THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE by NABIH AMIN FARIS Islamic Book Service New DelhiSECTION I SECTION II SECTION III SECTION IV SECTION V SECTION VI SECTION VII Bibliography CONTENTS ‘The Book of Knowledge Comprising ‘Seven Sections 1 On the Value of Knowledge, Instruction and Learning together with its evidence in tradition and from reason. 3 On praiseworthy and objectionable branches of knowledge 23 ‘On what is popularly considered to be a part of the science of religion 67 (On the reasons which induced men to persue the science of polemics 101 On the Proprieties of the Student and the Teacher. 19 On the Evils of Knowledge and on Determining the Distinguishing Features of the Learned Men 47 On the Intellect, its Noble Nature, its Definition, and its Divisions 213 229PREFACE “This work would nothave been possible without the imaginative help of three Princeton scholars: the late Edwin E. Conklin, the great ‘American biologist, the late Harold H. Bender, the great linguistic scholars and philologist, and my own teacher, mentor, colleague and friend, the leading Arab historian Philip K. Hitti. When the work was first started, in 1936, Professor Conklin was a retired scholar actively directing the affairs of the American in Philadelphia. Professor Bender was then Chairman of the Department of Oriental Languages and Literatures at Princeton University and the chief etymologist of Webster’s International Dictionary. Dr. Hitti was Professor of Semitic Languages at Princeton University and the moving spirit for the development of Arab studies in the United States of America. “The idea of preparing a translation of the Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din of al-Ghazzali originated with Professor Hitti. Professor Bender enthusiastically supported it; and Professor Conklin, in spite of his primary interest in biology, appreciated the importance of the work and got the Society to support it, although the Society's exclusive domain was hitherto the natural sciences. To all of these gentleman and to the Society, I am greatly indebted. Without them I could not have had the intimate company of abu-Hamid for four long years. In preparing the translation, use was made of four texts; three printed and one in manuscript form. The printed ones are: the first is the text printed at Kafr al-Zaghariin A.H. 1352 from the older Cairo edition of A-H. 1289; it is referred to the notes as ‘C’ ‘The second isThe Book of Knowledge that contained in the text of the Ithafal-Sadah al-Muttaqin bi-Sharh Thya’ ‘Ulum al-Din; it is referred to in the notes as SM (text). The third is the text which is reproduced in the margin of the same Ithaf al-Sadah; itis referredto in the notes as SM (margin). The fourth and perhaps the most important is th: text contained in a four-volume ‘manuscript at the Princeton University Library (Philip Hitti, Nabih Amin Faris, and Butrus Abd-al-Malik, Descriptive Catalog of the GarrettCollection of Arabic Manuscript in the Princeton University Library, Princeton 1938, No. 1481). It consists of 525 folios; 34.1x27.6 cm.; written surface 27.8x21.5 em.; 3] lines at a page; on glazed oriental paper; in naskhi; with catchwords; entires in red; with illumination. It probably dates from the late fifteenth century. This text, called ‘B’ in the notes, corresponds to SM (text), while ‘C” corresponds to SM (margin). In the translation of Qur’anic verses, I depended on J.M. Rodwell’s version. Itis my hope that by making this important work available, in English, non-Arabic-speaking scholars will drawa benefit even from my mi ‘The Second World War forced the work to be piaced in’an “ice-box”. It might have stayed there indefinitely were it not for the interest of Sheikh Muhammad Ashraf, sponsor of the Islamic Literature and devoted friend of all Islamic studies. To him I am indeed grateful. ‘The manuscript was greatly improved by the close and thorough reading of two of my students: Mr. Robert Hazo and Mr. John Dudley Woodberry: To both I extend my thanks. Nabih Amin Faris American University of Beirut January 11, 1962. viii INTRODUCTION What the Apostle gives you, take; and What he forbids, from it desist.” In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. First, I praise Allah, continuously, though the praise of the fervent does not do justice to His glory. Second, | invoke the blessing of Allah upon His Apostle, the lord of mankind, as well as upon the other messengers. Third, I ask His help having resolved to write a book on the revival? of the religious sciences. Fourth, I proceed to enlighten you, who are the most self righteous of those who reject belief, and you, who are the most immoderate of the thoughtless unbelievers. Tam no longer obliged to remain silent, because the responsibility to speak, as well as wam you, has been imposed upon ‘me by your persistent straying from the clear truth, and by your insistence upon fostering evil, flattering ignorance, and stirring up opposition against him who, in order to conform to the dictates of knowledge, deviates from custom and the established practice of men. In doing this he fulfils God’s prescriptions for purifying the self and reforming the heart, thus somewhat redeeming a life, which has already been dissipated in despair of prevention and remedy, and avoids by it the company of him whom the Law giver (Muhammad Swart] 2. Arabic ihya has been rendered revivification. | prefer revival.ee The Book of Knowledge S.A.W.) described when he said, (2) “The most severely punished of all men on the day of resurrection will bea learned man whom Allah has not blessed with His knowledge.” For, by my life, there is no reason for your abiding arrogance except the malady which has become an epidemic among the multitudes. That malady consists in not discerning this matter’s importance, the gravity of the problem, and the seriousness of the crisis; in not secing that life is waning and that what is to come is close at hand, that death is imminent but that the journey is still long, that the provisions are scanty, the dangers great, and the road blocked. The perceptive know that only knowledge and works devoted to God avail. Totread the crowded and dangerous path of the hereafter with neither guide nor companion is difficult, tiring, and strenuous. The guides for the road are the leaned men who are the heirs of the Prophet, but the times are void of them now and only the superficial are left, most of whom have been lured by iniquity ard overcome by Satan, Everyone of them was so wrapped up in his ‘immediate fortune that he came to see good as evil and evil as good, so that the science of religion disappeared and the torch of the true faith was extinguished alloverthe world, They duped the people into believing that there was no knowledge except such ordinances of government as the judges use to settle disputes when the mob riots; or the type of argument which the vainglorious displays in order to confuse and refute; or the elaborate and flowery language with which the preacher seeks to lure the common folk. They did this, because apart from these three, they could find no other ways to snare illegal profit and gain the riches of the world. On the other hand the science of the path of the hereafter, which our forefathers trod and which includes what Allah in His Book called law, wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, light, guidance, and righteousness, has vanished fromamongmen and been completely forgotten. Since thisisa calamity afflicting religion anda gravecrisis overshadowing it, I have therefore deemed it important to engage in —_—_—— Tf al-Tabarani,al-Mu jam al-Saghir Delhi, 1311), p. 103; Abu-Nu’aym silsfahani, Hikayat ai-Awliya” wa-Tabagat al-Asfiya’ (Cairo, 1351), Vol. I, p. 223, The Book of Knowledge the writing of this book; to revive the science of religion, to bring to light the exemplary lives of the departed imams, and to show what Branches ofknowwiedgs the prophets and the virtuous is fathers regarded as useful. Thave divided the work into four parts or quarters. These are: the Acts of Worship, the Usages of Lite, the Destructive Matters in Life, and the Saving Matters in Life. I have begun the work with the book of knowledge because it is of the utmost importance to determine first of all the knowledge which Allah has, through His Apostle, ordered the elite to seek. This is shown by the words of the Apostle of Allah when he said, “Seeking knowledge is an ordinance obligatory upon every Muslim.” Furthermore, Ihave begun with the book on knowledge in order to distinguish between useful and harmful knowledge, as the Prophet said, “We seek refuge in Allah from useless knowledge;”? and also to show the deviation of the people of this age from right conduct, their delusion as by a glistening ‘mirage, and their satisfaction with the husks ofknowledge rather than the pith. The quarter on the Acts of Worship comprises ten books: The Book of Knowledge ‘The Articles of Faith The Mysteries of Purity The Mysteries of Prayer The Mysteries of Almsgiving The Mysteries of Fasting The Mysteries of the Pilgrimage The Rules of Reading the Qur'an On Invocations and Supplications 10. On the Office of Portions. PRN Aw Rene 1. Tbn-Majah, Sunan al-Mustafa, Intro., 17:5,'al Baghawi, Masabih al- Sunnah, (Cairo, 1318), Vol. I, p. 15. 2. Ton-Majah, Intro., 23:1