WE commend the work of various organizations to help restore and preserve the rich historical legacy of this country, the Arab World and Islam, by collecting thousands of rare and ancient manuscripts. On Sunday we reported that the King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Riyadh just purchased the only known copy of a 435-year-old manuscript of Jalal Al-Deen Al-Sayouti, who died in the Hijri year 911 and who wrote about the crafts and lifestyles of people of his time. Also recently, we reported how the King Abdul Aziz Foundation was preserving hundreds of ancient documents and 30,000 rare photographs. These are not just crumbling, outdated texts and images. It provides a glimpse into the contribution of Islam and Arab nations to the world. It will be a significant resource in the future for writers, scholars, intellectuals, historians, artists and students. One example includes a manuscript dating back to 957 Hijra, corresponding to year 1550, recording a pilgrim's journey to Makkah for Haj and Umrah. The manuscript is in Persian and is the poetic expression of Mohieddin Al-Khalsi, a pilgrim who described his feelings about the holy pilgrimage to Makkah. The manuscript, entitled ‘Fattouh Al-Haramain Shareefain' has a number of brilliantly colored drawings of the holy sites. The document is considered one of the oldest expressions of Islamic art. Another manuscript, entitled ‘Musnad Al-Imam Ahmed', on the subject of Prophetic Hadith, or sayings, dates back to 241 Hijra, corresponding to the year 855, and is the fourth part of the Musnad of Abu Huraira. The manuscript bears several statements of ownership. This serves as a reminder to many groups and individuals who seek to convey the impression that Islam has contributed nothing to development and progress in the world today. This is what our ancestors have bequeathed to us. It is their knowledge we must not forget when we move into the future. __
