqat al-Fuhul

Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaqat al-Fuhul (The Ladder of Attainment to the Ranks of the Eminent Masters) is an extensive Arabic biographical dictionary compiled by the Ottoman scholar Katib Celebi (also known as Haji Khalifa, 1017–1067 AH / 1609–1657 CE) Mujam al-Muallifin+1. Designed as a biographical counterpart to his major bibliographical encyclopedia Kashf al-Zunun 'an Asami al-Kutub wa-l-Funun, the work contains approximately 8,561 biographical entries covering prominent figures across the Islamic world, including the Mashriq, Maghrib, Central Asia, and India Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…+1.

Purpose and Scope

Katib Celebi stated in his introduction that his moral objective in compiling the work was to seek blessings through the remembrance of the virtuous and to draw nearer to God by following in their footsteps Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…. The dictionary spans an expansive chronological and geographic spectrum Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…. It documents:

• Prophets, companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and notable pre-Islamic historical figures recognized in Islamic literature Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…+1.
• Caliphs, Ottoman sultans, and state officials Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq….
• Prominent Islamic scholars across various disciplines, such as Qur'anic exegetes, hadith scholars, jurists, theologians, Sufi figures, poets, men of letters, historians, philosophers, and physicians Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq….
• Information on religious sects, factions, and various peoples, combining biographical notices with genealogical data Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq….

Structure

The work is organized into two primary divisions:

1. First Part: Contains biographical entries arranged in alphabetical order according to the subjects' personal given names (ism) Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1. At the end of this section, Katib Celebi appended an autobiographical entry detailing his own lineage, education, and early career Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.
2. Second Part: Systematically arranged by agnomens (kunya), relational surnames (nisba), and honorific titles or sobriquets (laqab) Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.

Method and Sources

Katib Celebi drew upon more than 150 sources written in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, alongside translated European geographical texts Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1. Throughout the entries, he cited his references either explicitly by the author's or book's title, integrated within the text and at the close of entries, or by means of abbreviations and sigla Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…. For the second section of the book, he noted at its end that he relied on al-Suyuti's Lubb al-Lubab (Tahrir al-Lubab), following its order while incorporating additional entries and notices from other sources Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq….

Manuscripts and Publication

The author's draft manuscript of the work, comprising 577 folios, is preserved in Istanbul at the Süleymaniye Library within the Şehid Ali Pasha collection (MS 1887) Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…. Katib Celebi noted in his book Mizan al-Haqq that a fair copy of the first volume (reaching through the letter ta') had been produced in 1061–1062 AH (1651–1652 CE) Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq….

A critical edition of the complete work was published in 2010 in Istanbul by the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) in six volumes Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…+1. It was supervised with an introduction by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, edited by Mahmud Abd al-Qadir al-Arna'ut, and reviewed by Salih Sadawi Salih, released in conjunction with UNESCO's commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Katib Celebi's birth Sullam al-Wusul ila Tabaq…+1.