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al-Saada
- Author died
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- Editions
- The book is published on the website of the Saudi Ministry of Awqaf without data
al-Saada (Happiness, also referred to as Kitab al-Saada) is a classical Arabic treatise on philosophical ethics, human perfection, and the nature of true happiness, traditionally attributed to Ibn Miskawayh and identified in bibliographical records with his work Tartib al-Saadat wa-Manazil al-Ulum.
Content and Philosophical Doctrine
The work addresses the ranks of happiness and delineates the classification of sciences according to the Aristotelian tradition, examining their role in elevating humans toward perfection. In its discussion of human objectives, the text divides the ends sought by people into two distinct categories:
- Shared physical ends: Appetites shared between humans and non-human animals, such as food and drink. While commonly mistaken by many for happiness, these physical pleasures do not constitute human perfection as humans, and therefore cannot be considered genuine happiness.
- Distinctly human ends: Pursuits exclusive to human beings, consisting of virtuous deeds, noble character (al-khuluq al-jamil), and intellectual strength (quwwat al-dhihn). True happiness is achieved exclusively through the realization of these three qualities.
The underlying doctrine of the text closely mirrors the ethical views of Abu Nasr al-Farabi, positing that the foundation of authentic happiness resides in internal psychological and intellectual virtues rather than external or bodily goods.
Identification and Transmission
The treatise appears under various related titles in manuscript and bio-bibliographical sources, including al-Saada, Tartib al-Saadat, and Tartib al-Saadat wa-Manazil al-Ulum. An early print edition was published under the title al-Saada by al-Tubji, and modern critical editions have appeared within collections such as Majmuʿat Ganjineh-ye Baharestan.
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