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An Epitome of Shīʿī Systematic

Theology: ʿAllāmah Ḥillī’s
Al-Bāb ãl-Ḥādī ʿAshar (The Eleventh Chapter)

Draft Translation With Notes and Lexicon

By
Idris Samawi Hamid

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‫اﻟﱣﻠﻬﱠﻢ ﺻﱢﻞ ﻋٰﲆ ﳏّﻤﺪ وٰال ﳏّﻤﺪ‬

‫وﻋﱢﺠْﻞ ﻓﺮﺟﻬﻢ وأﻫﻠﻚ أﻋﺪاءﻫﻢ‬

Preface

Towards the end of Ramaḍān/December, 648hl/1250ce, Jamāluddīn

Ḥasan ibn Yūsuf ibn ʿAlī ibn Muṭahhar, best known as al-ʿAllāmaḧ
al-Ḥillī (usually abbreviated in non-Arabic works to simply ʿAllāmah
Ḥillī), was born into an eminent Shīʿī family of al-Ḥillaḧ, Iraq. Al-
Ḥillaḧ is a small city that lies just to the northeast of the axis that con-
nects the sacred cities of Najaf and Karbalāʾ. The al-Ḥillī family pro-
duced a number of competent scholars and religious leaders, includ-
ing Jamāluddīn’s uncle Najmuddīn Jaʿfar ibn al-Ḥasan (d. 676hl/-
1277ce), known as al-Muḥaqqiq al-Ḥillī; he is the author of Šarāʾiʿu
ũl-Islām, a seminal work in Islāmic jurisprudence. After a full and
productive life of study, teaching, authorship of over 110 books and
treatises, as well as critical debate with the representatives of other
schools of thought and practice (in which, apparently, he always came
out the winner), ʿAllāmah Ḥillī passed away in Muḥarram/December
726hl/1325ce.

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The most distinguished theologian of his generation, the life and con-
tribution of ʿAllāmah Ḥillī to Islāmic and Shīʿī scholarship occurred
at a time of transition. Young Jamāluddīn was just over seven years
old when the sack of Baghdad took place (early 1258). The age of
classical Islamaic1 civilization, philosophy, and science had come to
a close, with the accompanying destruction of an enormous amount
of its literary heritage.2 In its wake there sprouted the blossom of
Muslim scholasticism; ʿAllāmah Ḥillī counts as one of the most im-
portant scholars to contribute to that paradigm of scholarship and
teaching. As far as the Shīʿī tradition of scholaticism is concerned:
Just as his teacher in philosophy and science Naṣīruddīn Ṭūsī (d. hl/-
1274ce) was the last of the ancients (mutaqaddimūn) (of the classical
age), ʿAllāmah Ḥillī was the first of the moderns (mutaʾaḫḫirūn) (of
the scholastic age).

One scholarly custom developed during the scholastic age – influ-

1 We use expressions such as ‘Islamaic philosophy’ and ‘Islamaic civilization’ in

place of more common locutions such as ‘Islamic philosophy’, ‘Muslim civiliza-
tion’, and so forth. The distinction between Islamic and Islamaic is analogous to
the distinction between Hellenic and Hellenistic. Examples: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (ʿa)
articulated an Islamic, but not an Islamaic, philosophy. Moses Maimonides was an
Islamaic, but not an Islamic, philosopher. The later Sabians of Ḥarrān belonged to
Islamaic civilization. Islamaic philosophy appropriates and develops a non-Islamic
(Aristotelian, Neoplatonic, etc.) heritage. Etc.
2 In addition to the sack of Baghdad and its libraries, there was also the earlier de-
struction and massacre of the inhabitants of of Merv (northeast of Mašhad) (in
1221ce). At the time, Merv rivaled, if it did not surpass, Baghdad as the cultural
capital of Islamaic civilization.

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enced no doubt by the destruction of so much of the earlier literary

heritage and the relative inaccessibility of that which survived – was
the composition of epitomes. These were short treatises written in
an extremely compact and efficient manner in order encompass an
immense amount of learning and argumentation. Given their short
length, they were both easy to memorize as well as conducive to
scholastic instruction. They were also quite inaccessible to the unini-
tiated, and so eventually provided, for better or worse, a mechanism
of control of the education curriculum by the elites of the scholas-
tic establishment. Given an epitome, it could only be unpacked with
the help of a teacher, often in conjunction with a commentary of that
epitome written by some scholar. The archetype of the scholastic
epitome was established by Naṣīruddīn Ṭūsī, as in, e.g., his incalcu-
lably influential Tajrīdu ãl-Iʿtiqād.

Al-Bāb ãl-Ḥādī ʿAshar (The Eleventh Chapter) is titled as such on

account of the fact that it was originally written as the final, conclud-
ing chapter of the ʿAllāmah’s Minhāju ãl-Ṣalāḥ, a condensed rendi-
tion of the famous compilation of supplication and ritual Miṣbāḥu ãl-
Mutahajjid by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī (d. 460hl/-
1067ce). It is ʿAllāmah Ḥillī’s epitome of Shīʿī belief. It is clearly
influenced by Ṭūsī’s Tajrīd, and claims to encapsulate the minimal
content of Shīʿī belief, recognition of which is claimed to be a neces-
sary, if not sufficient, condition for membership in the community of
the Muʾminūn (Faithful) (= the Shīʿah).3 Al-Bāb ãl-Ḥādī ʿAshar has
previously been translated (pub. 1958) by William M. Miller, a stu-

3 Such abstraction of dogmatics from praxis was a common feature across the devel-
opment of classical Muslim theology, one influenced, in part, by earlier Christian

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dent of the Orientalist and Christian missionary Duncan B. MacDon-

ald. His translation includes that of the commentary of the original
work by Miqdād ibn ʿAbdullāh ał-Suyūrī (d. 826hl/1422–1423ce),
viz., ał-Nāfiʿ Yawma al-Ḥašr (The Bringer of Benefit for the Day of
Gathering). Miller’s translation of al-Bāb ãl-Ḥādī ʿAshar is inaccu-
rate in a number of places, its English style difficult, and its English
terminology rather dated. Taken by itself, the result is difficult, even
unreadable. Miller’s translation of the entirety of Miqdād’s commen-
tary is, despite related infelicities of style and terminology, consider-
ably more useful.

What follows is an attempt to render the text of al-Bāb ãl-Ḥādī ʿAshar

into contemporary philosophical English. The Arabic text followed is
that of the accompanying critical edition done by Mr. Reza Yahyapour
Farmad. In a small number of places an alternative reading provided
in the critical apparatus of the Arabic text has been followed. The
density of the text (including, e.g., the manner in which pronouns
are employed) precludes a standalone, exact translation; such would
result in considerable and frustrating obscurity. Neither has a com-
mentary or extensive set of footnotes been provided. Instead, inline
extensions to the main translation, placed in brackets, have been used
to fill out the sentences in order to make those sentences, and the ar-

dogmatic theology.

More precisely, ‘muʾmin’, singular of ‘muʾminūn’, means something like “dynam-

ically secure in belief and action”. For in the Qurʾān and the traditions of the
Imāms (ṣ), belief and practice are inextricably linked in a manner that is often ob-
fuscated by the Kalām and Muslim dogmatic theology across its various schools.

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gumentations which they combine to express, more accessible and

comprehensible. There is definitely room for development and im-
provement of this method of translating a scholastic epitome. In ad-
dition, time constraints prevented extensive fine-tuning and critical
revision and of this particular translation.

We have also included a rough lexicon of terms used in the text. It

is a work of labor; there is no claim that it will serve as an authori-
tative scholarly reference. It consists, in the main, of notes made by
the translator, organized to keep the translation consistent and pre-
cise. Some of the English alternatives are experimental or suggestive;
some are not meant to be taken as final results. This rough lexicon is
appended to the translation in the hope that it will be of some assis-
tance to students and of interest to experts.

Miller’s translation of al-Bāb ãl-Ḥādī ʿAshar and ał-Nāfiʿ Yawma

al-Ḥašr includes a tolerable biographical sketch of ʿAllāmah Ḥillī.
It gives some taste of the ʿAllāmah’s famous wit, as in his debate
with representatives of other schools of thought and practice at the
court of the Ilkhanid emperor Öljaitü Muḥammad Khodā Bandeh
(great-grandson of Hulagu Khan). One result of this great debate was
Öljaitü’s conversion to Tašayyuʿ (popularly known as Shīʿī Islām),
followed by the first attempt to make it dominant across Iran.4 We
close this preface with another example of ʿAllāmah Ḥillī’s wit and
wisdom:5

4 The second, and this time successful, attempt, was carried out two centuries later
by the founder of the Safavid dynasty.
5 The following account is adapted from the biographical dictionary Luʾluʾaẗu ãl-

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After overcoming his opponents in debate at the court of Öljaitü, the

ʿAllāmah gave a speech in which he invoked divine ṣalāḧ (commu-
nion) upon the Messenger (ṣ) and the 12 Imāms (ṣ). Upon hearing
this speech, one of the opposing scholars silenced in the earlier de-
bate, a Sayyid (descendant of the Messenger (ṣ)) from Mosul, asked,
“What is the evidence of the permissibility of invoking communion
upon anyone other than the prophets?” Without pause, the ʿAllāmah
recited the āyaḧ,

“Those who, when calamity afflicts them, say, We belong to Allāh

and towards Him do we return: They are the ones upon whom
be invocations of communion from their Cherisher-Lord and
mercy.” (𝒬 2:156)

Then, in a tone of derision, the Sayyid from Mosul asked, “So what
calamity has so afflicted the family of the Messenger that, on ac-
count of it, invocation of communion upon them is mandated?” The
ʿAllāmah replied in an elegant rhymed prose,

“Among the most horrendous and severe of calamities is that there

has come to be, from amongst their descendants, someone such as
yourself who prefers to follow ignorant hypocrites, deserving of curse
and chastisement, over the Messenger of the Exalted Sovereign.”

Then the assembly erupted in laughter. In honor of the event a poet

composed the following lines:

Baḥrayn, by Shaykh Yūsuf ibn Aḥmad al-Baḥrānī (d. 1186hl/1772ce); he is also

the author of the seminal encyclopedia of jurisprudence al-Ḥadāʾiq ał-Naḍiraḧ.

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When the ʿAlawiyy followed the despiser of ʿAlī

in his sect, then what is he in relation to his father?
In all truth a dog is better than he;
for at least within the dog is stamped its father’s nature.

Idris Samawi Hamid

Bellvue, Colorado
July 29, 2018, 8:14am

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All praise belongs to Allāh, Cherisher-Lord of the worlds, and ulti-

mate successful consequence belongs to the dynamically aware [of
Him]. Communion and peace be upon the best of His creation, His
choice friend Muḥammad and his pure, excellent Family.

Onward: What follows is6

The Eleventh Chapter:

On that which is mandatory for the community at large
of responsible agents,7 regarding recognition of the
foundations of the Path of Belief and Action (Dīn).

6 The entire passage above, after the basmalaḧ, is found only in manuscript H.
7 َ ‫َﻋﺎﱠﻣُﺔ اُﳌ‬.
Community at large of responsible agents: See the lexicon, under ‫ﻜﱠﻠﻔﲔ‬

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[Preface]

It is the unanimous consensus of the scholars that the recognition of

• Allāh – exalted is He!

• His affirmative and negative qualities,
• what correctly characterizes Him and what is impossible [to apply
to Him],
• Prophethood,
• Leadership, and
• the Return,

is mandatory [upon all responsible agents]. Furthermore, that [recog-

nition] should be by way of inferential evidence, not mere imitation
or emulation. So it is incumbent to mention certain matters, igno-
rance of which is not allowable for any single person from amongst
the Muslims. And whosoever is ignorant of any one of them has left
the lasso-bond of the Muʾminīn, and thereby merits continuous con-
sequent penalty.

I have arranged this chapter into sections:

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The First Section: On Establishing the

Reality of He Whose Existence is Necessary

We hereby say the following: That which is grasped by reason per se

is either

• something whose existence is necessary in external, objective re-

ality, due to its own self,
• something whose existence is contingent, due to its own self, or
• something whose existence is impossible, due to its own self.

Now there can be no doubt, and it is evidently and certainly the case,
that something is here existent. If it is necessary [due to itself], then
that is the result that is sought; if it is contingent [due to itself], then
it is evidently and certainly the case that it is in want of an existen-
tiator to bring it into existence. If the existentiator is necessary, then
that is the result that is sought; if it is contingent then it remains in
want of another existentiator. If that other [contingent existentiator] is
the same as the original then there results a circle [of causation], and
that is something which is evidently and certainly invalid. And if that
other is yet another contingent [distinct from the original], then there
results an indefinite regress; that is also [evidently and certainly] in-
valid. [It is invalid] because each single member of that entire chain
[of regress], comprising all contingents, is itself evidently and cer-
tainly contingent. So they all share in the impossibility of existing
due to themselves.8 So, evidently and certainly, there must be an ex-

8 Here the author is using the expression ‘impossibility of existing due to themselves’

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istentiator external to them. And it is necessary, which is the result

that is sought.

in a broad, different sense than that which was set forth in the division earlier in
this paragraph. In this sentence the author is saying that, given a contingent, it is
impossible for it to exist in and of itself, due to its own being alone. In the strict
sense set forth earlier, something whose existence is impossible due to its own self
is not contingent at all; there is no way that it can exist (for example, a flat carpet
that is both square and round).

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The Second Section: On His Affirmative Qualities

And they are eight:

The First is that He – Exalted!9 – is powerful and a free agent. This

is because the world is originated [by something else]. This, in turn,
is because no body can be decoupled from originating novelties – I
mean[,ultimately,] motion and rest. For each of them requires prece-
dence by some other. And it is evidently and certainly the case that
anything which cannot be decoupled from originating novelties is it-
self originated.

So the impressor which effects the thing – and that [impressor] is

Allāh, Exalted! – is a free agent. For if He were involuntarily ne-
cessitated [to act], then, as is evidently and certainly the case, His
impression would not come after him. This would entail either the
eternity of the world10 or the origination of Allāh – Exalted! – both
of which are void.

His power attaches to all subjects to power [i.e., all contingents]. This
is because the factor [common to all contingents] which puts [those
contingents] in need is contingency. And [because that factor is com-

9 For concision: In what follows ‘Exalted!’ is to be taken as elliptical for ‘Exalted is

He!’.
10 That is, the impressor and the impression would be coeternal, as is the case with
the One of Plotinus and Its emanation. See the lexicon, under ‫ﺟﺐ‬
َ ‫ﻣﻮ‬.

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mon to all contingents,] the relation of His Entity to all is one and the
same [for each contingent].11 So His power is common to all.

The Second is that He – Exalted! – is a knower. This is because He

effects actions which constitute a firm and intricate whole. And it is
evidently and certainly the case that whoever does that is a knower.

And His knowledge attaches to every subject to knowledge [i.e., every

contingent], for the relation of all subjects to knowledge [i.e., all con-
tingents] to Him is the same. And since He is alive, it is correct that
He knows every subject to knowledge. So that [total knowledge] is
necessary for Him, due to the absurdity of His being in want of [any-
thing] other than Him.

The Third is that He – Exalted! – is alive. Because He is powerful

and knowing, it is evidently and certainly the case that He is alive.

The Fourth is that He – Exalted! – is a willer and a disliker. This

is because, given the specification of effects, via existentiating them
at one time instead of another, there must be a specifier; and that
[specifier] is the will. Furthermore, He – Exalted! – commands and
forbids, both of which entail willing and disliking.

The Fifth is that He – Exalted! – is a perceiver. Because He – Ex-

alted! – is alive, it is correct that He perceives. Furthermore, the
Qurʾān has come and mentioned its reality with respect to Him, so it
is necessary to affirm it.

11 That is, the relation of His Entity to any one contingent is the same as the relation
to any other contingent.

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The Sixth is that He – Exalted! – is eternal: pre-eternal, everlasting,

post-eternal. For He is He Whose Existence is Necessary, so it is
absurd that prior or posterior non-existence apply to Him.

The Seventh is that, by consensus, He – Exalted! – is a speaker.

What is meant by ‘speech’ is an ordered system of letters and audible
sounds. And the meaning of [the statement] that He is a speaker is
that He existentiated speech via some vessel [chosen from] among
[existing] bodies. The commentary given by the Ašʿarīs upon this
matter is unintelligible and makes no sense.

The Eighth is that He – Exalted! – is truthful. For it is evidently and

certainly the case that lying is [something] ugly. And Allāh – Ex-
alted! – is utterly removed from it, due to the absurdity of His being
characterized by any deficiency.

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The Third Section: On His Negative Qualities

And they are seven:

The First is that He – Exalted! – is not a compound [of parts]. Oth-

erwise He would be in want of His [alleged] parts; and that which is
in want is contingent.

The Second is that He – Exalted! – is neither a body, nor a substance,

nor an accident. Otherwise He would be in want of place, and it
would be impossible for Him to be distinct from originating novelties.
Then He would be a novelty, which is absurd.

Furthermore, it is not permissible that He be immanent within some

locus; otherwise He would be in want of it. Nor [is it permissible that]
He be [found] in some direction; otherwise He would be in want of
it.

Nor does pleasure or pain apply to Him, due to the impossibility of

His having a natural constitution.

Nor does He come into union with [something] other than Himself,
due the absolute impossibility of union [between the necessary and
the contingent].

The Third is that He – Exalted! – is not a locus for the originating

novelties [in which they may inhere or be immanent]. This is due to
the impossibility of His being affected by something other than Him,
and due to the impossibility of His having any deficiency .

The Fourth is that it is absurd that He – Exalted! – be subject to

ocular vision, for every subject to vision lies in some direction. This

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is because it is evidently and certainly the case that any subject to

vision must either face [the viewer] or fall under the rubric of that
which faces [the viewer, e.g., an image in a mirror]. Then He would
be a body, which is absurd. And [this is also] due to His statement
– Exalted!, You will never see me [Q 7:143]; where the [particle of]
negation signifies forever [into the future].

The Fifth concerns the denial that He – Exalted! – has any partner.
This is due to what is heard and accepted via narration [from the Mes-
senger, viz., the Qurʾān and the Ḥadīṯ]. It is also due to [the] mutual
strife and hindrance [that would inevitably result if there were such a
partner], as the ordered system of reality would then disintegrate.

It[s impossibility] is also due to the entailment of composition: Since

two necessaries each share [the characteristic of] being one whose
existence is necessary, there has to be a [separate] distinguishing
characteristic [which then enters into the composition of each nec-
essary, in combinaiton with the characteristic of necessity that they
both share in common].

The Sixth concerns the denial that He – Exalted! – is characterized

by universal properties12 or states. This is because if[, for example,]
He were powerful through [the distinct universal property] power,

12 A universal property (maʿnā) is a general, distinct quality that applies to some

particular. So the property power is a universal and distinctive quality that charac-
terizes different individual things to one degree or other. In the case of Allāh, there
is no power distinct from His Entity.

More precisely and generally, the word ‘maʿnā’ means “object”, not “property”;

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or a knower through [the distinct universal property] knowledge, He

would, in all of His qualities, be in want of that universal property.
Then he would be contingent; this is contrary to the previously estab-
lished result.

The Seventh is that He – Exalted! – is free of want and is not in need

[of anything]. This is because the necessity of his existence – to the
exclusion of all else – demands His self-sufficiency and independence
from other than Him, and the sheer want of Him on the part of other
than Him.

we could, thus, more exactly translate it by ‘universal object’. However, that is

somewhat misleading; in this limited context, the present translation (‘universal
property’) appears to be more appropriate.

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The Fourth Section: On Justice

Within [this section] there are a number of points of discussion:

The First is that reason determines, in an evident and certain manner,

that among [voluntary] actions there is

• that which is beautiful, such as returning a trust to its owner, ex-

cellent behavior [towards others], and beneficial honesty; as well
as
• that which is ugly, such as oppression and harmful dishonesty.

On account of this, even those who have denied the divine dispen-
sations [but who recognize reason], such as the heretics and the In-
dian philosophers,13 have passed judgment in accordance with both
[beauty and ugliness].

And [beauty and ugliness are matters grasped by reason] because, if

they are to be denied [as grasped] by reason, then they are to be denied
[as grasped] via hearing and accepting what has been narrated; due
to the [consequent] denial, in that event, of the ugliness of lying on
the part of the lawgiver.

13 The critical edition uses the word ‫( اﳍﻨﺪو‬al-hindū), but that is being used to mean
“the Indians” and is elliptical for the Indian philosophers; it does not mean “Hindu”
in the contemporary religious sense. One notes that both of the classic commenta-
tors, Miqdād al-Suyūrī and Ibn Maḫdūm al-Ḥusaynī, quote the word as ‫ﺣﻜﲈء اﳍﻨﺪ‬
(the philosophers of India), an exegetical reading which captures what is meant by
‫ اﳍﻨﺪو‬here.

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The Second concerns [the proposition] that we are voluntary agents.

Evident certainty [of reason] determines that to be so, due to[, for
example,] the evident and certain distinction between [involuntarily]
falling from a roof and between [voluntarily] climbing down step by
step. Otherwise our responsible agency for anything would be im-
possible and there would be no [possibility of] disobedience.

And [it is evident and certain that we are voluntary agents] due to the
ugliness that would result if He were to create an [ugly] action within
us, then punish us for it.

And [it is evident and certain that we are voluntary agents] due to [the
evidence provided by] narration.14

The Third concerns the absurdity of His being characterized by ug-

liness – Exalted! This is because He has a deterrent from it, which is
His knowledge of ugliness.

Furthermore, there is no motive for Him to behave in an ugly manner.

This is because a motive springs from either need – impossible for
Him – or wisdom – which is being denied here.15

14 Narration: Going forward, we will treat ‘narration’ (or some of its cognates) as
elliptical for, ‘what is heard and accepted via narrative transmission’ (or some of
its cognate expressions). See the lexicon, under ‫ ﺳﻤﻊ‬and ‫ﺳﻤًﻌﺎ‬.
15 Wisdom is “denied here” because it is contrary to ugliness, so cannot be a motive
for it.

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Furthermore, [His being characterized by ugliness is absurd] be-

cause, if its issuing from Him were permissible, it would be impos-
sible to establish matters pertaining to prophethood.

Moreover, based on the above, it is also absurd for Him to be charac-

terized by the will to do something ugly, because such a will would
also be ugly.

The Fourth concerns [the proposition] that He – Exalted! – acts for

a purpose. This is because the Qurʾān indicates that it is so, and be-
cause denying that entails [that creation is] a futile amusement. And
that purpose is not one of causing injury or harm, due the ugliness of
the latter, but one of profit and benefit [to the creation].

So there must be some responsible agency [on the part of creation]

– an assignment

• involving some imposition or hardship;

• which is tasked by the one to whom obedience is initially and
ultimately mandatory;16
• on the condition of apprising [the one tasked with the assignment
of one’s responsibilities] –

16 That is, one carries out the assignment, or any sub-task of that assignment, for the
ultimate sake of the one who initially ordered the assignment, not for the ultimate
sake of any intermediary. For example, one must obey and respect one’s parents
ultimately for the sake of the One who assigned the task of obedience and respect to
one’s parents. The responsibility of ‫( ﺗﻜﻠﻴﻒ‬responsible agency) is initially and di-
rectly due to the ‫( ُﻣﻜﱢﻠﻒ‬the one who initially assigns responsibility to (or imposes
it upon) the agent).

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otherwise He would be an instigator of something ugly. After all, He

created [within the ego] desires and passions, [natural] inclination to
ugly behavior, as well as aversion to the beautiful. So there must be
a restraint [from those things], and that is responsible agency.

Now mere knowledge is not sufficient [as a restraint], due to the ease
[on someone’s part] of taking on blame in pursuit of the fulfillment
of desires.

Its beauty[, i.e., the beauty of responsible agency] lies in its intima-
tion of reward [for the carrying out of one’s responsibilities].17 I mean
[by ‘reward’] a deserved advantage which is

• associated with the exaltation and raising [of the responsible

agent] in honor; and
• absurd to award initially [i.e., prior to being assigned responsibil-
ity].18

17 The very awareness of having to be responsible on the part of someone hints to

that person that there is some good, desirable consequence for carrying out one’s
duties. Implicit in this statement is the point that responsible agency also hints that
there is some bad, undesirable consequential penalty (ʿiqāb) for failing to carry out
one’s responsibilities.
18 See previous footnote. By consideringthe contraries of the qualities mentioned in
the definition of reward (ṯawāb), the definition of consequential penalty (ʿiqāb)
may be inferred: a deserved disadvantage which i) involves the abasement and
lowering in status of the responsible agent, and ii) is absurd to award prior to being
assigned responsibility.

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22

The Fifth concerns [the proposition] that it is necessary for Him

– Exalted! – to be characterized by grace: a factor which draws one
near to obedience and distances one from disobedience. It plays no
direct part in the ability to act freely, nor does it reach the point of
coercion; yet [grace is necessary because] the purpose of the respon-
sible agent depends on it. Given the willer of an action on the part of
someone other than him: When it is known that that someone can-
not do it except through an[other] action that can performed without
difficulty by the willer, then if [the willer] does not do it he would be
deficient in achieving his purpose; and that is ugly from the perspec-
tive of reason.

The Sixth concerns [the proposition] that it is necessary for Him

– Exalted! – to effect the recompense of pains and sufferings that
issue from Him – and the meaning of recompense is a deserved, mer-
ited, benefit that does not include exaltation and raising in honor.
Otherwise [if there were no such recompense] he would be an op-
pressor – Exalted is Allāh from that, a great exaltation!

24 24
25 25

23

The Fifth Section: On Prophethood

And it is the conveying of information [pertaining to cognizance of
Allāh, the next life, and associated praxial matters of responsible
agency] on behalf of Allāh by some [divinely appointed] human in-
dividual without the mediation of any other mortal. Within [this sec-
tion] there are a number of points of discussion:

The First concerns the [affirmation of the specific] prophethood of

Muḥammad, son of ʿAbdullāh, son of ʿAbdu ãl-Muṭṭalib: the Mes-
senger of Allāh – may Allāh intensify communion with him and his
Family! For miracles appeared through his agency, such as

• the Qurʾān,
• the splitting of the moon,
• the springing forth of water from between his fingers,
• the satiating of a great number of people with a minute amount
of provisions, and
• the glorifying [of Allāh, audible to others] by pebbles held in the
palm of his hand;

and there are more of them than can be counted. [Along with these
miracles] he claimed prophecy and was thereby truthful. Otherwise
[if, along with these genuine miracles, he were lying], the instigating
of the responsible agents to that which is ugly would be entailed, and
that would be absurd.

The Second concerns the necessity of his immunity [from faults such
as sin and forgetfulness]. Immunity is a [kind of] subtle grace which
Allāh effects upon the [chosen] responsible agent such that there is

25 25
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24

no motive on the part of the latter to abandoning obedience and per-

petrating disobedience, while maintaining his power to do so. [This
grace of immunity is necessary] because, if not for it, no confidence
could be placed in his statements. Then the particular benefit and ad-
vantage of his divine mission would be refuted and vitiated, and that
is absurd.

The Third concerns the [proposition that] he is immune from faults,

from the outset of his earthly lifespan to its end; due to the absence of
yielding on the part of the [consciousness of the] hearts to the [total]
obedience of someone about whom it is known that, in his former life
[prior to the announcement of prophethood], he had committed any
manner of disobedience, great sins, and that from which the soul is
repulsed.

The Fourth: It is necessary for him to be the best in knowledge and

virtue of his era. This is because of the ugliness of giving the one
superseded in knowledge and virtue precedence over the one superior
in knowledge and virtue; [such ugliness is established] by way of
reason as well as by way of narration. Allāh – Exalted! – has said
[Q 10:35]:

Is the one who guides to the true more deserving to be

followed or the one who cannot guide unless he himself
is guided? So what is with you? On what basis do you
judge?!?

The Fifth: He is utterly removed from

• baseness in his paternal lineage and adultery or fornication in his

maternal lineage, as well as

26 26
27 27

25

• moral vices and natural [i.e., physiological] defects.

For these all involve deficiency: [If affirmed,] then his status would
fall from the hearts, while what is sought is contrary to that.

27 27
28 28

26

The Sixth Section: On [Divinely

Appointed] Leadership
Within [this section] there are a number of points of discussion:

The First: Leadership is a universal chiefdom in matters of the dīn19

and of the immediate world [of one’s earthly lifespan], one that be-
longs to a single [living] individual amongst all [living] individuals.
From the perspective of reason it[s reality] is necessary, for leadership
is a grace. This [leadership is a grace] because we know, in a decisive
manner, that once there is a chief and director who will work towards
exacting justice from the oppressor on behalf of the oppressed, they
[i.e., the people] will draw nearer to righteousness and keep further
from corruption. And it has been previously established that grace is
necessary for Allāh.

The Second: It is necessary that the leader be immune from fault

otherwise an indefinite regress would occur. This is because the need
that calls for the [necessity of the] leader is

• holding back of the oppressor from his injustice and oppression,

and
• exacting justice on behalf of the oppressed.

So if it were permissible that the leader be someone other than a per-

son immune from fault, he would be in want of another leader, and
then an indefinite regress would take place.

19 The dīn: the path and system of belief and action (= Islām). See the lexicon, under
‫ِدﻳﻦ‬.

28 28
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27

And [this immunity is necessary also] because, if [a non-immune

leader] committed an act of disobedience, then

• if denying him is necessary, then his status would fall from the
hearts and the particular benefit and advantage of appointing him
would be refuted and vitiated; and
• if denying him is not necessary, then the [obligation] of enjoining
that which is approved and forbidding that which is disapproved
would collapse, and that is absurd.

And [this immunity is necessary also] because he is the protector of

the divine dispensation.

So [the recognition of] his [i.e., the leader’s] immunity is inescapable,

in order that he be kept safe and secure from increase and decrease
[i.e., doing too much or doing too little, in the promulgation and exe-
cution of the divine dispensation, either of which would entail injus-
tice or oppression].

The Third: It is necessary that the leader be explicitly specified and

appointed. This is because immunity is among the hidden, inward
matters which no one knows except for Allāh – Exalted is He! So
there is no escape from either

• the concrete specification [of the next leader] on the part of one
[such as a prophet or a previous leader] who knows his immunity,
or
• the appearance of some miracle through his agency that indicates
his truthfulness [in claiming to be the leader of his era].

29 29
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28

The Fourth: It is necessary that the leader be the best of the flock
[constituted by all living human beings of his era]20 in knowledge and
virtue, as has been previously established in the case of the prophet.

The Fifth: The Leader after the Messenger of Allāh – may Allāh
intensify communion with him and his Family! – is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib
– upon whom be peace –, by consecutively transmitted and explicit,
specific appointment on the part of the Prophet. This is because he
was, among the people of his era, the best in knowledge and virtue;
based on[, e.g.,]

• His statement – Exalted! – [which He commanded the Messenger

to say], and our selves and your selves [Q 3:61],21 and the one
who is equivalent to the best in knowledge and virtue [i.e. to
the Messenger] is himself the best in knowledge and virtue [with
respect to everyone else besides the Messenger];
• the need on the part of the Prophet – may Allāh intensify commu-
nion with him and his Family! – of him [and his presence] during
the Great Imprecation;22

And [ʿAlī is indeed the leader after the Messenger also] because the
leader is immune from fault and, by consensus of all, no one else
for whom leadership has been claimed was immune from fault. So[,

20 The leader is also known as the the shepherd of the flock (of humanity). See ‫َرﻋّﻴﺔ‬.
21 According to the consensus of scholars and historians, independent of the school
of thought and action to which one may belong, the expression “our selves” refers
exclusively to ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (ʿA) in conjunction with the Messenger (Ṣ).
22 See lexicon, under ‫اُﳌﺒﺎَﻫﻠﺔ‬.

30 30
31 31

29

since ʿAlī was immune from fault, based on the equivalence estab-
lished in Q 3:61] he is the Leader.

And [he is the leader after the Messenger] because he was the most
knowledgeable:

• due to the fact that the Companions referred back to him in the
course of various events, while he did not refer back to anyone;
and
• due to his [i.e., the Messenger’s] statement – may Allāh inten-
sify communion with him and his Family! –, “the most qualified
among you to pass judgment is ʿAlī.”

And [he is the leader after the Messenger also] because he was more
detached [from the immediate world] than anyone else, and he [ex-
plicitly] divorced the immediate world three times [so that there could
be no return to it].23

And the indicators of that [matter of his leadership] are more than
can be counted.

Then, after him, [the leader is]

• his son al-Ḥasan, then

• [his son] al-Ḥusayn, then
• ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn, then
• Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Bāqir, then

23 Knowledge, judgment, and detachment are thus key characteristics of being best in
َ ‫)َأْﻓ‬.
knowledge and virtue (‫ﻀُﻞ‬

31 31
32 32

30

• Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ał-Ṣādiq, then

• Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar al-Kāẓim, then
• ʿAlī ibn Mūsā ał-Riḍā, then
• Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Jawād [ał-Ṭaqī],24 then
• ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī [ał-Naqī]25 then
• al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-ʿAskarī, then
• Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan the Master of Time – upon him and
upon all of them be peace –

by the explicit, specific appointment on the part of each predecessor

of his successor, and along the lines of the preceding indicators [men-
tioned in connection with leadership in general and with ʿAlī ibn Abī
Ṭālib in particular, viz., immunity and being the best in knowledge
and virtue].

24 The title ał-Ṭaqī is added in H.

25 The title ał-Naqī is added in H.

32 32
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31

The Seventh Section: On the Return

The Muslims are in unanimous agreement about the necessity of the
bodily return. And this is

• because if it were not, then responsible agency would be some-

thing ugly;26 and
• because
– it is contingent, and
– the truthful one, the Lawgiver, has informed of its existence,
so it is real; and
• [because] of the signs [of the Qurʾān] which indicate it and [in-
dicate] refutation of whosoever rejects it.

And for everyone who has a recompense due [i.e., every responsible

26 From the perspective of reason (as understood and applied in its Aristotelian sense
and scholastic context), it appears to be the case that, although the beauty of re-
sponsible agency depends on the return of the human being after death, it does not
follow that the return must be bodily. Affirmation of bodily return follows from
the two points in the text that immediately follow this one. Thus the evidences for
bodily (as opposed to spiritual) return are purely from the perspective of narration.
The question of evidence for bodily resurrection purely from the perspective of rea-
son, independent of recourse to narration, is a vexed one in Islamaic theology and
philosophy. Perhaps the best approach involves recognizing that the body itself is
a “congealed” spirit and that the spirit itself is a “fluid” body. Once body and spirit
ْ ‫)ِو‬, as two states of one
are recognized by reason, in concert with experience (‫ﺟﺪان‬
generalized matter, then reason will also dictate that whatever applies to the spirit
(such as return) must also apply to the body. Further discussion of this fascinating
topic is beyond the scope of the notes to this translation.

33 33
34 34

32

agent], for him or against him, his resurrection is [found to be] nec-
essary from the perspective of reason. As for anyone else,27 bringing
him back is [found to be] necessary from the perspective of narration.

And it is necessary to acknowledge all with which the Prophet has

come. Among that are

• The Overpass,28
• The Scales,29
• The bodily limbs being made to speak [and to testify for or against
their owner], and
• the flying away and coming back of the recordings.30

27 Anyone else: That is, someone who does not meet one or more of the conditions
of legal responsible agency. Once reason recognizes that every person in existence
is, to some degree or other, a responsible agent (‫ﻜﱠﻠﻒ‬
َ ‫)ُﻣ‬, then reason must also
recognize the necessity of the return of every person, even if that person is not
formally or officially responsible from the vantage point of the Law.
28 The Overpass: a bridge to Heaven, which crosses Hell, which all responsible agents
must cross. Upon it the miserable will loose their footing and fall into the Fire, and
the felicitous will remain steady and reach the Garden.
29 The Scales: a balance in the next life, upon which the good deeds and evil deeds
of each responsible agent are weighed against each other. If good deeds outweigh
evil, the responsible agent goes to the Garden; if evil deeds outweigh good, one
goes to the Fire.
30 The flying away and coming back of the recordings: A recording is made of the
entirety of the actions of the responsible agent, and tied to the “neck” of the spirit
at the time of death. On the day of Resurrection, that recording “flies” from the
responsible agent and returns: approaching from the front, to be taken by the right

34 34
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33

Due to

• their contingency, and

• [the fact that] the truthful Prophet – may Allāh intensify commu-
nion with him and his Family! – informed [humanity] of them,

it is thereby necessary to admit and grant them.

And among that [with which the Prophet has come] is [the news of]
reward and penalty, along with the details of those two which have
been transmitted by way of the Lawgiver – multiple communions of
Allāh be upon the Proclaimer and Manifestor [of the Dispensation
and upon his Family]!

And [among that with which the Prophet has come] is the necessity
[on the part of the responsible agent] of turning [to Allāh] in seeking
forgiveness.

And [among that with which the Prophet has come is the necessity on
the part of the responsible agent of] enjoining that which is approved
and forbidding that which is disapproved, with the condition

• that the [would-be] enjoiner and forbidder know that what is

[thought to be] approved is [really] approved, and that what is
[thought to be] disapproved is [really] disapproved; and [that]

hand of the resurrected responsible agent if righteous; approaching from the back,
to be taken by one’s left hand if iniquitous.

35 35
36 36

• both of them be among things that will occur [in the future], for
enjoining and forbidding with respect to the past would be futile
and in vain;31 and that
• one arrives at the considered judgment that a positive impact [on
the person or persons to whom enjoining and forbidding is ad-
dressed] will ensue; and
• safety from harm and injury.32

Let this be the conclusion of what we have desired to mention in this

chapter. And Allāh is the one who grants success in hitting the mark
[of what is correct].33

31 So that enjoining and forbidding are carried out in the context of warning the con-
tingent future, not berating on account of the irretrievable past. Of course, some
things such as seeking forgiveness for past actions and its abandonment are both
matters of future consequence, so they fall under the rubric of enjoining and for-
bidding.
32 Harm and injury include both personal harm and collective harm. In cases where
the consequences of collective harm outweigh personal harm, personal safety and
security must be sacrificed for the good of the all. The details of this matter are
beyond the scope of the notes to this translation.
33 Translation of this noble treatise was completed at 11:28am, Saturday, 9 Šawwāl,
1439AH (23 June, 2018) by Idris Samawi Hamid. Thanks and praise are due
to Allāh. And may he intensify communion with Muḥammad and the Family of
Muḥammad, hasten their deliverance, and destroy their enemies. Āmīn.

36 36
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35

A Lexicon of Terms

Key conventions:

• Each entry, as well as each translation of some entry, is set in bold type.
• Each mention of a term that has an entry in the lexicon is set in bold.
• Each mention of an Arabic term that does not have an entry in the lexicon is
set in regular type.
• Each mention of a translation of a term that does not have an entry in the lexicon
is set in italic type.
• All transliteration is set in italic type, and only terms that have an entry in the
lexicon are transliterated.
• A pair of inverted parens )( is used to make reference to important distinctions
and contrasts.

‫ا‬ ‫ُﻣَﺆ ﱢﺛﺮ‬ muʾaṯṯir impressor.

Loosely, cause. In particular,
something that directly leaves
an impression that points back
‫َأ َﺛﺮ‬ aṯar impression, sign. to the actor; e.g., someone
Loosely, effect. See ‫ُﻣَﺆ ﱢﺛﺮ‬. who leaves a footprint or, more
precisely, the activity of that
‫ﺗﺄﺛﲑ‬ taʾṯīr having a positive someone that leaves a foot-
influence, effect, impact. print.

37 37
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36

See ‫إﻣﺎم‬.
‫َأ َزّﱄ‬ azaliyy pre-eternal.

‫َأ َﻣَﺮ‬ amara ‫َأ ْﻣﺮ‬ amr ‫ٰاِﻣﺮ‬

ّ ‫ َأ َﺑﺪ‬abadiyy post-eternal.
‫ی‬ āmir to command, order, en-
join; commanding, enjoin-
ing; one who enjoins, en-
joiner.
‫َأْﺻﻞ‬ aṣl pl. ‫ُأﺻﻮل‬ uṣūl
principle, foundation.
‫َأ ْﻣﻦ‬ amn security, safety.

‫َأ َﱂ‬ alam pain, suffering.

‫ٰاَﻣَﻨُﻪ ِﻣْﻦ‬ āmana-hū min to
secure someone from.
‫إﻣﺎم‬ imām leader. In par-
‫ُﻣْﺆِﻣﻦ‬ muʾmin pl. ‫ﻣﺆﻣﻨﻮن‬
ticular, a divinely appointed muʾminūn believer-actor. Loosely,
individual through whom a believer. Corresponds to the
community is anchored, about second stage of Islām, where
whom it revolves, and towards genuineness is a necessary con-
whom it develops.
ِ
dition; see ‫ُﻣْﺴﻠﻢ‬.

‫إﻣﺎﻣﺔ‬ imāmaḧ leadership.

38 38
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37

‫َﻋﻠٰﯽ ِﺟﻬﺔ اﻻﺑﺘﺪاء‬ ʿalā

‫َأْﻫﻞ‬ ahl family, folk.
jihaẗ-i ãl-ibtidāʾ in an ini-
tial, ultimate manner; ini-
‫َأْﻫُﻞ َزﻣﺎﻧِِﻪ‬ ahl-u zamāni-hī tially and ultimately.
people of his era.
‫َﺑَﺪﻧّﯽ‬ badaniyy bodily, cor-
poreal.
‫ٰاَﻳﺔ‬ āyaḧ pl. ‫ٰاﻳﺎت‬ āyāt
sign.
‫َﺑَﴩ‬ bašar mortal.

‫ﺑﺎﻃﻞ‬ bāṭil false, invalid,

‫ب‬ void, unreal.

‫ﺑﺎﻃﻦ‬ bāṭin hidden, inner,

‫َﻣْﺒَﺤﺚ‬: mabḥaṯ pl. ‫َﻣﺒﺎِﺣﺚ‬: inward.
mabāḥiṯ points to be exam-
ined and discussed.
‫ َﺑَﻌَﺜُﻪ َﻋٰﲆ‬baʿaṯa-hū ʿalā ‫َﺑْﻌﺚ‬
baʿṯ to send someone upon
‫ﻻ ُﺑﱠﺪ ِﻣﻦ‬ lā budd-a min it is [a mission], to task, assign
inescapable that, there must someone; task, assignment.
be, there is no way to avoid,
it is incumbent to. ‫َﺑْﻌﺚ‬ baʿṯ resurrection.

39 39
40 40

38

‫ﺑِْﻌَﺜﺔ‬ biʿṯaḧ divine mission. ‫اُﳌﺒﺎَﻫﻠﺔ‬ al-mubāhalaḧ the

Great Imprecation. A fa-
mous ‫ُﻣﺒﺎَﻫﻠﺔ‬ that nearly oc-
curred between the Messen-
‫َﺑﱠﻌَﺪ ﻋﻦ‬ baʿʿada ʿan to dis- ger (Ṣ) and the Christians of
tance, keep far, from. Najran. The Messenger (Ṣ)
and his delegation (consist-
‫ﺑﺎٍق‬ bāq-in lasting, ever- ing in ʿAlī, Fāṭimaḧ, Ḥasan,
and Ḥusayn (ʿA)) showed up.
lasting. Upon seeing the five of them
together, the Christian delega-
tion demurred and declined to
‫َﻳْﺒُﻠُﻎ َﺑَﻠَﻎ‬ balaġa yabluġu continue with the imprecation.

to reach the point of. ‫ﺑﺎب‬ bāb pl. ‫أﺑﻮاب‬ abwāb

chapter.
‫ُﻣﺒﺎَﻫﻠﺔ‬ mubāhalaḧ mutual
imprecation. An occasion
where two parties opposed on
same matter publicly come to- ‫ت‬
gether to invite the curse of
Allāh upon the side that is in
the wrong.

40 40
41 41

39

positive. )( ‫ﻲ‬
ّ ‫ﺳﻠﺒ‬.
‫اِﱠﺗَﺒَﻊ‬ ittabaʿa to follow.

‫ إﺛﺒﺎت‬iṯbat establishing, af-

‫َﺗْﺮك‬ tark leaving, abandon- firming, showing [that some-
ing. thing is the case] by way of
‫دﻟﻴﻞ‬.

‫ُﻣْﺘَﻘﻦ‬ mutqan made as an

intricate whole. ‫َﺛﻮاب‬ ṯawāb reward.

‫َﺗْﻮَﺑﺔ‬ tawbaḧ repentance.

‫ج‬
‫ث‬
‫ﺟﺎﺣﺪ‬ jāḥid one who re-
jects, rejector. In particular,
one who rejects after receiv-
‫ ُﺛﺒﻮت‬ṯubūt subsistence, ex- ing clear signs (‫ )ٰاﻳﺎت‬and in-
istence, reality. dicators (‫)أدّﻟﺔ‬.‫ ُﺟﺤﻮد‬com-
pares and contrasts with ‫إﻧﻜﺎر‬,
which means simple denial
‫ُﺛﺒﻮّﰐ‬ ṯubūtiyy affirmative, prior to encountering some ev-
idence.

41 41
42 42

40

‫ ﺟﺎرﺣﺔ‬jāriḥaḧ pl. ‫َﺟﻮاِرح‬ consensus.

jawāriḥ limb, member, or-

gan. The plural is more com- ‫ﲨﻴﻊ ٰاﺣﺎد‬ jamīʿ-u āḥād
monly used than the singular.
each and every one, each sin-
‫ِﺟْﺴﻢ‬ jism pl. ‫أﺟﺴﺎم‬ gle one.

ajsām body. ‫َﺟْﻮَﻫﺮ‬ jawhar substance.

An Aristotelian term. )( ‫َﻋَﺮض‬.
‫ إﺟﻼل‬ijlāl raising in honor,
majesty; magnification, rev-
erence. ‫ﺟﺎَز‬ jāza to be permissible,
allowed.
‫ﺟﺎﻣﻊ‬ jāmiʿ entire, alto-
‫ﻻ ﳚﻮز‬ lā yajūz it is not
gether. permissible, not allowable.

‫ﲨﻴﻊ‬ jamīʿ all.

‫ﲡﻮﻳُﺰ َرْأﻳِِﻪ‬ tajwīz-u raʾyi-

hī arriving at a considered,
َ ْ ‫َأ‬
‫ﲨَﻊ‬ ajmaʿa ‫إﲨﺎع‬ ijmāʿ sober, objective, judgment.

to have, be in, consensus; ‫ِﺟﻬﺔ‬ See under ‫و‬.

42 42
43 43

41

with ‫ُﻗْﺒﺢ‬ and ‫ﻗﺒﻴﺢ‬. Both

‫ح‬
words are technical terms in
traditional Muslim theology.
‫ُﺣﺪوث‬ ḥudūṯ origination,
originating [gerund], novel- ‫إﺣﺴﺎن‬ iḥsān beautiful ac-
ness. tion, excellent behavior, to-
wards others.
‫ﺣﺎدث‬ ḥādiṯ pl. ‫ﺣﻮادث‬
ḥawādiṯ something that orig- ‫ َﺣًﺼﯽ‬ḥaṣ-an pebbles. Col-
inates [transitive], originat- lective noun, singular instance
ing [present participle], nov- ‫َﺣﺼﺎة‬.
elty, originating novelty. Every
novelty is in some strong (tem-
poral or metaphysical) sense ‫َأْﻛَﺜُﺮ ِﻣْﻦ َأْن ُ ْﲢﺼٰﯽ‬ akṯar-u
preceded by non-existence. )( ‫ﻗﺪﻳﻢ‬. min an yuḥṣā more than can
be counted.

‫ﺣّﻆ‬ ḥaẓẓ ‫ﻻ َﺣﱠﻆ َﻟُﻪ‬ lā

‫ﳏَﺪث‬
ُْ muḥdaṯ something ḥaẓẓ-a la-hū portion, part; it
originated by something else. plays no direct part.

‫ُﺣْﺴﻦ‬ ḥusn ‫َﺣَﺴﻦ‬ ḥasan ‫ﺣﺎﻓﻆ‬ ḥāfiẓ protector.

beauty; beautiful. Contrast

43 43
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42

‫َﺣّﻖ‬ ḥaqq true, real. ‫ﺣﺎﺟﺔ‬ ḥājaḧ a need, want.

‫ َأَﺣﱡﻖ‬aḥaqq more true, real; ‫َأْﺣَﻮَج إﱃ‬ aḥwaja ilā

more appropriate.

‫ ﻣﺴﺘَﺤّﻖ‬mustḥaqq deserved, ‫ﳏِﻮج‬

ْ ُ muḥwij to make [some-
merited.
thing] need [something else].

‫ﰲ ُﺣْﻜِﻢ‬ fī ḥukm-i falls un-

‫ اﺣﺘﻴﺎج‬iḥtiyāj ‫ ُﳏﺘﺎج‬muḥtāj
der the rubric of.
being in need; one in need,
one who needs.
‫ﳏَﻜﻢ‬
ُْ muḥkam made firm,
‫ﺣﺎل‬ ḥāl pl. ‫أﺣﻮال‬ aḥwāl
stable. state, condition.

‫ﳏّﻞ‬
ََ maḥall locus or place ‫ُﳏﺎل‬ muḥāl absurd, ridicu-
in which something is imma- lous.
nent; station, high position,
status. ‫ اﺳﺘﺤﺎﻟﺔ اﺳﺘﺤﺎل‬istiḥālaḧ

44 44
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43

to be absurd, ridiculous; ab- ‫ اﳋﺎرج‬al-ḫārij external, ob-

surdity, ridiculousness.
ِ
jective reality. )( ‫( اﻟﺬْﻫﻦ‬mind).
‫ﺣّﻲ‬ ḥayy alive, living.

‫ﺣﻴﻨَﺌٍِﺬ‬ ḥīnaʾiḏin hence, in َُ

‫ﳐﱢﺼﺺ ﲣﺼﻴﺺ‬ taḫṣīṣ
muḫaṣṣiṣ specification; one
which case, at that time, who specifies, makes specific,
in that event; based on the a specifier.
above, previous discussion.

‫ٰﻫﺬا ُﺧْﻠﻒ‬ hāḏā ḫulf this

is inconsistent with, contrary
‫خ‬ to, a previously established
result.

‫ﱪ‬ َ ‫َﺧَﻠَﻖ‬ ‫َﺧْﻠﻖ‬

َ َ ‫ أْﺧ‬aḫbara to inform, con- ḫalaqa ḫalaqa
vey. to create; creation.

‫إﺧﺒﺎر ﻋﻦ‬ iḫbār ʿan in-

forming, conveying of infor- ‫ُﺧُﻠﻘّﯽ‬ ḫuluqiyy moral.
mation, on behalf of, from.

45 45
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44

tions, free agent.

‫َﺧْﻠﻘّﯽ‬ ḫalqiyy creaturely.

‫ِﺧْﻠﻘّﯽ‬ ḫilqiyy physiologi- ‫د‬

cal, biological, bodily.

‫َﺧْﻠﻖ ﻛﺜﲑ‬ multitude, large ‫ﻋﻠﯽ اﻟﱠﺪَرج‬ ʿalā ãł-daraj

number, of people.
step by step.

‫ﲣّﻠﻒ‬ taḫallafa to come af-

ter, remain behind. ‫َأْدَرَك‬ adraka to perceive.

‫ ِﺧﻼف‬ḫilāf contrary to. ‫داٍع‬ daʿ-in motive, motiva-

‫ ﺧﺎٍل ِﻣﻦ‬ḫāl-in min does tion, incentive.

not include; not including,

free of. ‫اِﱠدﻋٰﯽ‬ iddaʿā to claim.

‫اﺳﺘﺪﻋﺎًء اِﺳﺘﺪٰﻋﻰ‬ istadʿā

ُْ
‫ﳐﺘﺎر‬ muḫtār one free to istidʿāʾ to require, demand,
choose between alternate ac- call for.

46 46
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45

‫دﻟﻴﻞ‬ dalīl inferential indi- entrusted to humanity to assist

cator. Loosely, proof, evi- them in fulfilling the purpose
dence. for which they were created.

‫َدﻻﻟﺔ‬ dalālaḧ ‫داّل‬ dāll

indicating, indication; that ‫ذ‬
which indicates.

‫ َدﻧﺎءة‬danāʾaḧ lowliness, base- ‫ذات‬ ḏāt singular entity,

ness. essence, own self.

‫ ﻟِﺬاﺗِِﻪ‬li-ḏāti-hī in, due to, its

‫اﻟُﺪْﻧﻴﺎ‬ al-dunyā the immedi- entity (= own self).
ate world.

‫ُدوَن‬ dūna to the exclusion

of, instead of, apart from. ‫ر‬
‫ِدﻳﻦ‬ dīn path and system of
belief and action. Loosely, ‫ رﺋﻴﺲ‬raʾīs ‫ رﻳﺎﺳﺔ‬riyāsaḧ
religion, ideology. Literally, chief; chiefdom, leadership.
the path to repaying the debt
(‫ )َدﻳﻦ‬owed to the Creator for
the bounties and opportunities ‫ُرْؤﻳﺔ‬ ruʾyaḧ being seen, be-

47 47
48 48

46

ing the subject of vision. ‫رذﻳﻠﺔ‬ raḏīlaḧ pl. ‫َرذاﺋِﻞ‬

raḏāʾil vice. )( ‫( ﻓﻀﻴﻠﺔ‬virtue).
‫َﻣﺮﺋّﻲ‬ marʾiyy object of vi-

sion. ‫ ُﻣْﺮِﺷﺪ‬muršid director.

‫ َرِﻋّﻴﺔ‬raʿiyyaḧ flock [of sheep];
‫ِرْﺑَﻘﺔ‬ ribqaḧ bind that ties a community under the guardian-
ship of its shepherd (‫)راﻋﻲ‬.
together. Literally, lasso.
The ‫ راﻋﻲ‬is symbolic of the
‫ُرﺟﻮع إﱃ‬ rujūʿ ilā refer-
‫إِﻣﺎم‬.
ring back to.

‫َرﱠد‬ radda ‫َرًّدا‬ raddan to re- ‫ُﻣﺮﱠﻛﺐ ﺗﺮﻛﻴﺐ‬ tarkīb mu-

turn or give back s.th.; to re- rakkab synthesizing, synthe-
fute. sis, compounding; synthesis,
compound, compounded. ‫ُﻣﺮﱠﻛﺐ‬
)( ‫( ﺑﺴﻴﻂ‬simple).
‫َرﱠدُه ﻋﻦ‬ radda-hū ʿan to
turn, dissuade, hold back, ‫ارﺗﻜﺎب‬ commiting, per-
keep away, repel someone petrating.
from something.

48 48
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47

‫ َأراَد‬arāda ‫ إرادة‬irādah ‫س‬

‫ ُﻣﺮﻳﺪ‬murīd ‫ ُﻣﺮاد‬murād to
will; willing, will; one who
wills; that which is willed, ‫ﺗﺴﺒﻴﺢ‬ tasbīḥ glorifying.
meant.

‫ ﻣﺴﺒﻮق () ﺳﺎﺑﻖ‬sābiq )( masbūq

precedes, preceding )( pre-
‫ز‬ ceded. ‫ﻻﺣﻖ () ﺳﺎﺑﻖ‬.

‫ﻣﺴﺒﻮﻗّﻴﺔ‬ masbūqiyyaḧ be-

‫زاﺟﺮ‬ zājir constraint, re- ing preceded, preceded-ness.
straint.

‫َزﻣﺎن‬ zamān time, era. ‫َﺳْﻄﺢ‬ saṭḥ roof, terrace,

some height.
‫َأْزَﻫُﺪ‬ azhadu most absti-
nent. ‫ُﺳﻘﻮط‬ suqūṭ fall, falling
down.
‫زاد‬ provisions.
‫ ُﺳﻜﻮن‬sukūn rest. )( ‫ﺣﺮﻛﺔ‬.

49 49
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48

‫َﺳْﻤﻊ‬ samʿ what is heard

and accepted via narrative

‫ َﺳْﻠﺒّﻲ‬salbiyy negative. )( ‫ﺛﺒﻮّﰐ‬. transmission; narration. )( ‫َﻋْﻘﻞ‬
(in the second sense of the lat-
ter). Synonymous with ‫;َﻧْﻘﻞ‬
see ‫ﻣﻨﻘﻮل‬.
‫ ﺳﺎﻟﻒ‬sālif antecedent, pre-
vious, former [portion]. ‫َﺳْﻤًﻌﺎ‬ samʿ-an by way of
what is heard and accepted
‫ِﺳﻠِﺴﻠﺔ ﺗَﺴﻠُﺴﻞ ﺗَﺴﻠَﺴﻞ‬ via narrative transmission;
tasalsala tasalsul silsilaḧ to for reasons of narrative trans-
indefinitely regress; indefi- mission; narration. )( ‫َﻋْﻘًﻼ‬.
nite regress; chain of regress.
‫اﺳﺘﺴﻬﺎل‬ istishāl treating,
taking as easy. Analogous to
‫ُﻣْﺴﻠِﻢ‬ muslim pl. ‫ﻣﺴﻠﻤﻮن‬ ‫اﺳﺘﺨﻔﺎف‬.

muslimūn one who orients ‫ُﻣﺴﺎٍو‬ tasāwā tasāwin on

and submits to Allāh, at least
to some minimal degree; Mus- the same level as, similar,
lim. Corresponds to the first equivalent to.
stage of Islām, for which gen-
uineness is not a necessary ‫ ﺗﺴﺎٍو ﺗﺴﺎٰوی‬tasāwā tasāwin
ِ
condition; see ‫ُﻣْﺆﻣﻦ‬.

50 50
51 51

49

to be the same, equal, alike; šarāʾiʿ divine law, dispensa-

equality. َْ.
tion. Synonymous with ‫ﴍع‬

‫ﺑﺎﻟّﺴِﻮّﻳﺔ‬ bi-ãł-sawiyyaḧ one

and the same; in an even, َْ

‫ﴍع‬ šarʿ See ‫ﴍﻳﻌﺔ‬.
equalized, equitable manner.

‫ ﴍﻳﻚ‬šarīk partner, share-

holder.

‫ش‬ ‫اﺷﱰاك‬ ištirāk sharing.

‫ ﺷﺨﺺ‬šaḫṣ pl. ‫أﺷﺨﺎص‬

‫ إﺷﺒﺎع‬išbāʿ satiating hunger ašḫāṣ individual.

and thirst.
‫ﴍط‬ ْ َ šarṭ condition.
‫اﻟﺸﺎرع‬ al-šāriʿ lawgiver;
‫اﻷﺷﺎِﻋﺮة‬ al-ašāʿiraḧ the
conveyor, interpretor, and ex- Ašʿarīs.
ecutioner of a dispensation.

‫ﴍﻳﻌﺔ‬ šarīʿaḧ pl. ‫ﴍاﺋﻊ‬ ‫َﻣَﺸّﻘﺔ‬ mašaqqaḧ labor, toil;

imposition, hardship.

51 51
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50

‫اﻧﺸﻘﺎق‬ inšiqāq splitting,

cleaving. ‫ اﻟﱠﺼﺤﺎﺑﺔ‬al-ṣaḥābaḧ the Com-
panions [of the Messenger
(Ṣ)].
ّ ‫ ﺷ‬šakk uncertainty, doubt.
‫ﻚ‬
‫ َﺻَﺪَر‬ṣadara ‫ ُﺻﺪور‬ṣudūr
‫ ﺻﺎدر‬ṣādir to proceed, is-
sue forth; proceeding, issu-
‫َﺷْﻬﻮة‬ šahwaḧ pl. ‫َﺷَﻬﻮات‬ ing forth; that which pro-
šahawāt egoistic desire. ceeds, issues forth. Not be-
ing used in the technical sense
of emanation particular to Is-
lamaic Neoplatonism.
‫ص‬
‫ﺻﺎِدع‬ ṣādiʿ one who pro-

claims, manifests, promul-

‫َﺻﱠﺢ‬ ṣaḥḥa ‫َﻳِﺼﱡﺢ‬ yaṣiḥḥu gates.

(‫( )َﻋﲆ‬ʿalā) to be correct, ‫ِﺻْﺪق‬ ṣidq ‫ﺻﺎدق‬ ṣādiq

appropriate to say, affirm; truthfulness, honesty, vera-
to be appropriate; correctly ciousness; truthful, honest,
characterize (to), hold (for). veracious. )( ‫ﻛﺎذب‬, see ‫ﻛﺬب‬.

‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ‬ ṣāḥib companion.

52 52
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51

‫ِﴏاط‬ ṣirāṭ bridge, over- ‫ﺿﺎّر‬ ḍārr harmful, injuri-

pass. ous.

‫ف‬
َ ‫ﴏ‬
َ َ ‫ﺻﺎرف‬ ṣarafa
ṣārif to avert , keep away; ّ ‫ُﴐور‬
‫ی‬ ḍarūrī immedi-
something that averts, keeps ately obvious.
away, deterrent.

‫ َﺻﻼح‬ṣalāḥ righteousness. ‫ﺑﺎﻟﱠﴬورة‬ bi-ãł-ḍarūraḧ it

must be; is evidently, cer-
)( ‫ﻓﺴﺎد‬. tainly the case; necessar-
ily, evidently, certainly, in-
‫َﺻﻮاب‬ ṣawāb hitting the escapably.
mark (of correctness).
‫إﴐار‬ iḍrār causing in-
‫ِﺻَﻔﺔ‬ pl. ‫ﺻﻔﺎت‬ See un- jury or harm.
der ‫و‬.

‫ط‬
‫ض‬

َ َ
‫ﴐر‬ ḍarar harm, injury, ‫َﻃﱢﻴﺐ‬ ṭayyib good, excel-
disadvantage. lent, pure.

53 53
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52

‫ﻣﻄﻠﻮب‬ maṭlūb result that

is sought. ‫ُﻇﻬﻮر ﻋﻠٰﯽ َﻳِﺪِه‬/‫ َﻇَﻬَﺮ‬ẓahara\-
ẓuhūr ʿalā yadi-hī to appear\ap-
pearing, manifest\manifest-
‫َﻃﱠﻠﻖ‬ ṭallqa to divorce. ing, through his agency.

‫ ﻃﺎﻋﺔ‬ṭāʿaḧ obedience. )( ‫ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ‬.

‫ع‬
‫َﺗﻄﺎُﻳُﺮ اﻟُﻜُﺘﺐ‬ taṭāyur-u ãl-
kutub the flying away and ‫ َﻋَﺒﺚ‬ʿabaṯ vain, futile amuse-
coming back of the record- ment, pastime; joke; vain-
ings of each individual’s ac- ness, futility.
tions.
‫ ُﻣْﻌَﺠﺰ‬muʿjaz miracle. Some-
thing impossible for ordinary
mortals to replicate.
‫ظ‬
‫َﻋْﺪل‬ ʿadl justice, balance,
equity.
‫ﻇﺎﱂ‬ ẓulm ‫ﻇﻠﻢ‬ ẓālim in-

justice, oppression; unjust, ‫ َﻋﱠﺬَب‬ʿaḏḏaba ‫ َﻋﺬاب‬ʿaḏāb

oppressor. to punish; punishment.

54 54
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53

‫َﻋَﺪم‬ ʿadam privation, non- َ ‫ُﻣﻨ‬.

is approved. )( ‫ﻜﺮ‬

existence, non-being. ‫ِﻋْﺼَﻤﺔ‬ ʿiṣmaḧ ‫ﻣﻌﺼﻮم‬

‫َﻋَﺮض‬ ʿaraḍ accident, co- maʿṣūm immunity (from, to,
incident. An Aristotelian term. against), preservation (from);
)( ‫ﺟْﻮَﻫﺮ‬
َ. immune, preserved.

‫ﺗﻌﺮﻳﺾ‬ taʿrīḍ betokening, ‫ ِﻋْﺼﻴﺎن‬ʿiṣyān n. un. ‫ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ‬

suggesting, intimation, ap- maʿṣiyaḧ disobedience; act
prisal. of disobedience. ‫ﻃﺎﻋﺔ () ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ‬.

‫ َﻣْﻌِﺮَﻓﺔ‬maʿrifaḧ recognition, ‫ ﺗﻌﻈﻴﻢ‬taʿẓīm exaltation, mag-

cognizance. To be distin- nification, enhancement.
guished from ‫ِﻋْﻠﻢ‬ in some
‫ﻋﺎﻗﺒﺔ‬ ʿāqibaḧ ultimate suc-
strict sense of the latter. cess consequent to high con-
sciousness and action. Re-
‫اﻋﱰاف‬ iʿtirāf recognition, ٰ ‫( َﺗْﻘﻮ‬dynamic aware-
lated to ‫ى‬
admission, confession, grant- ness and action), the third
ing.
ِ
stage of Islām. See also ‫ُﻣْﺆﻣﻦ‬.

‫ﻣﻌﺮوف‬ maʿrūf that which ‫ِﻋﻘﺎب‬ ʿiqāb penalty conse-

55 55
56 56

54

quent to evil actions. here to.

‫َﻋْﻘﻞ‬ ʿaql reason, intellect; ‫ ﻣﻌﻠﻮل () ِﻋﱠﻠﺔ‬ʿillaḧ )( maʿlūl

exercise of reason, intellec-
tual reasoning.
ِ
cause )(effect; ‫ ﻋﱠﻠﺔ‬factor.

‫َﻋْﻘًﻼ‬ ʿaql-an by way of rea- ‫َﻋﻠَِﻢ‬ ʿalima ‫ِﻋْﻠﻢ‬ ʿilm to

son, intellectual reasoning;
for rational reasons; from know; knowing, knowledge.
the perspective of reason, in-
tellect. )( ‫ﺳﻤًﻌﺎ‬.
‫ ﻋﺎِﱂ‬ʿālim pl. ‫ ُﻋَﻠﲈء‬ʿulamāʾ
‫ﻣﻌﻘﻮل‬ maʿqūl something
which is grasped by the intel- scholar, specialist in the ‫دﻳﻦ‬.
ِ
lect per se. Every ‫ ﻣﻌﻘﻮل‬is a Literally, knower.
‫َﻣْﻌﻨًﻰ‬.
‫ﻣﻌﻠﻮم‬ maʿlūm that which
‫ﻏﲑ ﻣﻌﻘﻮل‬ ġayru maʿqūl-
in something which makes is known; subject to knowl-
no sense; unintelligible. edge.

‫َﺗَﻌﱠﻠَﻖ‬ taʿllaqa to attach, ad- ‫اﻟﻌﺎَﱂ‬ al-ʿālam the world.

56 56
57 57

55

The world consists of every- or gerund. For example: ‫ﺐ‬ َِ

ُ ‫ﳚ‬
thing besides Allāh.

‫إﻋﻼم‬ iʿlām informing, let- ‫( َﻋﲆ اﷲِﱣ اﻟِﻌْﻠُﻢ‬It is necessary

ting know, apprising. that knowledge be character-

ized of Allāh).
‫ﺗﻌﺎﻟٰﯽ‬ taʿālā Exalted, High
is He! ‫ُﻋْﻤﺮ‬ ʿumr earthly lifespan.

‫ُﻋُﻠّﻮ ﻛﺒﲑ‬ ʿuluww kabīr a ‫َﻋﺎﱠﻣُﺔ‬ ʿāmmaḧ general, uni-

great height, exaltation. versal, common to all, total.

‫َﻋٰﲆ ُﻓﻼٍن َﻛﺬا‬ ʿalā fulānin ‫َﻋﺎﱠﻣُﺔ اُﳌَﻜﱠﻠﻔﲔ‬ ʿāmmaẗ-u ãl-

mukallafīn the general, at
kaḏā that, for so and so to large, community of respon-
have such and such, that, for sible agents. To be distin-
so and so to be character- guished from the experts and
ized by such and such, that, َ ‫)اﻟ‬.
specialists in theology (‫ﻜﻼم‬
for such and such to apply to
so and so. For this meaning ‫اﻟَﻌﺎﱠﻣﺔ‬ is also a proper name
‫ َﻋٰﲆ‬is preceded by an appro- used by the Shīʿah to men-
priate intransitive verb phrase tion the majority community

57 57
58 58

56

of Muslims, the self-styled turn.

“Ahlu ał-Sunnaḧ”. See also

‫ﻣﻜﱠﻠﻒ‬. ‫اَﳌﻌﺎد‬ al-maʿād The Return

of spirits to their bodies for
‫َﻣْﻌﻨٰﯽ‬ maʿnā pl. ‫َﻣﻌﺎﲏ‬ resurrection. ‫َﻣﻌﺎد‬ can be
taken as a gerund, a partici-
maʿānī object of rational thought, ple of place, or a participle of
object, idea; universal prop- time.
erty.
‫إﻋﺎدة‬ iʿādaḧ being made to
‫َﻣﻦ ُﻋِﻬَﺪ ِﻣْﻨُﻪ َﻛﺬا‬ someone return, come back; resurrec-
tion. In the second sense, syn-
about whom the commission onymous with ‫ﺑﻌﺚ‬.
of such and such is known.
‫ ِﻋَﻮض‬ʿiwaḍ substitute, ex-
‫َﻋْﻬﺪ‬ compact, pact, con- change, compensation, rec-
tract, covenant. ompense, something in place
of.
‫َﻋْﻬﺮ‬ ʿahr engaging in, com-
mitting of, adultery or forni- ‫ َﻋﻴﺐ‬ʿayb pl. ‫ ُﻋﻴﻮب‬ʿuyūb
cation. defect.

‫َﻣﻌﺎد‬ maʿãd resurrection, ‫ﺗﻌﻴﲔ‬ taʿyīn concrete spec-

return. Literally, place of re- ification.

58 58
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57

‫غ‬ ‫َﻓْﺮق‬ farq distinction.

‫ َﻏَﺮض‬ġaraḍ purpose, aim. ‫َﻓﺴﺎد َﻓَﺴَﺪ‬ fasada fasād to

disintegrate, be corrupted;
corruption, disintegration.

ّ ‫ ُﻣْﻐِﺮ‬muġriyy
‫ إﻏﺮاء‬iġrāʾ ‫ي‬
‫َﻓْﺼﻞ‬ faṣl section.
(‫)ﺑﻪ‬ instigating; one who
instigates. ‫ﺗﻔﺼﻴﻞ‬ tafṣīl pl. ‫َﺗﻔﺎﺻﻴﻞ‬
tafāṣīl detail.
‫َﻏﻨّﯽ‬ ġaniyy free of want,
rich. ‫ﻓﺎﺿﻞ‬ )( ‫ﻣﻔﻀﻮل‬ fāḍil
)( mafḍūl one superior in
‫ اﺳﺘﻐﻨﺎء‬istiġnāʾ self-sufficiency. knowledge and virtue )( one
superseded in knowledge and
virtue.

‫ف‬ ‫َأْﻓَﻀُﻞ‬ afḍal best in knowl-

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58

edge and virtue.

‫ق‬
‫ﻓﺎﻋﻞ ﻓِْﻌﻞ َﻓَﻌَﻞ‬ faʿala
fiʿl fāʿil to do, effect; doing,
action, effecting; doer, actor, ‫َﻗَﺒَﺢ‬ qabaḥa ‫ُﻗْﺒﺢ‬ qubḥ
effector.
‫ﻗﺒﻴﺢ‬ qabīḥ to be ugly; ug-
‫اﻧﻔﻌﺎل اﻧﻔﻌﻞ‬ infaʿala
infiʿāl to be affected; affec- liness, ugly behavior; ugly.
tion. These cognates contrast with
‫( َﺣُﺴَﻦ‬to be beautiful), ‫َﺣَﺴﻦ‬,
‫اﻓﺘﻘﺮ إﱃ‬ iftaqara ilā to be and ‫ﺣْﺴﻦ‬ ُ . These three cog-
in sheer, utter, any, need of; nates and their contraries are
to be in want of; to require. technical terms in traditional
Muslim theology.

‫اِْﻧَﻔ ﱠ‬
‫ﻚ ﻋﻦ‬ infakka ʿan to be ‫ُﻣﻘﺎﺑِﻞ‬ one who stands op-
decoupled, separate, distinct
from. posite to, meets face to face,
faces.
‫ ﻓﺎﺋﺪة‬fāʾidaḧ particular ben-
efit, advantage, use, utility. ‫ﻗﺎدر‬ qādir ‫ﻗﺪرة‬ qudraḧ

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59

powerful, omnipotent, able; respect to (‫)ﰲ‬.

power; omnipotence, ability.

‫ ﻣﻘﺪور‬maqdūr pl. ‫ﻣﻘﺪورات‬

maqdūrāt object dependent ‫َﻗﱠﺮَب ﻣﻦ‬ qarraba min to
upon a power, a subject to bring close, draw near to.
power.
‫ُﻣﻘﺎِرن‬ muqārin joined, as-
‫ إﻗﺮار‬iqrār acknowledgment.
sociated.

‫ِﻗَﺪم ﻗﺪﻳﻢ‬ qadīm qidam ‫ﴣ‬ ٍ ‫ﻗﺎ‬

ٰ ‫ض ﻗ‬ qaḍā qāḍ-in

(pre-)eternal, ancient; (pre- to judge, determine; one who

)eternity, ancientness. judges, determines.

‫ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻢ‬ taqdīm giving prece-

‫َﻗﻀﺎء‬ qaḍāʾ accomplish-
dence, putting forward. ing, fulfilling.

‫ﺗﻘّﺪم أّن ﰲ‬ taqaddama anna

َ
ٰ ‫أْﻗ‬
‫ﴣ‬ aqḍā the most quali-
fī to have been previously fied to judge, determine.
established, shown (‫)إﺛﺒﺎت‬,
that (‫)أّن‬, in the case of, with ‫اﻗﺘﴣ‬ iqtaḍā to demand,

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60

require, necessitate.
‫اﻟﻜِْﺬب‬ kiḏb lying, dishon-
esty. )( ‫اﻟﺼﺪق‬.
‫َﻗْﻄﻌًﺎ‬ qaṭʿ-an in a decisive
manner, decisively. ‫ﻛﺎره‬ kārih one who dis-
likes, a disliker. )( ‫ﻣﺮﻳﺪ‬.
‫ﻗﻠﻴﻞ‬ qalīl small, minute;
small, minute amount.
‫ ﻛﺎّﻓًﺔ‬kāffaẗ-an unanimously,
‫ﺗﻘﻠﻴﺪ‬ taqlīd mere, blind, or without exception.
unreflective imitation, emu-
lation.
‫َﻛﱠﻔُﻪ‬ kaffi-hī palm of his
‫ اﻧﻘﻴﺎد‬inqiyād following one’s hand.
lead, yielding.
ٍ ‫ﻛﺎ‬
‫ف‬ kāf-in enough, suffi-

cient.
‫ك‬
‫ ﺗﻜﻠﻴﻒ‬taklīf ‫ ُﻣﻜﱠﻠﻒ‬mukallaf
‫اﻟَﻜﺒﺎﺋﺮ‬ al-kabāʾir the great
sins. ‫ُﻣﻜﱢﻠﻒ‬ mukallif responsi-
ble agency; responsible agent;

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61

the one who assigns respon- ‫إﳉﺎء‬ iljāʾ coercion, com-

sibility to (or imposes it upon) pulsion.

the agent. A ‫ ُﻣﻜﱠﻠﻒ‬is some-

one living, who has reached
ِ ‫اُﳌْﻠ‬
‫ﺤﺪ‬ mulḥid pl. ‫اَﳌﻼِﺣﺪة‬
puberty (or the age of major- malāḥidaḧ deviant, heretic.
ity), and is of sound mind, ca-
pable of discernment. ‫ﻻﺣﻖ‬ lāḥiq posterior; suc-
ceeding. )( ‫ﺳﺎﺑﻖ‬.
‫اﻟَﻜﻼم َﻛﻼم‬ kalām al-

kalām speech; (dogmatic, scholas- ‫َﻟّﺬة‬ laḏḏah pleasure, joy.

tic, polemical) theology.

‫َﻟِﺰَم ﻳﻠَﺰم‬ lazima yalzamu

‫ﻣﺘﻜﱢﻠﻢ ﺗﻜّﻠﻢ‬ takallama
to entail, imply.
mutakallim to speak; speaker,
[scholastic, dogmatic, polem-
ical] theologian. ‫ َﻟِﺰَﻣُﻪ ﻳﻠَﺰُﻣُﻪ‬lazima yalzamu
his position entails, implies.

‫ل‬ ‫اﺳﺘﻠﺰم‬ istalzama to entail.

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62

may or may not exist, de-

‫ُﻟْﻄﻒ‬ luṭf subtlety, grace, pending on some other fac-
graciousness, gentleness. tor; allowable. Also possible,
but only when used in a strict
sense, as a synonym for con-
‫ُﻟْﻄﻒ َﺧﻔّﯽ‬ luṭf ḫafiyy sub- tingent. For example, the ex-
tle grace.
ِ
istence of God is not ‫ُﳑ ْﻜﻦ‬, i.e.,
It is not possible in the strict
sense of ‫ُﳑ ِْﻜﻦ‬, for the Exis-
tence of God depends on no
‫م‬ other factor.

‫ ِﻣﺰاج‬mizāj constitutive tem- ‫ُﳑ ْﻜِﻦ اﻟُﻮﺟﻮد‬ mumkin-u ãl-

wujūd something whose ex-
perament, composite dispo- istence is contingent. See
sition, natural constitution. ‫ُﳑ ْﻜِﻦ‬, ‫ُوﺟﻮد‬.

‫ﻣﺎﺿﯽ‬ māḍī past. ‫ﲤﻜﲔ‬ tamkīn ability to act

freely.
‫إﻣﻜﺎن‬ imkān contingency.
ِ
See ‫ُﳑ ْﻜﻦ‬.
‫ َﲤﺎُﻧﻊ‬tamānuʿ mutual strife,
‫ُﳑ ْﻜِﻦ‬ mumkin contingent; hindrance.

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63

‫َﻣﻴﻞ‬ mayl inclining, incli-

‫اﻣﺘﻨﻊ‬ imtanaʿa ‫ُﳑ ْﺘﻨﻊ‬ mum- nation.

taniʿ to be impossible, pre-

vented; impossible. )( ‫ﺐ‬
َ ‫َوَﺟ‬
‫ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬. ‫ن‬
‫اﻣﺘﻨﻊ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬ imtanaʿa ʿalay-

hi to be impossible for him ‫ ُﻧﺒﻮع‬nubūʿ springing, gush-

to have, be characterized by.
َ ‫َﻋٰﲆ ُﻓﻼٍن‬.
See also ‫ﻛﺬا‬ ing forth.

‫ُﻧُﺒّﻮة‬ nubuwwaḧ pl. ‫ُﻧُﺒّﻮات‬

‫ُﳑ ْﺘﻨﻊ اﻟُﻮﺟﻮد‬ mumtaniʿ-u nubuwwāt prophethood. Lit-
erally, exalted, appointed po-
ãl-wujūd something whose sition from which news from
existence is impossible. See afar is conveyed. In the plural,
‫ُﳑ ْﺘﻨﻊ‬, ‫ُوﺟﻮد‬. what is meant are various in-
stances of prophethood.

‫ﻣﺎﻳِﺰ‬ māyiẓ a distinguishing ‫ َﻧﺒّﯽ‬nabiyy prophet, exalted

bearer of news. See ‫ﻧﺒّﻮة‬.
factor, characteristic.

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64

‫إﻧﻄﺎق‬ inṭāq being made to

‫ ُﻧﺰول‬nuzūl descending, get- speak.
ting down.
‫ﻧِﻈﺎم‬ niẓām order, system.

‫ُﻣَﻨﱢﺰه ﻋﻦ‬ munazzahun ʿan

utterly removed from. ‫ﻣﻨﺘﻈِﻢ‬ muntaẓim orderly,

‫ﻧِْﺴﺒﺔ‬ nisbaḧ relation, attri- ordered, systematic.

bution.

‫ُﻧﻔﻮر ﻋﻦ‬ nufūr aversion to,

‫ َﻧﱠﺺ‬naṣṣa ‫ ﻣﻨﺼﻮص‬manṣūṣ distaste for.
to explicitly specify and ap-
point; explicitly specified and
appointed. ‫ﺗﻨّﻔﺮ ِﻣﻦ‬ tanaffara min to
have an aversion to, repulse.
‫َﻧْﺼﺐ‬ naṣb appointment.

‫َﻧْﻔﺲ‬ nafs pl. ‫أْﻧُﻔﺲ‬ anfus

‫اﻧﺘﺼﻒ َﻟُﻪ ِﻣﻨﻪ‬ intaṣafa la- soul, self.
hū min-hu to work towards
and exact justice on behalf
of one (lahū) from another ‫ َﻧْﻔﻊ‬nafʿ benefit, profit. )( ‫ﴐر‬.
(minhu).

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65

tradicts.

‫ﻧﺎﻓﻊ‬ nāfiʿ beneficial, prof- ‫ ﻣﻨﻘﻮل‬manqūl transmitted.

Also ‫َﻧْﻘًﻼ‬: Compare with ‫ﺳﻤًﻌﺎ‬.
itable. )( ‫ﺿﺎّر‬.

‫إﻧﻜﺎر‬ inkār denial; refu-

‫َﻧﻔٰﯽ‬ nafā ‫َﻧْﻔﻲ‬ nafy ‫ﻧﺎﻓﯽ‬ tation. In its second sense,
synonymous with the second
nāfī to deny; denial; one sense of ‫رّد‬.
who denies, denier.
‫ُﻣْﻨَﻜﺮ‬ munkar that which is
‫َﻣْﻨﻔّﯽ‬ manfiyy denied, re- disapproved. )( ‫ﻣﻌﺮوف‬.
futed.
‫ﳖٰﯽ‬ nahā ‫َﳖْﻲ‬ nahy ‫ﻧﺎﻫﻲ‬
‫اﻧﺘﻔٰﯽ‬ intafā to be refuted,
vitiated, controverted, denied, nāhī to forbid, prohibit, pro-
absent, nonexistent, null and scribe; forbidding, prohibit-
void. ing, forbidder.

‫إﻧﺴﺎﻧّﯽ‬ insānī human.

‫َﻧْﻘﺺ‬ naqṣ deficiency, de-
crease. ‫َﻧﻮع‬ nawʿ pl. ‫أﻧﻮاع‬ anwāʿ

‫ﻧﺎﻗﺾ‬ nāqiḍ one who con- type, kind.

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66

ٍ ‫َﻋﲆ ُﻓﻼ‬
)(‫اﻣﺘﻨﻊ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬. See also ‫ن‬ ٰ
‫ َﻳﻨﺎُل ﺗﻨﺎول‬tanāwala yanālu
to reach, comprehend, em- ‫َﻛﺬا‬. See also ‫َﻋٰﲆ ُﻓﻼٍن َﻛﺬا‬.
brace.

‫ ُوﺟﻮب‬wujūb necessity, manda-

toriness.
‫و‬
‫واﺟﺐ‬ wãjib necessary.

‫ُﻣَﺘﻮاﺗِﺮ‬ mutawātir consecu- ‫إﳚﺎب ﻣﻮَﺟﺐ‬ mūjab ījāb

tively transmitted [through [involuntarily] necessitated,
multiple chains of narration]. [involuntary] necessitation. Ex-
amples include the following:
i) Logical implication: Given
‫ُوﺛﻮق‬ wuṯūq confidence. a proposition that logically im-
plies another proposition, that
‫ﺐ‬
َ ‫َوَﺟ‬ wajaba ُ ِ‫َﳚ‬
‫ﺐ‬ ya- proposition is necessitated to
imply the other, i.e., it cannot
jibu to be necessary, manda- not imply the other. ii) Emana-
tory, incumbent. tion: The One of Plotinus em-
anates the world in a necessi-
‫ﺐ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬
َ ‫َوَﺟ‬ wajaba ʿalay- tated manner, i.e., It cannot not
hi to be necessary for him emanate nor can It emanate in
to have, be characterized by. a manner other than the man-

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67

ner in which It does (hence, the ‫ ُﻣﻮِﺟﺪ‬awjada ‫ أوﺟﺪ‬mūjid

One is not ‫)ﳐﺘﺎر‬. iii) Mater-
ial causation: Given the pres- to existentiate; existentiator.
ence of the relevant necessary
and sufficient conditions (e.g., ‫ِﺟﻬﺔ‬ jihaḧ direction, di-
certain quantities of heat, oxy-
gen, and dryness), a quantity mension, aspect [astronomi-
of wood will burn via necessi- cal sense], orientation.
tation; it cannot not burn.
‫ِﻣﻦ ِﺟﻬﺔ‬ min jihaẗ-i by way
‫واﺟﺐ اﻟُﻮﺟﻮد‬ wājib-u ãl-
wujūd That Whose Existence of narration from.
is Necessary. See ‫واﺟﺐ‬,
‫ُوﺟﻮد‬. ‫أﺣﺪ‬ aḥad single one, sin-
gular.
‫ُوﺟﻮد‬ wujūd existence. A
metaphysical technical term.
Its original, pre-metaphysical ‫ا ﱠ َﲢَﺪ‬ ittaḥada ‫اّﲢﺎد‬ ittiḥād
sense (finding) is phenomeno- to be unified; unification,
ْ ‫)ِو‬.
logical (syn. ‫ﺟﺪان‬ union.

‫ودﻳﻌﺔ‬ wadīʿaḧ a trust with

‫ﻣﻮﺟﻮد‬ mawjūd existent, which one has been charged.
real.

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68

ِ ‫ورد‬
‫ب‬ warada bi to come,
‫َوْﻗﺖ‬ waqt time.
arrive, be present, and men-
tion.
‫َوَﻗَﻊ‬ waqaʿa ‫َﻳَﻘُﻊ‬ yaqaʿu to
‫ﻣﻴﺰان‬ mīzān scale, balance.
occur, happen.
‫واﺳﻄﺔ‬ wāsiṭaḧ medium,
intermediary, mediation. ‫وﻗﻴﻌﺔ‬ waqīʿaḧ pl. ‫وﻗﺎﺋﻊ‬
waqāʾiʿ ocurrence that comes
‫َوَﻃﺮ‬ waṭar some want, de- up every now and then.
sire.

‫ِﺻَﻔﺔ‬ ṣifaḧ pl. ‫ﺻﻔﺎت‬ ‫ ﺗﻮّﻗﻒ‬tawaqquf dependence.

ṣifāt quality, attribute, de-
scriptor. )( ‫ذات‬.

‫ ﻣﻮﱢﻓﻖ‬muwaffiq giver of suc- ‫ه‬

cess.

‫اﱠﺗَﻔَﻖ‬ ittafaqa to be in agree- ‫اﳍﻨﺪو‬ al-hindū the Indian

ment. philosophers.

70 70