Lesson 1: Introduction to noble manners | المدخل إلى مكارم الأخلاق Flashcards
10 essentials of knowledge
> Inna mabādi’a kulli fann ‘ashara
إِنَّ مَبَادِيَ كُلِّ فَنٍّ عَشَرَهْ
Indeed, the principles of every science are ten:
Al-ḥaddu wal-mawḍū’u thumma ath-thamara
الحَدُّ وَالمَوْضُوعُ ثُمَّ الثَّمَرَهْ
The definition, the subject, then the benefit;
Wa nisbatun wa faḍluhu wal-wāḍi’u
وَنِسْبَةٌ وَفَضْلُهُ وَالوَاضِعْ
Its relationship, its virtue, and its founder;
Wal-ismu al-istimdādu ḥukmu ash-shāri’u
وَالاِسْمُ الاِسْتِمْدَادُ حُكْمُ الشَّارِعْ
Its name, its sources, and the ruling of the Lawgiver;
Masā’ilun wal-ba’ḍu bil-ba’ḍi iktafā
مَسَائِلٌ وَالبَعْضُ بِالبَعْضِ اكْتَفَى
Its key issues, and some are satisfied with some;
Wa man darā al-jamī’a ḥāza ash-sharafā
وَمَنْ دَرَى الجَمِيعَ حَازَ الشَّرَفَا
And whoever knows all of them attains honor.
- these aren’t limited to just Islamic sciences, even to worldly sciences
Breakdown of the 10 essentials of knowledge
- الحد- Definition, where do the limits lie, what’s included and excluded (people try to bring a definition that is جامِعٌ مَانِعْ-comprehensive and exclusive (gathers everything that belongs in the science, and excluded everythig that doesent belong in the science, but this isn’t always achievable or precise, and the early scholars didn’t busy themselves with it)
- الموضوع- subject matter- topics and issue of the science
- ثمرة-The fruit- the benefit or value of the science
- نسبة-Attribution- origin and connection of this science to other sciences
- فضله-The virtue- the merit or virtue of the science
- الواضع- The one who wrote it down-the earliest ones who documented the science, if the science was discussed prior or post Islam, the era of the sahaba, it’s historical development, etc
- الاسم-The name(s)
- الاستمداد- The source- The origin or foundation of the science, if it’s independent or derived from another.
- حكم الشارع- The ruling- legal ruling concerning the science, is it obligatory, recommended, forbidden etc.
- مسائل-Individual issues- specific topics and issues
Example of “sawm” in the linguistic and technical definitions
- there are words that have separate religious definitions like الصوم-fasting, which means to withhold “الإمساك” from something, such as speaking, eating, running etc.
- but in the religious sense is refraining and withholding from eating and drinking, and the other things that break the fast from the beginning of the true dawn until the coming of maghrib
- In ‘Aqeedah, the technical definition doesent stray very far from the linguistic definition, but is rather very close
Linguistic meaning of Akhlaq
والخلق والخلق في الأصل واحد، لكن خص الخلق بالهيئات والأشكال والصور المدركة بالبصر، وخص الخلق بالقوى والسجايا المدركة بالبصيرة
> “This word Khalq, and Khulq, both come from the same origin. But this word al-Khalq, became specifically used for the outer appearance and the form of something that is known by looking at it. As for al Khulq, it became used for the innate characteristics and behaviours of a person that are known by Baseerah (Insight; knowledge and understanding)
-Al mufradat fi Gharib al Quran p.297
- this can’t be seen by the eye, requires processing your intelligence, not this is tall,short etc-that’s khalq
- Khuluq/khulq is insight, such as looking as how the talk and carry themselves, you come to a conclusion of this persons innate characteristics/strengthens and weakness
Ibn Mandhur/Muhammed ibn al Mukarram (711 AH)
الخلق بضم اللام وسكونها وهو الدين والطبع والسجية وحقيقته أنه لصورة الإنسان الباطنة وهي نفسه وأوصافها ومعانيها المختصة بها بمنزلة الخلق لصورته الظاهرة وأوصافها ومعانيها
> Khuluq/Khulq, it is a person’s deen (nature/behavior), and their innate characteristics. The reality of it is, that a person’s Soorah (how they look on the inside) not the Soorah adh Dhaahirah (how they look on the outside), but how they look on the inside (their inner characteristics, their Nafs, their soul, their self), its description, what they are all about, that are specific to this particular person. This is the same as you would say al-Khalq are a description or a picture of their external self, and a description of their external self and what they are all about.”
- deen can mean nature/behavior
- Inner self like honorable, stingy, noble generous
- when look at al Khuluq, you’re looking at a picture of their inner self (nafs) not their skin, eyes etc (al khalq/outer picture)
- Just as you have a description of an external person, you have an internal description of their nafs/nature in terms of their inner self/characteristics
Technical definition (modern) of Akhlaq
*many technical definitions are similar to the linguistic one, showing that the linguistic and technical definitions are close
**مَجْمُوعَةُ الْمَبَادِئِ وَالْقَوَاعِدِ الْمُنَظِّمَةِ لِلسُّلُوكِ الإِنسَانِيِّ الَّتِي يُحَدِّدُهَا الْوَحْيُ لِتَنْظِيمِ حَيَاةِ الإِنسَانِ وَتَحْدِيدِ عِلاَقَتِهِ بِغَيْرِهِ عَلَى نَحْوٍ يُحَقِّقُ الْغَايَةَ مِنْ وُجُودِهِ فِي هَذَا الْعَالَمِ عَلَى أَكْمَلِ وَجْهٍ
**> A collection of foundations, and principles, which regulate human behaviour, laid out in revelation, to regulate the life of a person, and to define his relationship with others, in a way that achieves his purpose of existence in this world in the most complete way:
>
Breakdown of technical definition of Akhlaq
- A collection of foundations: Fundamental elements; the basics.
- And principles, which regulate human behavior: Organizing and regulating our conduct
- Laid out in revelation: These principles and ideals are based on divine revelation, distinguishing the linguistic definition from the technical definition
- To regulate the life of a person, and to define his relationship with others: This includes behaviour towards Allah, the Qur’an, and not just towards other people. The purpose of these behaviors goes beyond being liked by others; it is about fulfilling the purpose of our existence in the most complete way
- Allah ﷻ said in the Qur’an:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
> Adh-Dhariyat - 51:56English - Mohsin Khan/Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).
- you fulfill the commands of Allah ﷻ
- Stick with the limits that Allah ﷻ and his messenger ﷺ set for you
- You worship ﷲ ﷻ based upon certain behaviors towards him, and that you deal with creation the way ﷲ ﷻ commanded you, and therefore this achieves the purpose behind your existence: worshipping ﷲ ﷻ alone and building worship of ﷲ ﷻ upon knowing him ﷻ and being tested in that, in the most complete and comprehensive way.
Definition of مَكَارِمْ
Plural of:مَكْرَمْ or مَكْرَمَة and it means مَحَاسِن (good qualities, virtues etc)
So مَكَارِمْ means:
- the most noble of manners
- Excellent manners
- Having excellent and beautiful manners
- Noble manners
And we’ll translate it as noble manners.
