Al-Hidaya fi 'Ilm al-Mantiq الهداية في علم المنطق و الطبيعي و آلالهي

Al-Hidaya fi 'Ilm al-Mantiq wa al-Tabi’i wa al-Ilahi (الهداية في علم المنطق والطبيعي والإلهي)—often known simply as Al-Hidayah fi al-Hikmah (Guidance in Philosophy)—is one of the most influential classical textbooks on the rational sciences (al-'ulum al-'aqliyyah) in Islamic history.

Compiled by the legendary polymath, logician, and astronomer Imam Athir al-Din al-Mufaddal bin Umar al-Abhari (d. 660 AH / 1264 CE), this work represents the pinnacle of the post-Avicennian tradition of Islamic philosophy (Hikmah) and logic (Mantiq).

Structure and Content

The book is systematically divided into three primary parts, reflecting the classical division of the rational sciences:

Logic (Al-Mantiq): Covers the rules of correct thinking, terms, definitions, propositions, and syllogistic reasoning.

Physics/Natural Philosophy (Al-Tabi’iyyat): Discusses matter, form, space, time, motion, and the nature of physical bodies.

Metaphysics/Theology (Al-Ilahiyyat): Explores ontology (the study of being and existence), causality, cosmology, and the proof of the Creator, bridging philosophy with Islamic scholastic theology (Kalam).

Historical Significance

For centuries, Al-Hidaya served as a standard curriculum text in Islamic madrasas throughout the Ottoman, Persian, and Mughal empires. It spawned dozens of prestigious commentaries (shuruh) and glosses (hawashi) by major scholars, such as Mir Damad, Sadra al-Shirazi, and Kadizade al-Rumi, cementing its status as an indispensable pedagogical tool for mastering classical Islamic rational thought.

This critical edition of Imam al-Abhari’s Al-Hidaya fi 'Ilm al-Mantiq, published by Maktaba al-Ghanim, is meticulously designed as an accessible study guide for beginner students of the rational sciences.

Key Features of this Edition:

Rigorous Critical Editing: The text has been painstakingly verified and reconstructed using multiple authoritative manuscripts alongside previously published versions to ensure maximum accuracy.

Student-Friendly Structure: To facilitate progressive learning, the text is systematically divided into 121 subjects and accompanied by 90 diagrams that visually simplify and explain complex logical and philosophical concepts.

Editorial Clarity: All editorial additions, clarifications, and annotations are clearly demarcated within square brackets `[…]`, preserving the integrity of the original text.

Educational Supplements: Includes a highly beneficial introductory guide designed for students to memorize, alongside detailed biographies of Imam al-Abhari, his teachers, and his prominent students.