Falnama

Bibliomancy has a long history in Islamic culture, using both secular and religious books, especially the Quran. It was common for Quran manuscripts produced in India and Iran to have folios at the end specifically for divination ("Quranic falnamas"), from at least the late 14th century to the 19th. == Use ==

Using a Quranic Falnama for bibliomancy involved performing ritual ablutions, reading certain verses from the Quran, then opening the book at random. The tables at the end of the book told the reader how to interpret the omen, and in some versions had numerical tables telling the reader to count a certain number of pages, lines, or words within the Quran and read the word at that position. and Queen Bilqis from the Khalili Falnama Falnama manuscripts built on this tradition. They were consulted to divine the prospects for a major decision (such as a business venture, marriage, or house move) or to divine the condition of absent relatives or friends. Each spread had a painting on the right and text on the left; thus Arabic and Persian readers saw the painting first and then its explanation. To answer a question, readers would perform ablutions, recite prayers from the Quran and then open the book at a random page. The text explained whether the prediction was favourable, unfavourable, or middling. For example, a painting of the Sun would suggest a favourable outcome while a villain usually meant a disastrous outcome. The middle prediction is thought to mean a situation that does not initially seem good but will improve. Falnama manuscripts did not always agree in their interpretations; an event presented as fortunate by one could be unfortunate according to another. To avoid the worst outcomes, the text recommended pious acts such as prayer, pilgrimage, or kindness to others. Fortune-tellers gave Falnama readings for money on the streets of Istanbul and Isfahan. Some wealthy families commissioned their own Falnama manuscripts; all of the present surviving examples came about in this way. == Surviving Falnama manuscripts ==

The Dispersed Falnama The Dispersed Falnama, also called the Falnama Tahmasbi, is the oldest surviving example. It was commissioned during the reign of Shah Tahmasp in the mid-1550s to early 1560s, a time of political and military upheaval. This manuscript contains the earliest known depiction in Islamic art of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. A complete facsimile of the manuscript, with translation and scholarly commentary by Parikh, was published in 2022. Khalili Collection Islamic Art mss 0979 fol 6b.jpg|Ladies, astonished by the beauty of Joseph, cutting their fingers on fruit knives Khalili Collection Islamic Art mss 0979 fol 12b.jpg|Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Jerusalem upon his steed, Buraq Khalili Collection Islamic Art mss 0979 fol 26b.jpg|The construction of Noah's Ark Khalili Collection Islamic Art mss 0979 fol 30b_CROP.jpg|The Queen of the Peris at her throne in the garden of Iram Others Four more illustrated manuscripts of the Falnama have survived from the 16th and 17th centuries. A 16th-century manuscript is now held by the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, the Netherlands. Its 35 paintings include one each for the Moon, Sun, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the realm of Paradise. Five more paintings show episodes from the life of Ali and many others have scenes inspired by the Quran. The Kaaba, Noah's Ark, the Last Judgement, and Layla and Majnun have their own paintings. The Dresden Falnama is a Persian volume with similar content which was produced from the 1540s to the 1570s. It is now in the Saxon State and University Library Dresden. The Topkapı Persian Falnama, with 41 double-page spreads, dates from the late 17th century and is now in the collection of the Topkapı Palace in Turkey. The palace also holds an Ottoman Turkish version of the Falnama created for the Sultan Ahmed I in the early 17th century, with 59 double-page spreads. Similarities between these four manuscripts' paintings suggest that they were influenced by common depictions that have not survived. == See also ==