Qur'an and Scrolls - Dala‘il al-khayrat - Guide to Goodness
Origin and time: 18th Century
Museum of Ethnology - Library, Vienna
Inv. No. VB_15994_hist
The “Dala’il al-khayrat”, compounded by the Moroccan mystic al-Jazuli, is the most celebrated manual of blessings on the prophet Muhammad in the Muslim world. The double page shows illustrations of the two holy cities of Islam. On the right: The holy city of Mecca with the Kaaba. Every Muslim and every Muslima – if able-bodied and financially capable – must go on the pilgrimage to the religious centre of the Islamic world at least once in their lifetime. On the left: The prophet’s tomb in Medina, a city about 300 km to the north of Mecca. No Muslim going on the pilgrimage to Mecca would miss visiting Medina and pronouncing the blessing formula. The first three Caliphs – Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman – are buried by the side of the prophet Muhammad in this sacred place.
