A Sanctuary of Manuscript Heritage
Tanur Kutub Khana stands as one of the important libraries of South India,Preserving centuries of knowledge and rare manuscripts,It houses diverse disciplines including Tafseer, Hadith, Fiqh, Tasawwuf, Arabic literature and poetry,A true crown of scholarship and cultural heritage in Malabap
Tanur Kutub Khana, one of the most significant kutub khana of South India, is located in Tanur, Malappuram district. Often regarded as the crown jewel of our intellectual heritage, it houses an extraordinary collection of classical Islamic manuscripts that span several centuries. More than a mere repository of books, it serves as a living archive of Islamic scholarship.
Among its invaluable treasures are some of the rarest manuscripts in the Islamic world, including the only known complete copy of ʻUmdah and the exquisitely decorated Roulā, embellished with gold and classical calligraphy. The library also safeguards unique composite volumes—manuscripts where multiple classical texts are bound together in a single work—reflecting the ingenuity and practicality of past scholars.
The richness of the Kutub Khana lies not only in its rare manuscripts but also in the diversity of disciplines it preserves. Its collection spans Tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis), Ḥadīth (Prophetic traditions), Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Taṣawwuf (spirituality and Sufism), Arabic literature, the Qur’an, and classical Arabic poetry. These works embody the depth and breadth of Islamic intellectual tradition, offering an enduring source of inspiration for researchers and scholars from the region and beyond.
1 - Al-Qurʾān handwritten manuscript: the first two pages are decorated with red and black colour, bordered with red in other pages. The end of each verse is marked in red. The names of the sūrahs are written in red. Also, sajdah al-tilāwah and ḥizb divisions are indicated in the edges of the pages in red. Writing is medium size.
2 - Jāmiʿ al-Bayān ʿan Taʾwīl Āy al-Qurʾān (commonly known as Tafsir al-Tabari) by the Persian scholar and historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838–923 CE). On the first page of this manuscript is mentioned the owner: ʿAbdu-al-Qādir bin Alī bin Ibrāhīm al-Qāẓī. On the second page is the note of endowment for his mother, in the mosque known as Masjid al-Sahīlī al-Birkath al-Kubrā, better known as Valiya Kulangara Palli, dated Rabiʿ al-Awwal, 1288 H. The script is black, with some words in red. There are footnotes in the margins. The writing is in small size. There are three other copies available here.
3 - Tafsir al-Jamal: Tafsir al-Jamal is a hashiyah (marginal commentary) on Tafsir al-Jalalayn, the well-known classic exegesis of the Qurʾān authored originally by Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī and completed by Jalāl al-Dīn as-Suyūtī.This work Hashiyat al-Jamal is by Imam Sulayman bin Umar bin Mansur al-Ajili al-Jamal.written in brown colour, small script. The scribe is Hasan bin Alī Jaʿfar. The writing was finished Dhu’l-Hijjah 23, 1269 H.
4 - Sharah Arb'een Hadith, authored by Shaikh Ismail Haqqi, is a commentary on Imam al-Nawawi’s Arbaʿūn al-Nawawī, which contains forty hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ. On the first page is written that it is an endowment for Baliya Kulangara Palli, with a note “then don’t transfer”. On the second page is inscribed “Mawqūf (endowment) — 1280 H”. The hadiths and main points are written in red, and the rest in black. The script is small and somewhat difficult to read (risky).
5 - Thanbīh , authored by Abū Isḥāq al-Shīrāzī, is revered as one of the five foundational works of Shāfiʿī fiqh. This manuscript begins with a Persian note on its first page and is part of a wider scholarly tradition, with other copies preserved across West Asia. It was transcribed by Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥaḍramī, who later dedicated it as a waqf to the Valiya Kulangara Masjid while serving as mudarris and muftī. The original text was completed in Hijra 806 (1404 CE), while this copy dates to Hijra 975 (1567 CE). It remains a lasting testimony to the continuity of Islamic legal scholarship and cultural heritage.
6 - Roulā al-Ṭālibīn wa-ʿUmdat al-Muftiyyīn, authored by Imām Nawawī, is a classical Islamic manuscript of exceptional scholarly and artistic value. It is based on Fath al-ʿAzīz, a commentary (sharḥ) on the jurisprudential work Vajīz authored by Imām ʿOzālī, which was written by Imām Rafīʿ, who passed away in the 13th century in Kazvīn, Persia. The manuscript’s first page, chapter beginnings (bābs), and margins are richly decorated with gold, reflecting the period’s aesthetic mastery. Composed of three volumes, it is written in exceptionally small, precise handwriting without any errors, demonstrating both scholarly rigor and artistic excellence. The manuscript stands as a treasured testament to the intellectual and cultural achievements of classical Islamic scholarship.
7 - Tuhfat al-Muhtāj fī Sharḥ al-Minhāj, a multi-volume classical work of Islamic fiqh in the Shāfiʿī school. It is a foundational text and a primary reference for issuing fatwās within the madhhab. It was authored by Shaykh al-Islām Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī al-Makki (d. 974 AH / 1566 CE). On the first page is written that it is an endowment by Pallikkal Agath Paree Kutty bin Zain Kutty, in the mosque Masjidul Birkathil Kabeer, and the endowment was in the presence of ʿUmar bin Alī al-Qāẓī al-Bilangoothi. The writing is large, centred on the page. Foot-notes fill the edges of the pages. Headings are in red. I have five copies of different volumes and different styles of writing.
8 - Imdād bi Sharḥ al-Irshād, authored by Ibn Ḥajr al-Haythamī, a prominent Shāfiʿī fiqh scholar born in 16th-century Egypt who later gained eminence in Mecca. This work is a commentary (sharḥ) on Irshād of Ibn al-Muqriʿ, which itself was a jurisprudential reference, forming an important chain of scholarship. Composed of three volumes, the complete set of the manuscript is preserved at the Tanur Kutub Khāna, making it exceptionally rare. Copies of portions of the work can also be found in Yemen, Medina, Hadramawt, Cairo, and Dubai, highlighting its wide historical circulation
9 - Fatāwā Alām Kīriyya is a classical Islamic manuscript authored by several Hanafi scholars during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. This work represents a significant compilation of Hanafi jurisprudence and provides valuable insight into legal practices of the period. The Kutub Khāna houses manuscripts of the Fatāwā Alām Kīriyya written in six different colors, showcasing both scholarly dedication and artistic craftsmanship.
10 - Ihyaʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, by Imam Al-Ghazālī, a Shāfiʿī Sunni scholar and polymath, is considered one of his chief works, a classic guide for the pious Muslim on the path to God. This copy was written by Ali bin Hasan al-Parpanagadi, as mentioned on the last page. It is divided into 13 parts. On the first page it says “Mawqūf [endowment] in Baliya Kulangara Palli”, and in red colour at the start of the sentence. The script is large. The writing was completed on Friday, Dhu’l-Hijjah 27, 1269 H.
11 - Unvānu Sharaf al-Vāfī, authored by Abū Isḥāq Ismāʿīl ibn Muqirrī, is a unique classical Islamic manuscript written in poetic form. This work encompasses five distinct disciplines: fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), ʿarūḍ (prosody), qawāfī (rhyme), tārīkh (history), and naḥw (grammar). Its poetic structure allows these five different arts to be observed and appreciated from multiple perspectives, reflecting both literary elegance and scholarly depth. Because of this multi-dimensional richness, the work is aptly named Jawāhir al-Ḥams (“The Jewels of the Five Arts”)