بياض (blank/white)

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The document describes a physical book (kitab) that was 'fabricated' (masnu') for diplomatic purposes. The book was externally unsealed/opened by Abu al-Yusr al-Shaybani to reveal that its pages were entirely blank or white ('bayad'), with the exception of the ritual Basmala opening (p. 39). The text further notes that the author, Ibn al-Mudabbir, was renowned for his choice of writing materials, described elsewhere in the text as having high-quality paper ('husn waraqatihi') (p. 43) and an intimate knowledge of 'writing tools' (adawat al-kitaba) (p. 48).

Evidence

"فك أبو اليسر الكتاب ليقرأه؛ فإذا هو بياض، ليس فيه إلا (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)"

Remarks

This entry relates to a specific historical sample: a diplomat's book sent from Syria to the Umayyad court in Cordoba during the 3rd century AH. The narrative focuses on the visual state of the paper ('bayad'), which was intended to deceive the recipient through its formal preparation (sealing and binding). TheRisala al-Adhra, which this text introduces, is itself a fundamental treatise on the secretary's craft, emphasizing the physical quality of the script and its substrate (pp. 41-43).