Talismanic Use of Sūra 59: A Probable Case from the Indonesian Archipelago

Abstract

This article presents a critical edition of item 0-691, an Arabic manuscript from the collection of the Tropenmuseum, part of the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam (KIT, Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen to refer to both museum and the institute. We therefore use 'KIT collection' in the text to refer to the collection of the Tropenmuseum.). This is an undated manuscript of unknown origin that hitherto has not been described. In the study preceding our edition of the text, we propose both a place of origin and a probable function of item 0-691. The manuscript’s content and physical characteristics, as well as similarities with other manuscripts, suggest that the most likely region of origin is the Indonesian archipelago, and, more specifically, the region of Aceh. In terms of its primary use, we argue that item 0-691 is a Qur'ānic talisman, and not a letter, as it is currently described in the catalogue of the KIT collection.