Musa's Workshop

al-salamu alaykum

This week I prepared the second revision of Shaykh al-Fādānī’s introduction to logic and sent it to the printers so it can be used with a second batch of students.

Since I was working with logic, I decided that I would close a few unfinished translations related to logic.

This week I will be sharing the first revision of Imām al-Sanūsī's short introduction to logic.

Existing supporters will receive the full 65-page PDF in their inbox.

Requests from future supporters will be handled on a case by case basis once they have established a record of support.

—musa

Source: https://www.patreon.com/posts/imam-al-sanusis-113908092

From the explanation of the most beautiful names al-Marʿashī (aka Saçiqli-Zadeh) gives in Nashr al-ṭawāliʿ, relaying what is mentioned in some commentaries on the hadith:

«الكريم» هو الذي إذا قدر عفى وإذا وعد وفى، وإذا أعطى زاد على منتهى الرجاء، ولا يبالي كم أعطى ولمن أعطى، وإن رفعت حاجة إلى غيره لا يرضى، وإذا جفي عاتب وما استقصى، ولا يضيع من لاذ به والتجى، ويغنيه عن الوسائل والشفعاء، فمن اجتمع له جميع ذلك لا بالتكلف فهو الكريم المطلق، وذلك له تعالى فقط.

The generous one (al-karīm) is the one who forgives when able, fulfils his promises, gives beyond all expectations, and does not concern himself with how much he provides or to whom. If a need is raised to someone else, He is displeased. If treated with neglect, He reproaches but does not exact a full account. He does not forsake anyone who seeks refuge in Him, and He dispenses with intermediaries and intercessors. The one who possesses all these qualities without effort is the absolute generous (al-karīm al-muṭlaq), which applies solely to Allah (Exalted is He).

* * *

One of the great things about al-Marʿahsī’s book is that it includes important matters from Al-Mawāqif and Al-Maqāsid and their supporting literature that are missing in Ṭawāliʿ and its supporting literature. This section on Allah’s names is one of them.

[Edited to include more info on the author and book.]

This has been fun. Meaning really exhausting.

Wealth is good for the righteous when it serves as a servant, not a master.

—Ḥajī Khalīfah

A short snippet from Ḥajī Khalifah (this is from observation six in chapter five in the intro):

Know that those who focus more on memorisation than on acquiring true expertise do not gain much in terms of the ability to engage deeply with the science. This is why you often find that someone who has mastered memorisation does not excel in the art itself and that their expertise in their field is limited when they engage in discussions or debates. If someone thinks that memorisation alone is the goal of scientific expertise, they are mistaken. The true goal is to develop the ability to extract, deduce, and quickly move from premises to conclusions, from causes to effects, and vice versa.

If this expertise is combined with the ability to recall information quickly, then that is indeed the ideal. However, this cannot be achieved by mere memorisation alone. Rather, memorisation is one of the means of recall, which depends on the strength or weakness of the memory. This, in turn, is related to the natural temperament, though it is something that can be improved with practice.

# Shaykh al-Islām’s Ornamental Pearls & Elegant Definitions

al-salamu alaykum

The attached PDF contains two translations, both from Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyā al-Anṣārī (d926AH), and both related to knowledge.

The first is Al-Lu’lū al-naẓīm fī raum al-ta‘allum wa-l-ta‘līm (The Ornamented Pearl in the Pursuit of Learning and Teaching). The first part of the booklet presents advice to students related to what they should study, how to study, and things to look out for and avoid. The second half then gives the definition and purpose of the forty-seven sciences that students would either be studying or need to know something about.

The second is Al-Ḥudūd al-anīqah wa-l-ta‘rīfāt al-daqīqah (The Elegant Definitions and Precise Descriptions), which presents linguistic and technical definitions for several dozen terms that are used in manṭīq, fiqh, uṣūl al-fiqh, and kalām.

While the books should be useful for novices, they will quickly (in shā’ Allāh) quickly outgrow them. When that happens, I recommend moving from the first to al-Mar‘ashī’s Tartīb al-‘ulūm (which is now translated).

—musa

Supporters can access this PDF here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/shaykh-al-islams-111263055

A public sample is available here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/public-sample-of-110744241

# Ibn ʿĀshūr’s Overview of the Sciences

al-salamu alaykum

The attached PDF presents a quick translation of Imām Muḥammad Ṭāhir bin ʿĀshūr’s (1296–1393 AH) Taʿārīfāt al-ʿulūm (Overview of the Sciences), wherein the author introduces over twenty-four sciences. Each introduction presents the science’s names and definitions, often with a brief history of its development and historically significant books.

— musa

Supporters can access the PDF here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/ibn-ashurs-of-110743255

# Behind the scenes…

al-salamu alaykum


Whenever I translate or study a book, I usually spend most of my time with a modern edition since the print is easier on my eyes. Even so, I always try to find the oldest editions available as well as derived works so I can reference them whenever I find something off. I now also add manuscripts to the must-have collection of reference materials.

Here's something from this morning's work…

===

This is a public post. Anyone can read it here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/behind-scenes-110484354

# Supporter Alternatives

al-salamu alaykum

Many past and hopeful supporters have reported difficulties with payment processing. Apple is about to take a huge chunk of any payment made through the iOS app.

Perhaps it is time to offer an alternative.

Please comment or contact me if you need or prefer an alternative.

—musa

p.s. This is just one of a long list of problems. Patreon’s content UX/UI “improvements” haven’t helped. Neither have the growing number of declined payments. Neither has continuing to give people access after subscriptions have run out.

I delayed looking into alternatives because the cure seemed more painful and costly than the problem.

# Shorter Maxims, part 9

al-salamu alaykum

This is the eighth share from Shaykh al-Islam, and Sulṭān al-ʿUlamāʾ ʿIzz al-Dīn bin ʿAbd al-Salām’s (577–660 AH/1181–1262 CE) Al-Fawāʾid fi ikhtiṣār al-qawāʿid (Beneficial Points in Cutting to the Purposes), also known as Al-Qawāʾid al-ṣughrā (The Shorter Maxims).

This share covers maxims §58–65.

—musa

Supporters can access the PDF here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/shorter-maxims-9-109015915

# Shorter Maxims, part 8

al-salamu alaykum

This is the eighth share from Shaykh al-Islam, and Sulṭān al-ʿUlamāʾ ʿIzz al-Dīn bin ʿAbd al-Salām’s (577–660 AH/1181–1262 CE) Al-Fawāʾid fi ikhtiṣār al-qawāʿid (Beneficial Points in Cutting to the Purposes), also known as Al-Qawāʾid al-ṣughrā (The Shorter Maxims).

This share covers maxims §48–57.

—musa

Supporters can access the PDF here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/shorter-maxims-8-108092095

# Eid Special: A Briefer Introduction to Legislative Hadiths

al-salamu alaykum

First of all: Eid Mubarak, everyone!

This surprise share from Shaykh al-Islām Zakariyā al-Anṣārī's commentary on legislative hadiths (titled Fatḥ al-‘allām) is to show my appreciation for HN and everyone else being patient with me diverting to other texts.

This share contains the section related to the ʿEid Prayers.

I haven't worked with this in a long time. The Arabic text still requires considerable editing and the overall formatting does not match the current styles.

—musa

Supporters can access the PDF here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/eid-special-to-106337205

Shorter Maxims, part 7

al-salamu alaykum

This is the seventh share from Shaykh al-Islam, and Sulṭān al-ʿUlamāʾ ʿIzz al-Dīn bin ʿAbd al-Salām’s (577–660 AH/1181–1262 CE) Al-Fawāʾid fi ikhtiṣār al-qawāʿid (Beneficial Points in Cutting to the Purposes), also known as Al-Qawāʾid al-ṣughrā (The Shorter Maxims).

This share covers maxims §45b–47.

—musa

Supporters can access the PDF here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shorter-maxims-7-106293507

# Imām al-Sanūsī's Logic Abridgement & Its Commentary

al-salamu alaykum

One of my projects is going to require cross-referencing Imām al-Sanūsī's works, so over the past several weeks I have been preparing text versions of his ʿaqīdah commentaries. Since his commentary on manṭiq is out of print, I decided to go ahead and do one for it, too. This is the work that has kept me from working on anything else. Since I don't have any new translations or edited material ready to share, I figured I would share these. One PDF is just the text with some punctuation added. The other adds vowels. The tables aren't very nice. Be sure to read the preface for more information on Imām al-Sanūsī's commentary: it's a gem.

Next week, in sha Allah, things will get closer to normal and I will resume sharing translations. Typing in out of print Arabic texts is not my normal thing, though I know that have been keenly interested in this particular work.

—musa

Supporters can access the PDFs here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/105921459

p.s. The commentary is 114 pages.

# Duʿas, please

al-salamu alaykum

Things are a bit hectic at the moment. Our neighbourhood has an outbreak of dengue fever and one of us has it. I have something almost ready to share, but I haven't been able to give it a final pass yet.

Please keep us in your duʿas.

—musa

# Shaykh Ḥussein al-Falimbānī's Fatḥ al-majīd (Arabic text)

al-salamu alaykum

During the past two weeks, I have been reading through a few books related to my research interests. One of them is a short commentary for Shaykh Ibrāhīm al-Laqqānī's Jawharat al-tawḥīd, which was authored a Shaykh Ḥussein al-Falimbānī, who originates from Palembang on the south-eastern side of the island of Sumatra, now part of Indonesia. I have not yet found any biographical entry for our author, though his Fatḥ al-majīd provides some clues suggesting that he completed the book in 1328 AH.

The attached PDF presents the contents of the only printed edition I have been able to find, along with the author's own margin notes. I have added punctuation to make it easier to read, as well as some notes I made while reading through the text. I have also added harakāt to ayāt and some other quoted text. The PDF currently preserves its original edition’s pagination and line endings to assist in comparing this edition to the original, but this may change in the future.

While this PDF is far from being a publishable edition, and despite having inadvertently introduced additional typos to the text, it may still be enough to bring the text closer to its potential readers.

In sha Allah supporters will accept this in place of newly translated material. (And, no, I do not intend to translate it.)

—musa

Supporters can access the 90-page PDF here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/104720503

al-salamu alaykum

I just shared the sixth part from Shaykh al-Islam and Sulṭān al-ʿUlamāʾ ʿIzz al-Dīn bin ʿAbd al-Salām’s (d 1181–1262 CE) Al-Fawāʾid fi ikhtiṣār al-qawāʿid (Beneficial Points in Cutting to the Purposes), also known as Al-Qawāʾid al-ṣughrā (The Shorter Maxims).

It covers maxims §37–45.

Supporters can access the PDF here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shorter-maxims-6-104086440

I am spending a day revising the first portion of Shaykh al-Islam’s Lubb al-uṣūl.

‹٤١٨› والعامُّ المخصوصُ عمومُهُ مرادٌ تناولًا لا حكمًا، والمرادُ بهِ الخصوصُ ليس مرادًا بلْ كليٌّ استُعمِلَ في جزئيٍّ فهوَ مجازٌ قطعًا، والأصحُّ أنَّ الأوَّلَ حقيقةٌ فهوَ حُجَّةٌ،

The restricted generally applicable’s general applicability is intended in scope but not in ruling.

The ‹general applicability [of the] generally applicable› intended to be restricted is not intended ‹in scope nor in ruling›. Instead, it is a universal used for a particular. Thus, it is figurative, conclusively.

The soundest opinion is that the first ‹the restricted generally applicable› is literal, so it is a compelling proof (ḥujjah).

^--- this ‹translated material› is sending my head spinning ‹in a figurative sense›.

al-salamu alaykum

This is the tenth share from the first revision of Shaykh Aḥmad bin ʿUmar al-Shāṭirī’s (1316–1360 AH/1898–1941 CE) Al-Yāqūt al-nafīs fī madhhab Ibn Idrīs, translated here as The Precious Ruby in the Legal Doctrine of Ibn Idrīs.

This share covers
* Oaths and Vows
* Courts and Judgments
* Manumission and Slavery

This share, with much gratitude and thanks to Allah, is the final share from this first revision of the book.

The next step will be to add and remove notes so it becomes suitable for those reading it with an instructor or who are already familiar with the material and can easily obtain the explanation.

Please make duʿāh for the author Shaykh Aḥmad bin ʿUmar al-Shāṭirī, all who were mentioned within the text or contributed to its notes, and to those who have generously supported this work.

— musa

Supporters can access the PDF at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/precious-ruby-10-103130869