Scholars find audition records in millions of Arabic manuscripts
Researchers from the University of Sharjah published a study on samāʿāt marginalia found in Arabic manuscripts held in libraries worldwide.
Notes prove text authenticity
These marginal notes serve as certificates that verify who authorized a specific document. The records show the text was read aloud before scholars while students attended the session. Without these marks, the authenticity of millions of documents would be in doubt.
Records span many generations
Some manuscripts accumulated dozens or even hundreds of these notes over successive generations. The findings fill gaps in existing historical sources by revealing individuals not documented elsewhere. This process preserves a record of how books were read and transmitted across the Islamic world.
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