Al-Hizb al-Azam [Illuminated Edition, Cream Cover]

Al-Hizb al-A'zam wa al-Wird al-Afkham -

The
Supreme Daily Remembrance and the Noble Litany

Edited and designed by Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
Mangera

PAGE SAMPLE

An elegant illuminated edition of Mulla 'Ali al-Qari's celebrated litany, Al-Hizb
al-A'zam wa 'l-Wird al-Afkham. With Smooth Cream cover.

Al-Hizb
al-A'zam is a
beautifully organized and comprehensive collection of invocations drawn from
the Quran and Prophetic Sunna. Its wide range leaves uncovered hardly any area
of worldly and otherworldly concern, and a complete reading might well put
before Allah just about everything one would need in both this life and the
next.

This
work's acceptance is plainly visible in the multitudes of devotees who recite
it regularly around the world. A lot of attention has been paid to it, from
commentaries and translations to abridgements and rearrangements.

Though a
number of illuminated copies exist in manuscript, no illuminated edition to our
knowledge has yet become available in print. For an important book of prayers
such as this, illumination provides an aesthetic touch that pleases the eye and
enhances the reader's spiritual engagement with the text.

No effort
has been spared in preparing this edition to bring about immense joy and
pleasure for its readers.

The typeface used (with
minor modifications) was prepared from the original naskh script of
the internationally acclaimed Syrian calligrapher 'Uthman Taha, who is
renowned for his beautiful, clear, and easy-to-read hand and who prepared
the Madina Mushaf that is printed and read around the world today.

Each page is set in twelve
lines of text, enclosed with a decorative gold and red frame.

The inner pages have been
printed using five colours and varnished on coated stock.

They pages have been sewn
for strength and durability and bound so that the book, when opened, lies
flat without help of the hands, to facilitate easier reading.

The openings of the
introduction and first section are adorned by illuminated headpieces in
gold and other colours, while the remaining section titles are enclosed in
embellished borders.

The ninety-nine name of
Allah are elegantly featured across a two-page spread.

While the basic design
emulates the classical Arabic manuscript style, a few modern typographical
touches have been added to this edition. In addition to page numbers at
the bottom, marginal heads are included to guide the reader. These heads
include the number of the section (using numerals) to facilitate easy
navigation for non-Arabic speakers. Since the author advises to complete
the litany over several days if doing so is not possible each day, each of
the seven sections also include halfway markers to break it down further.

To facilitate pauses during
recitation, punctuation marks have been added within the text. Ornaments
are used for verse endings in Qur'anic invocations and for where larger
entries can be divided into separate invocations. Commas suggest pauses
that fit with the length, rhyme, rhythm, and meaning of each invocation.

The text of this edition is
primarily based on that of the Indian editions, and has been compared (and
emended where deemed necessary) with several manuscripts from around the
world

To achieve a more balanced
division of the seven sections of the book, the Saturday to Tuesday
sections follow those found in the majority of manuscripts, while the
remaining sections follow the Indian editions.

The invocations are fully
referenced in an appendix along with a bibliography of the print and
manuscript copies used.

A traditional license of
transmission (ijaza) to the author is included.

The end sheets carry a
printed design in pantone gold and varnish.

The front and back covers
include the book title in gold foil along with a centre-medallion and
author's name. A debossed frame encloses this, while a debossed arabesque
pattern sets of the gold title on the spine.

A ribbon marker matching the colour of each
cover is added