Abjad al-Ulum

Abjad al-Ulum (The Alphabet of the Sciences) is an Arabic encyclopedia of Islamic sciences, classification of disciplines, and scholarly biographies written by the Indian scholar and titular ruler of Bhopal, Siddiq Hasan Khan (1248–1307 AH / 1832–1890 CE) Hadiyat al-Arifin Asma al…+1.

Composition and Purpose

Siddiq Hasan Khan composed and compiled Abjad al-Ulum in the princely state of Bhopal in 1290 AH (1873 CE) Abjad al-Ulum+1. He stated in his introduction that he wrote it primarily for the education and training of his two sons, Sayyid Nur al-Hasan and Sayyid Ali Hasan, as well as for the broader community of scholars and students of knowledge Abjad al-Ulum. Although he initially planned the work in two parts, he subsequently added a third part upon concluding the second to serve as a biographical supplement for the leading authorities of the various sciences Abjad al-Ulum.

Structure and Contents

The work is organized into three distinct volumes, each bearing its own subtitle:

• Part 1: al-Washy al-Marqum fi Bayan Ahwal al-Ulum (The Embroidered Fabric: Explaining the Conditions of the Sciences) focuses on the theoretical foundation, nature, and history of knowledge Abjad al-Ulum+1. It opens with an examination of the definition of knowledge, its categories, its transmission, and the development of writing and learning across civilizations, addressing disciplines such as philosophy, theology, language, and history Abjad al-Ulum+1.
• Part 2: al-Sahab al-Markum al-Mumtir bi-Anwa al-Funun wa-Asnaf al-Ulum (The Layered Cloud: Raining Down Kinds of Arts and Classes of Sciences) provides an encyclopedic glossary arranged alphabetically Abjad al-Ulum+1. It systematically defines and discusses hundreds of religious, rational, linguistic, and applied disciplines, elaborating on their subject matters, sub-branches, and seminal texts Abjad al-Ulum+1.
• Part 3: al-Rahiq al-Makhtum min Tarajim A'immat al-Ulum (The Sealed Nectar: Biographies of the Imams of the Sciences) consists of a biographical compendium devoted to major scholars, traditionists, jurists, linguists, and polymaths across Islamic history Abjad al-Ulum+1. Siddiq Hasan Khan concluded this section with an extensive autobiographical entry detailing his lineage, teachers, journeys, official duties, and catalog of writings al-Durar al-Bahiya wa al-…+1.

Sources and Publication

In compiling the encyclopedia, the author drew heavily upon classical bibliographic and classification manuals, quoting directly from works such as Tashkubrizadah's Miftah al-Sa'adah and Madinat al-Ulum, as well as Katib Chelebi's (Hajji Khalifa) Kashf al-Zunun al-Mughrib fi Tartib al-M…+1.

The book was first printed in three volumes in Bhopal in 1295 AH (1878 CE), with another recorded imprint in 1296 AH, comprising 970 pages in total Abjad al-Ulum+1.