(30 Jun 2023) The island of Sumatra and the sultanate of Aceh played a crucial role in the spread of Islam and Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) throughout the Malay world. A foundational name is that of ‘Abd al-Rā’ūf al-Fansūrī (ca. 1615-1693), one of the earliest Qur’anic commentators in the Malay world. His work, Tarjumān al-Mustafīd, represents…
(21 Jan 2021) The Malay Studies Library (MSL) is situated at the main entrance of The Academy of Malay Studies complex, University of Malaya (UM). It was established in 1959 at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, UM campus Kuala Lumpur. It serves members of the department of Malay Studies. On 13th January 2006…
(3 April 2015) Among the Malay manuscripts in the British Library which have just been digitised are a number of vocabulary lists and dictionaries in Malay, compiled by visitors to the region as aids to learning the language. The study of Malay in Europe dates back to the very first voyages to Southeast Asia in the…
(12 March 2013) An exquisite illuminated Qur’an (Or.15227), dating from the 19th century and originating from the East Coast of the Malay peninsula, is the first Qur’an manuscript in the British Library to be digitised in its entirety. The manuscript was displayed in the British Library’s Sacred exhibition in 2007, and also featured in the…