al-Sharh al-Mukhtasar li al-Sullam al-Munawraq
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- al-Sharh al-Mukhtasar li al-Sullam al-Munawraq
al-Sharh al-Mukhtasar li al-Sullam al-Munawraq ("The Abridged Commentary on al-Sullam al-Munawraq") is an introductory commentary on Arabic logic (al-mantiq) by the contemporary scholar Ahmad ibn Umar al-Hazimi, delivered as an instructional lecture series expounding the didactic poem al-Sullam al-Munawraq by Abd al-Rahman al-Akhdari.
Origin and Composition
The commentary originates from audio lectures commenced on 22 Sha'ban 1429 AH, subsequently transcribed and published by al-Hazimi's official website. Comprising five lessons, the work is formulated as a concise, entry-level explanation tailored for students beginning their study of logic. Al-Hazimi characterizes al-Akhdari's base poem as a versification of the standard introductory primer Isagoge (Isaghuji), noting that within logic it serves an educational function analogous to al-Ajrumiyyah in Arabic grammar.
Scope and Method
The commentary provides a structured explanation of the primary logical doctrines presented in the verses, contextualizing the text within the pedagogical literature of the discipline:
- Introductory Principles and Status of Logic: Al-Hazimi opens with the ten foundational principles (al-mabadi al-asharah) of logic, outlining the nature, utility, and historical integration of logic into Islamic scholarship. He classifies logic as an instrumental science (ilm al-alat or ilm al-wasa'il) whose primary utility lies in clarifying technical terms that entered Islamic jurisprudence, legal theory (usul al-fiqh), theology, and Arabic linguistic disciplines.
- Legal Ruling on Studying Logic: In the chapter regarding the legal status of studying logic (fasl fi jawaz al-ishtighal bih), the commentary evaluates the classical difference of opinion: the prohibition maintained by scholars such as Ibn al-Salah and al-Nawawi, the endorsement advocated by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, and the intermediate position permitting it for discerning scholars well-grounded in the Quran and the Sunnah. Citing Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti, al-Hazimi clarifies that this disagreement applies specifically to logic intertwined with philosophical dogma, whereas pure formal logic free from philosophical matter—such as that found in al-Sullam al-Munawraq—is universally permissible.
- Epistemological Divisions: The work addresses the categories of originated knowledge (anwa' al-ilm al-hadith), distinguishing between conception (tasawwur) and assent (tasdiq), and explaining their division into axiomatic (daruri / badihi) and theoretical (nazari) knowledge based on their cognitive objects and means of attainment.
In his presentation, al-Hazimi references prominent classical commentaries on al-Sullam, recommending accessible works such as Iydah al-Mubham by Ahmad al-Damanhuri and al-Akhdari's own commentary for beginners, while directing advanced students to comprehensive treatments like the Hashiyah of Ibrahim al-Bajuri and the glossed commentary of Ahmad al-Mallawi with Muhammad al-Sabban.
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