Classical Manuals Research Articles

Sabab or Ḥikma? : The Relationship between Muḥāḏāt al-Nisāʾ (Adjacency with Women) and the Ištibāh

When man and woman pray adjacent to each other in a congregational prayer under certain conditions, this constitutes the phenomenon referred to in classical manuals of Islamic law as muḥāḏāt (adjacency with women). There are various scenarios under which muḥāḏāt can lead either to the invalidation of the prayer of the man or the woman or even worse all the participants. The sababs (reasons) behind the relevant legal rulings on muḥāḏāt in its various scenarios are outlined in detail in classical manuals of the Ḥanafī school, which will also be presented here briefly. This paper, however, seeks to find out the ḥikma (philosophy of law), as opposed to, the sabab, behind invalidation of prayer in congregational regular prayer in cases of muḥāḏāt. In fact, it particularly attempts to answer, for the first time in literature, the question of why the prayer of a man praying adjacent to a woman becomes invalid if they pray in congregation and yet it remains valid if they pray by themselves or in a congregational funeral prayer. What is it with congregational regular prayers that makes the difference? These questions constitute an important gap in the previous literature. To fill this gap, this paper, falling back upon classical manuals of Ḥanafī Fiqh, argues that this seems to have much to do with the legal ruling on ištibāh (doubtfulness) with regard to the position of the imām in congregational prayers, which requires participants to maintain sight of the imām directly or indirectly, which, as will be illustrated, seems to be hindered when muḥāḏāt occurs, thus causing the invalidation of prayer. Filling this gap becomes urgent and relevant especially when one considers the fact that this gap has been misused in recent scholarship to accuse Ḥanafīs of not relying on the Qurʾān and the Sunna for law-making in Islamic law and instead simply repeating the laws that existed before. It was also maintained by some contemporary scholars, again partly by using this gap in the literature, that uṣūl al-fiqh was used not to derive laws from the sources of Islamic law, the primary ones of which are the Qurʾān and the Sunna, as claimed by classical jurists, but rather to cover up this surreptitious use of existing laws and then making them appear as laws derived from the Qurʾān and the Sunna. By exploring the philosophy of law behind the legal ruling on muḥāḏāt, the present work illustrates that these accusations have no basis. Finally, revealing the relationship between ištibāh and muḥāḏāt al-nisāʾ for the first time also has the cumulative effect of substantiating idea that it is far more objective and feasible to rely on sabab (reason) or ʿilla (ratio legis), whichever applies, as opposed to ḥikma in deriving laws from the sources of Islamic law.

Hanefi Usûl-ı Fıkhı’nın Müşterek ve Müşkil Dil Kategorilerinin Bir Mukayesesi

The linguistic categories (aqsām al-lafẓ) of Islamic Jurisprudence (Uṣūl al-Fiqh) have recently become a source of interest to both Arabic linguists as well as scholars of Islamic Law. There seems to be a widespread tendency, however, among contemporary scholars to approach to them without any concern to highlight aspects where they are similar to, or different from, each other, unless such a comparison was already made in classical manuals of Islamic Jurisprudence, even where the occasion demands the otherwise. One such occasion concerns muštarak and muškil, the two linguistic categories that fall under the first and the second linguistic categorizations respectively. While uṣūlīs compare muštarak with its co-subcategories (e.g. khāṣṣ) and muškil with its co-subcategories (e.g. khafī), they do not compare muštarak and muškil with each other despite the striking similarities between them. These similarities might compromise the integrity of the linguistic categorization due to the seeming existence of two separate categories for what appears to be the same concept. Therefore, there is a need to analyze the two categories in a comparative way to establish the nature of the relationship between the two, which is an issue, to the best of my knowledge, that has never been addressed in the previous literature, thus constituting an important gap that needs to be filled. The need to fill this gap becomes more urgent as the contemporary works that discuss muštarak and muškil define these two categories almost identical, sometimes even providing the same examples for each one of them, without noting the nature of the difference between them, which epitomizes the degree of misunderstanding which this gap in the classical literature can lead to today. In an attempt to fill this gap, this paper provides, for the first time, a comparative analysis of muštarak and muškil. Falling back upon classical manuals of Islamic Jurisprudences within the Ḥanafī school, the present work argues that the difference between muštarak and muškil is that in the case of muškil, the assigned meanings of a given ambiguous expression has not yet thought through and requires two types of inquiries, namely ṭalab, which is to list the assigned meanings in use, and taʾammul, which is to determine which one of the assigned meanings of the ambiguous expression is meant on a given speech/writing occasion. However, in the case of muštarak, the assigned meanings of a given ambiguous expression have already been worked out and therefore are already known by the addressee(s) on a given speech/writing occasion, thus requiring only the inquiry of taʾammul. Therefore, this paper further argues that after its meanings in use are determined through taʾammul, muškil turns into muštarak. In this regard, muškil expression can be said to be an earlier version of muštarak, just as muštarak can be referred to be an earlier version of muʾawwal after one of its assigned meanings are preponderated upon through taʾwīl.

Opposition to Word-Breaking in the Practice of Qur’an Commentary in Eighth/Fourteenth- and Ninth/Fifteenth-Century Mamlūk Cairo

The Mamlūk biographer al-Sakhāwī (d. 902/1497) praised Sirāj al-Dīn al-Bulqīnī (d. 805/1403), the pre-eminent scholar and judge of the late fourteenth to early fifteenth century, for curtailing the practice of tafsīr al-Qurʾān bi’l-taqṭīʿ. This was a new category of Qur’an interpretation: a method of generating meaning through the use of word-breaking. The main proponents of this practice were the Shādhilī Sufi Ḥusayn al-Ḥabbār (d. 791/1389) and his followers, who perpetuated his exegetical approach. Attempts to curtail this practice of Qur’an commentary in Mamlūk Cairo were made by scholars and members of the judicial class, the most prominent among them being Sirāj al-Dīn al-Bulqīnī and his son Jalāl al-Dīn (d. 824/1421). This practice was policed not for its actual interpretations but because of its method, which undermined the shared philological basis for deriving meaning from the Qur’an. This study accounts for these historical controversies over word-breaking in interpreting the Qur’an, augmenting and correcting previous studies on the is subject published by Walid Saleh and Jonathan Berkey. It also analyses the role institutions such as the zāwiya and the office of the Shāfiʿī chief judge played in promoting such interpretations and regulating religious life and education. These controversies ultimately result from a tension between the oral and the written, as is demonstrated in this article by analysis of the use of word-breaking in the interpretation of the Qur’anic term salsabīl, and of similar problems of orality discussed in classical manuals on the proper recitation of the Qur’an.

Futuwwa as the Noblest Character Traits (Makārim al-Akhlāq) in Anṣārī’s Manāzil al-Sāʾirīn with al-Kāshānī’s Commentary

Abstract This paper investigates the Sufi concept of futuwwa (spiritual chivalry) in ʿAbdallāh Anṣārī al-Harawī’s (d. 481/1089) classic manual of spiritual wayfaring, Manāzil al-Sāʾirīn (“Stations of the Wayfarers”). After briefly taking stock of the earliest statements on futuwwa cited in al-Qushayrī’s (d. 465/1073) Risāla, we take a closer look at the Manāzil’s commentarial tradition, offering a complete translation of both Anṣārī’s chapter on the subject and ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Kāshānī’s (d. 731/1330) commentary. In Anṣārī’s view, there are three aspects to futuwwa. The first aspect is in relation to oneself, the second is in relation to others, and the third is in relation to God. Futuwwa in relation to oneself is to accept trials and tribulations in stride. With respect to others, it is to hold oneself but not others accountable, seeing outward injuries as inward blessings. With respect to one’s relation to God, it is to abandon means and ends, relying on God alone through the heart’s reception, not the intellect’s endeavour. The discussion section offers an ontological-ethical investigation through a close reading of the text and its commentary, then offers a broader perspective on futuwwa, which is tantamount to the noblest character traits (makārim al-akhlāq). In the final analysis, futuwwa symbolises the quality of the spiritual warrior who conquers his lower self to attain the makārim al-akhlāq.

Data transformations from CMS to CDP enriched by semantics

Today’s users no longer expect a classic manual, but short, clearly structured pieces of information that fit their application context, use case and role. Instead of conventional documentation, “intelligent information” is required that is modular, format-neutral and can be found via metadata and full-text search. The information is often created in a CMS and provided via CDPs. There are not always compatible interfaces between these systems, especially those of different software manufacturers. Therefore, the information created cannot be processed further. The purpose of this paper is to show that data transformations can provide accessibility for the information from a CMS for different CDPs. On this basis, data transformations were developed, enriched by semantics and implemented within the project. For the enrichment by semantics, metadata were used as well as a further approach based on metadata, called “microDocs”. This approach describes the combination and aggregation of different topic-based information that are connected by defined use cases and a logical context. Some CDP manufacturers already support microDocs and it is expected that even more extensions will be implemented in the future. Accordingly, it is highly likely that microDocs will play an important role in the field of information delivery.

The 19th‐century Kitzur Shulhan Arukh: The story of a classic manual of Jewish law

AbstractThis article explores the history of the Kitzur Shulhan Arukh, one of the most popular manuals of Jewish law ever written.

Dynamic Synthesis of a Classic, Manual Gearbox

Today, various types of gearboxes have been introduced into the vehicles to change the way the classic manual gearboxes work, such as automatic gearboxes, semi-automatic, continuous variable, dual-clutch automatic gearboxes etc. However, most gear shifters for in-service vehicles are still classical manuals, which is why their optimal synthesis based on their dynamics and especially on optimal performance is now more than necessary. The paper presents how to accurately determine the mechanical performance of a gearbox for passenger buses. Based on these relationships, an optimal synthesis of the performance of a classic, mechanical, manual gearshift can be achieved regardless of its operating status.

Experiential learning with living ants

AbstractExperiential learning implying living animals is a powerful tool for accessing positive emotions such as curiosity as well as for changing attitudes or acquiring new values for the further development of the pupils or students. However, formal curricula in schools is legally binding document for ensuring its contribution to agreed competencies, skills, attitudes and values. Therefore, the classical manuals are more cheap and easy to be implemented in the class. However, curricula are not excluding the development of activities in the class in the same curricula in Romania as in many other countries. The purpose of this article is to evaluate knowledge generation based on experiential learning. As a methodology specific lessons and methods have been implemented in curricular and extracurricular activities implying living ants during the biology class of VI grade under the curricula lesson entitled Insects. Our results proved that implementing activities with living animals is positively correlated with an increased curiosity, selfreflection, responsibility and prejudice phasing out. Moreover, tested pupils passed all evaluation tests even they mist, some of activities compared to control group that was learn by classic methods. Parents tests results proved that these emotions and attitudes are also observed during their home activities.

Optical granulometric analysis of sedimentary deposits by color segmentation-based software: OPTGRAN-CS

The study of grain size distribution is fundamental for understanding sedimentological environments. Through these analyses, clast erosion, transport and deposition processes can be interpreted and modeled. However, grain size distribution analysis can be difficult in some outcrops due to the number and complexity of the arrangement of clasts and matrix and their physical size. Despite various technological advances, it is almost impossible to get the full grain size distribution (blocks to sand grain size) with a single method or instrument of analysis. For this reason development in this area continues to be fundamental. In recent years, various methods of particle size analysis by automatic image processing have been developed, due to their potential advantages with respect to classical ones; speed and final detailed content of information (virtually for each analyzed particle). In this framework, we have developed a novel algorithm and software for grain size distribution analysis, based on color image segmentation using an entropy-controlled quadratic Markov measure field algorithm and the Rosiwal method for counting intersections between clast and linear transects in the images. We test the novel algorithm in different sedimentary deposit types from 14 varieties of sedimentological environments. The results of the new algorithm were compared with grain counts performed manually by the same Rosiwal methods applied by experts. The new algorithm has the same accuracy as a classical manual count process, but the application of this innovative methodology is much easier and dramatically less time-consuming. The final productivity of the new software for analysis of clasts deposits after recording field outcrop images can be increased significantly.

Guarantees in Early Islamic Financial System

Guarantees are considered to be the most common form of credit security used for lending transactions in modern banking. In Islam, guarantees are not peculiar since this practice has been known since the time of Prophet Muḥammad (saw). However, to date, no literature has discussed this concept or its historical development in detail. This article is an attempt to fill this gap through a discussion on this issue with special reference to the practice of the Prophet, his Companions and Followers. Reference has also been made to the Holy Qur’ān and prophetic Sunnah, as well as to books on tafsīr (exegesis), classical manuals, journal articles and legal historical bibliographies. This article concludes that financial guarantees were recognized as important in the development of the nation and that they were based upon good ethical values as well as the principle of taʿāwun (cooperation).

Characterization of rock discontinuity openings using acoustic wave amplitude — Application to a metamorphic rock mass

Determining discontinuities is a key step in studying rock mass stability, as they represent potentially weak planes. The determination and description of discontinuity openings currently rely on qualitative analysis based on visual inspections of drill cores or drilling logs by engineers. The purpose of this research work is to improve the characterization of discontinuities to ensure easier classification and aid classical manual and visual processing. Quantity-based approaches are suggested using acoustic imaging log data. This method will facilitate sorting the discontinuities in a rock mass according to their openings, by quantitative analysis of drilling log data. Here, a method is proposed to determine discontinuity openings by analyzing acoustic wave amplitudes. The method is based on determining two statistical parameters for each discontinuity: the resulting discontinuity amplitude, which provides the average amplitude value as measured on the discontinuity, and the discontinuity amplitude standard deviation, which determines the extent of scattering of the amplitude values on the discontinuity. The method was applied to a metamorphic rock mass of a Canadian dam foundation at each stage of the study.

In vitro comparative assessment of different viability assays in Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites

The species of the genus Acanthamoeba are opportunistic protozoan parasites that cause different diseases in humans, such as amoebic keratitis and granulomatous encephalitis. The rise in the rate of Acanthamoeba keratitis, mainly due to the increase in contact lens wearers, turns the development of viability assays using a multi-well plate reader as a tool for screening new antiamoebic agents in vitro into an important goal. In our study, the viability assays PrestoBlue®, resazurin sodium salt, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and CellTiter96® were tested for their suitability as time-saving alternatives to the classical manual or direct-counting method, assessing the effect of the antiamoebic agent chlorhexidine digluconate and temperature on Acanthamoeba castellanii (ATCC® 30234™) and Acanthamoeba polyphaga 2961. Although resazurin and MTT have already been previously used in amoeba viability assays to test the activities of antiamoebic agents in vitro, it is the first time that PrestoBlue® and CellTiter96® are used for this purpose. Results indicated that the viability assays were strain-dependent leading in some cases to an overestimation of the real situation of viable cells. This implies that each viability assay ought to be set up for each amoeba strain studied.

Causes of laryngeal cartilage and hyoid bone fractures found at postmortem

The principal aims of this retrospective study were to assess the prevalence and causes of laryngo-hyoid fractures found in coroners' adult postmortem examinations over a five-year period. In 78 of 1930 cases (4%), there was a fracture of the larynx (thyroid or cricoid cartilage) or hyoid bone. The thyroid cartilage alone was fractured in 38 cases; the hyoid bone alone was fractured in 19 cases; the larynx and hyoid bone were both fractured in 21 cases, including one which involved the cricoid cartilage. There was no evidence of surface injury to the neck in 14.1% of cases. The majority (44/78; 56.4%) involved classical manual or ligature 'pressure to the neck', i.e. hanging (32) or strangulation (12) but a significant minority (35.9%) involved other circumstances: road/rail traffic collision (12; 15.4%); falls (6; 7.7%); assaults involving blunt force trauma to the head and neck (4; 5.1%); incised wounds (3; 3.8%); gunshot wounds (2; 2.6%); and explosion (1; 1.3%). The circumstances of death and cause of fracture(s) were 'unascertained' in four cases (5.1%). Postmortem artefact accounted for two cases (2.6%).

Similarities and differences between excessive exercising anorexia nervosa patients compared with DSM-IV defined anorexia nervosa subtypes

This study describes anorexia nervosa (AN) patients who use excessive exercise for weight management and how this behaviour relates to the classical Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) sub-grouping of AN. The study compared 428 clinical AN patients with 119 age and gender-matched controls. The AN cases were initially dichotomised according to DSM-IV subtype criteria into restricting (RAN; N=198) and binge-purge (BPAN; N=230) anorexia. The psychometric instruments were chosen to reflect key features concerning the diagnosis of eating disorders and characteristics of eating and food behaviour and included the 26-item Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ), Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE). Structured clinical interviews (1) were carried out in order to identify the subgroup of patients who use excessive exercise in order to facilitate weight control (EAN). The three groups (RAN, BPAN, EAN) did not differ in measures of current age, current body mass index, age of onset of AN and measures of restrained eating. However, significant differences were observed on EAT-26, DEBQ emotional and external factors, TFEQ disinhibition and hunger factors, EPI extraversion and neuroticism, and self-esteem. The EAN were similar to the RAN on the majority of variables but showed significant differences on extraversion, neuroticism, self-esteem and disease pathology (EAT-26). Compared with BPAN, EAN had lower disease pathology (EAT-26 scores), scored higher on the EPI extraversion scale, lower on the neuroticism scale and had greater self-esteem. The EAN also displayed significantly lower emotional and external eating (DEBQ) than BPAN and significantly lower disinhibition and hunger scores (TFEQ). These data suggest that EAN group display a mixed profile of characteristics resembling both BPAN and RAN. When EAN are defined as a separate group they appear to be phenotypically more similar to RAN than BPAN on this particular profile of variables. However when DSM-IV criteria are applied they are almost exclusively classified as BPAN. This outcome suggests that EAN do constitute an identifiable group that can be distinguished from RAN and BPAN. Consequently it is likely that the behaviour of excessive exercising should be considered as clinically relevant on the outcome of treatment.

I Want to Talk About...

This article investigates the introductions of 40 professional speeches from a rhetorical perspective to address the problems audiences seem to have with presentations about engineering. The authors use an exordial model that they derived from classical manuals on rhetoric. This model enumerates and groups rhetorical exordial techniques into 3 main functions: attentum, benevolum, and docilem . The study shows that rhetorically complete introductions are rare. Most of the speakers seemed to prefer a content-oriented, direct approach ( docilem) in their introductions and seldom used techniques to garner the audience's attention ( attentum) or sympathy ( benevolum). The article concludes with an evaluation of the exordial model and a discussion of the study's pedagogical implications.

Clutch actuation system ConAct for commercial vehicles with automated manual transmissions

In addition to the classical manual and automatic transmissions, a striking amount of new concepts could be found on the market in the past few years. Examples for this development are continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), dual clutch transmissions (DCTs), and automated manual transmissions (AMTs). In the case of automatic manual transmissions, the good efficiency and cost-effective design of conventional manual transmissions is used; however, they are additionally equipped with automated actuator systems for the clutch and shift mechanism. However, when compared with the established automatic transmissions, featuring a torque converter as a starting element, there is an interruption in tractive force during shifting procedures. The dual clutch transmission [1], which is already manufactured in volume production, combines the benefits offered by the classical manual transmissions with those of an automatic transmission - thus ensuring that shifting procedures take place without noticeable interruptions in tractive force. In this article, ZF describes ConAct, a clutch actuation concept for automated manual transmissions. 1 Introduction

The Reliance of the Traveller: A Classical Manual of Islamic Sacred Law by Ahmad Ibn Naqib al-Misri (d. 769/1368) in Arabic with Facing English Text, Commentary and Appendices

The Reliance of the Traveller: A Classical Manual of Islamic Sacred Law by Ahmad Ibn Naqib al-Misri (d. 769/1368) in Arabic with Facing English Text, Commentary and Appendices

The Reliance of the Traveller: A Classical Manual of Islamic Sacred Law, by Aḥmad ibn Naqīb al-Miṣrī (769/1368), trans. by Noah Ha Mim Keller. 1232 pages. Dubai, UAE: Modern Printing Press, 1991. (Currently available from Sunna Books, P.O. Box 6143, Evanston, IL 60204) $40 isbn 0-9638342-0-7

The Reliance of the Traveller: A Classical Manual of Islamic Sacred Law, by Aḥmad ibn Naqīb al-Miṣrī (769/1368), trans. by Noah Ha Mim Keller. 1232 pages. Dubai, UAE: Modern Printing Press, 1991. (Currently available from Sunna Books, P.O. Box 6143, Evanston, IL 60204) $40 isbn 0-9638342-0-7 - Volume 27 Issue 2

Control of Communicable Diseases in Man, Fifteenth Edition

This book is the newest update of the classic manual on public health aspects of infectious diseases. The more than 200 diseases covered are listed alphabetically from “Acquired Immunodeficiency Sydrome” to “Zygomycosis”. Thumbing through the pages of this handy-sized softcover book, one encounters the familiar (e.g. chicken pox, gonorrhea, influenza) to the exotic (e.g. anisakiasis, orf virus disease, trypanosomiasis). In this edition, new sections have been added for TWAR pneumonia, campylobacteriosis, ehrlichiosis and erythema infectiosum.The first edition of CCDM was published in 1917 by the American Public Health Association, and revisions have been produced every five years. Each disease is identified by the numbers assigned by the World Health Organization International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9CM). The standardized format of each disease presentation makes the information easy to access and contributes to the concise management of the text.

Constructible hypergraphs

The class M of finite manuals (i.e. hypergraphs formed by the cliques of finite graphs) is closed under the formation of sums and products. We define the class of constructible hypergraphs to be the smallest subclass of M which contains all finite classical manuals (i.e. hypergraphs having a single edge) and is closed under the formation of sums and products. Constructible hypergraphs have two interesting properties: (1) they do not contain hooks and (2) all their minimal transversals are supports of dispersion-free stochastic functions. Property (1) is known to characterize the constructible members of M . In this paper we show that the same holds true for property (2).