KAJIAN MANUSKRIP AL-MU'TABAR FI AL-HIKMAH (KITAB AL-NAFS) KARANGAN ABU AL-BARAKAT AL-BAGHDADI (547H./1152M.): KE ARAH SUATU KAEDAH SUNTINGAN ILMIAH WARISAN MANUSKRIP MELAYU-ISLAM

Abstract

Producing a critical edition of a text is not merely an art. It is an important academic responsibility for bridging the past and the present. As any other academic and intellectual exercises, manuscript editing has its 'art' and challenges. The different texts and languages demand different approaches and preparations. This article, which is based basically on writer's experiences in dealing with Arabic manuscripts, tries to expose the 'art' of manuscript editing, especially Arabic manuscript, and of the same time attempts to propose appropriate procedures for editing Malay manuscripts. Some conceptual aspects related to the editing processes are also discussed.