Seven source books: Every claim in this course traces back to one of seven books. The primary spine is Al-Mantiq by Allama Muzaffar — the standard hawza textbook, covering words and meanings, the five universals, definition, propositions, syllogism, the five arts, and fallacies.
The supporting books: Every session follows its chapters. The supporting books are: Ashl al-Mantiq by Shahid Mutahhari, the best modern explanation in simple language; Bidayat al-Hikmah and Nihayat al-Hikmah by Allama Tabataba'i, the bridge to Falsafa; Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat and Al-Shifa' (Logic section) by Ibn Sina, for classical depth, syllogism, and modality; and Risala fi al-Mantiq by Al-Farabi, the first Islamic logic text.
How to use them: How to use them: during or after this course, read Muzaffar's Al-Mantiq directly in Arabic (or its Urdu translation). Then read Mutahhari's Ashl al-Mantiq for deeper explanation.
Then begin Bidayat al-Hikmah: Then begin Tabataba'i's Bidayat al-Hikmah, which opens the door to Falsafa.
Example
Muzaffar, the map: Think of Muzaffar as the map of the whole journey, and the other six books as guides who explain the difficult parts of the road.
Key Terms
- Al-Mantiq (المنطق) — Muzaffar's textbook
- Bidayat al-Hikmah (بدایة الحکمة) — Tabataba'i's introduction to philosophy
Quran or Hadith
None on this slide.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: A bookshelf diagram — Muzaffar in the centre as the spine, six supporting books around it. To be drawn in Project Desk colours.
- The primary spine is Al-Mantiq by Allama Muzaffar — the standard hawza textbook, covering words and meanings, the five universals, definition, propositions, syllogism, the five arts, and fallacies.
- Think of Muzaffar as the map of the whole journey, and the other six books as guides who explain the difficult parts of the road.