AUTHORITIES OP MOSULMAN LAW. 505 



The text of the Vilayali^ composed in the 7th cen- 

 tury of the Hijrah by iiooRHA'N oo' Shureeut 

 Mahmood, son of the first Sudr oo Shuceut like that 

 of the Kiniz oo' Duka/ik^ has«been superseded, for legal 

 consultation, by its more extensive commentaries ; 

 especially by that of the second Sudr oo Shureeut^ 

 Oby'd oollah bin-i-Musaood, who died A. H. 

 7bO ; distinguished by the title of Shurhi- Fikdyah \ 

 and combining, with the original treatise, an ample 

 comment in illufiration of it. But both are used in 

 Mosulman Colleges, for instruction in the science of 

 law, preparatory to the study of the H'uidyah ; upon 

 which the Vikdygh is founded ; be'ng, as its title at 

 length imports, {Vikdjut 06* riiz-ayah, fee Musd/el il 

 HiddyaJi \) xhe. Cusios^ guardian, or preserver, of the 

 reports of cases in the Haldyah. Other commentaries 

 are mentioned in the Kushf 00' Zunoon ; but they are 

 not known to be extant in huUa ; or quoted as 

 authorities. * 



* Numerous Hwxashe/, or books of annotaticrris, have also been 

 written on the text and cominentaries ; of which the most cele- 

 brated is the Hasheeah of YnosuF BiN-i Jonyd, commonly called 

 Akkee Chulpee. Tliis work, entitled Zukhet:rut ool Okha h \n 

 the J ossession of the court o( Nizamut Adalut, who have also a 

 correct and complete copy of the Shnrh~i- Fikayah. It may be 

 useful to add that a Persian translation of the latter has been made 

 by a person named Abo OOL H UK Sujawal, of Surhtud ', who in 

 his preface, states it to have been completed A. H. IO76; during 

 .the reign of AuRUNGZEB. A copy of this version is in tpy possession. 

 The language is not elegant ; but it bears the character of accuracy ; 

 and with a careful revision, it may deserve publication. In bulk it 

 does not much exceed a fourth of the Persian version of the 

 Hidaijah; made by the former chiei A'^s^^, Gholam Yuhya Khan, 

 and his learned associates, emploved for that purpose under the pa- 

 tronage of Mr. Hastings J a revised edition of wuicii, under the 

 superintendence of Mou'iavee Mohummud Ra^hid, is now printing, 

 at ray suggestion, by order of Government ; and besides facilitating 

 the study of the Y^/fiiif text, will tend to explain and correct the 

 English translation ; which, though on the whole deserving of 

 praise, has been found in some parts inaccurate, and in many- less 

 intelligible than the Persian version, it may be proper to add in this 



