الدلائل والاعتبار على الخلق والتدبير

by Al-Jahiz, الجاحظ, محمد راغب الطباخ ( تحقيق)

الدلائل والاعتبار على الخلق والتدبير هي رسالة يرد فيها عمرو بن بحر الجاحظ على المشككين في خلق الله للكون والأشياء من حولنا يبدأها بالقول: "إن ناسًا حين جهلوا الأسباب والمعاني، وقصروا فب الخلقة عن تأمل الصواب والحكمة فيها، خرجوا إلى الجحود والتكذيب حتى أنكروا خلق الأشياء، وزعموا أن كونها بإهمال لا صنعة فيه ولا تقدير، كالذي أقدمت عليه وجاهرت به المنانية الكفرة وأشباههم من أهل الضلال..." وفي دفاعه هذا يدعو علماء عصره إلى الوقوث على الدلائل القائمة في الكون وإظهارها للعامة ونشرها وإذاعتها وإيرادها على المسامع والأذهان، لتقوي دواعي الإيمان، وهو بدوره يقول: "فقد تكلفنا جميع ما وقفنا عليه من العبر والشواهد على خلق هذا العالم وتأليفه، وصواب التدبير فيه، وشرح الأسباب والمعاني في ذلك، بمبلغ علمنا في كتابنا، وتوخينا إيضاح القول فيه وتنويره، والإيجاز فيما شرحنا ليسهل فهمه ويقرب مأخذه على الناظر فيه، ورجونا أن يكون في ذلك شفاء للناكر المرتاب، وزيادة في يقين الموفق، وبالله التوفيق."

Genres: Philosophy

107 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Al-Jāḥiẓ (Arabic: عمرو بن بحر الجاحظ)

Because of the caliphs' patronage and his eagerness to establish himself and reach a wider audience, al-Jāḥiẓ stayed in Baghdad (and later Samarra), where he wrote a huge number of his books. The caliph al-Ma'mun wanted al-Jāḥiẓ to teach his children, but then changed his mind when his children were frightened by al-Jāḥiẓ's goggle-eyes. This is said to be the origin of his nickname.

He enjoyed the patronage of al-Fath ibn Khaqan, the bibliophile boon companion of Caliph al-Mutawakkil, but after his murder in December 861 he left Samarra for his native Basra. He died there in late 868, according to one story, when a pile of books from his private library collapsed on him.

Most important books:
*Kitab al-Hayawan (Book of the Animals)
*Kitab al-Bukhala (Book of Misers) also (Avarice & the Avaricious)
*Kitab al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin (The Book of eloquence and demonstration)
*Risalat mufakharat al-sudan 'ala al-bidan (Treatise on Blacks)

Al-Jāḥiẓ returned to Basra with hemiplegia after spending more than fifty years in Baghdad. He died in Basra in the Arabic month of Muharram in AH 255/December 868-January 869 CE. His exact cause of death is not clear, but a popular assumption is that Jahiz died in his private library after one of many large piles of books fell on him, killing him instantly.

Reviews

[Mike Wigal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, written in the 8th century, could have come from a modern(?) creationist or other bible thumping Intelligent Designer, except it was penned by a (gasp!) Muslim from Basra in what is now Iraq. Clearly al-Jahiz was a product of his time and limited exposure to the world. Not knowing about life in the northern or southern latitudes he claims the maximum daylight at 15 hours to be part of god's design, since longer daylight hours would cause us to get too tired from work. And earthquakes are Allah's means of scaring sinners back to righteousness. But for his time I expect he passed for a deep thinker. The funny thing is how he danced pretty close to Darwin's great idea, but couldn't make the leap of thought. Anyway, I only picked it up because it was referenced in another book I read recently. At $2 the downside risk was limited.

[James Violand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engineering/Science tells us how. Religion/Philosophy tells us why. This succinctly tells the "why" from a vantage point a millinium ago. Most of it still applies. The difficulty is one of comprehension by the modern mind. We expect answers to questions and demand they fit in empirical mold. But how do you measure the width of a thought?

[Hariayati · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabi ayyi ala irobbikuma tukadziban

1. the Most Beneficent (Allâh)!
2. has taught (you mankind) the Qur'ân (by his Mercy).
3. He created man.
4. He taught Him eloquent speech.
5. the sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly) calculated with measured out stages for each (for Reckoning, etc.).
6. and the herbs (or stars) and the trees both prostrate.
7. and the heaven He has raised High, and He has set up the balance.
8. In order that You may not transgress (due) balance.
9. and observe the weight with equity and do not make the balance deficient.
10. and the earth He has put for the creatures.
11. therein are fruits, date-palms producing sheathed fruit-stalks (enclosing dates).
12. and also corn, with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder, and sweet-scented plants.
13. Then which of the Blessings of Your Lord will You both (jinns and men) deny?
14. He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of pottery.
15. and the jinns did He create from a smokeless flame of Fire.
16. Then which of the Blessings of Your Lord will You both (jinns and men) deny?
17. (He is) the Lord of the two easts (places of sunrise during early summer and early winter) and the Lord of the two wests (places of sunset during early summer and early winter).
18. Then which of the Blessings of Your Lord will You both (jinns and men) deny?
19. He has let loosed the two seas (the salt water and the sweet) Meeting together.
20. between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.
21. Then which of the Blessings of Your Lord will You both (jinns and men) deny?
22. out of them both come out pearl and coral.
23. Then which of the Blessings of Your Lord will You both (jinns and men) deny?
24. and his are the ships going and coming In the seas, like mountains.
25. Then which of the Blessings of Your Lord will You both (jinns and men) deny?

[Ahmad Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thinking how to read this