Five ways definitions go wrong: Even when you know the formula, definitions can go wrong in five ways. The slide title lists them: circular definition (defining a thing by itself — "knowledge is knowing things"), using unknown terms (defining with words the reader does not understand), being too broad (failing Mani'iyyah — letting outsiders in), being too narrow (failing Jami'iyyah — leaving members out), and using metaphorical language (poetry instead of precision — "justice is a shining sun").
The good definition's marks: The summary slide adds the related error of Al-Dawr (circular reasoning). A good definition avoids all five: it is clear, it uses known terms, it is exactly the right size, and it is literal.
Example
Too broad, too narrow — the chair: "A chair is something you sit on" is too broad — a horse is also something you sit on. "A chair is a wooden seat with four legs" is too narrow — a metal chair with three legs is still a chair.
Closer to correct: "A chair is a seat with a back, made to support one seated person" is closer to correct.
Key Terms
- Al-Dawr (الدور) — circularity
- Jami'iyyah and Mani'iyyah (see Topic 4.4)
Quran or Hadith
None known from the slide title.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: A five-item "error checklist" for the Reader — five things to check before accepting a definition. To be drawn in Project Desk colours.
Note: Based on the slide filename; the exact errors and examples on Slide 25 were not read. Verify against the slide before publication.
- Even when you know the formula, definitions can go wrong in five ways.
- "A chair is something you sit on" is too broad — a horse is also something you sit on. "A chair is a wooden seat with four legs" is too narrow — a metal chair with three legs is still a chair.