Adab al-Muta'allimin (book)

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Adab al-Muta'allimin (book)
AuthorKhwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
Original titleآداب المتعلمین
LanguageArabic
SubjectEthic
Published7th/13th century
PublisherMu'assisa-yi Tahqiqat wa Nashr-i Ma'arif-i Ahl al-Bayt (a)


Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn (Arabic: آداب المُتَعلِّمِین) is a famous book on the etiquette of learning, attributed to Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, a Shia theologian. The book has always been of interest to scholars and has been repeatedly published in the renowned collection Jami' al-Muqaddamat as a textbook in religious seminaries. Some researchers have raised doubts about the book's attribution to Khwaja Nasir al-Tusi, based on certain evidence, while some others believe that the original work is actually Ta'lim al-Muta'allim by the Sunni scholar of the 7th/13th century, Burhan al-Din al-Zarnuji al-Hanafi.

The book, divided into twelve chapters, addresses topics such as the virtue of knowledge, the intention behind acquiring it, how to choose a field of study, a teacher, and a classmate, reliance on God, and the proper way to benefit from a teacher.

Several commentaries and translations have been written for Adab al-Muta'allimin, including al-Lu'lu' al-Thamin fi Sharh Adab al-Muta'allimin by Sulayman b. 'Abd Allah Mahuzi and the Persian translation Anis al-Talibin by Sayyid Muhammad Jawad Zihni Tehrani. Numerous printed and handwritten copies of the book exist in libraries in Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, and elsewhere.

The importance of the book

Despite its brevity, the small book Adab al-Muta'allimin is considered one of the most famous works in etiquettes of learning.[1]

This book has been received with enthusiasm by scholars since its publication and was adopted as a textbook in schools and religious seminaries. It has been repeatedly published as part of the renowned collection Jami' al-Muqaddamat, which is among the introductory works of the seminaries.[2] The simple and fluent expression, the attribution of the book to Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, and its coverage of the most important topics in its subject matter have contributed to the attention and interest of learners in Adab al-Muta'allimin.[3]

The author of the book

According to Agha Buzurg Tihrani, a Shia bibliographer, the book Adab al-Muta'allimin is widely attributed to Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 672/1274) as its author.[4] Most authors, such as 'Allama Majlisi in Bihar al-Anwar,[5] Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Khwansari in Rawdat al-Jannat,[6] and Mudarris Tabrizi in Rayhanat al-Adab,[7] have attributed the book to Khwaja Nasir Tusi. However, some researchers, citing evidence, have questioned the attribution of the book to Khwaja Nasir Tusi, and some have identified the original book as Ta'lim al-Muta'allim by the Sunni scholar of the 7th/13th, Burhan al-Din al-Zarnuji Hanafi.[8] They argue that the prohibition of the study of astronomy mentioned in the first chapter of the book, despite Khwaja being an astronomer, and the absence of his name in the manuscript copies of the book are indications of the incorrectness of attributing it to Khwaja.[9] It is said that the author has included the most important content of the book of Zarnuji and has even kept the chapter titles unchanged, but most of the poems, anecdotes, and explanations from the book of Zarnuji have been omitted.[10]

Content of the Book

The author of Adab al-Muta'allimin stated at the beginning of the book that in this writing, he tried to briefly explain the method and approach of learning as he had heard from his teachers or read in books.[11] The book is organized into twelve chapters.

  • Chapter One: This chapter discusses the nature of knowledge and its superiority over other pursuits, asserting that knowledge, based on hadiths and self-evident reason, is considered the means to attain eternal happiness.[12]
  • Chapter Two: The second chapter is about the student's intention, which should focus on seeking God's pleasure, eradicating ignorance, and protecting Islam during the course of learning.[13]
  • Chapter Three: The third chapter discusses how to choose a field of study, a teacher, and classmates and how to maintain patience and perseverance in them. The author emphasizes that the student must choose the best disciplines that serve their religion and future and choose from among the most pious, knowledgeable, and experienced teachers.[14]
  • Chapter Four: Chapter Four is about seriousness, diligence, and effort in studying. Here, overeating and oversleeping are considered causes of laxity and laziness.[15]
  • Chapter Five: This chapter concerns the timing, amount, and order of the first lesson a student learns. According to the author, a beginner at the start of their studies should only take on as much as they can gradually understand and learn through two reviews and readings. Also, the first session should cover a topic that is easier and closer to the student's comprehension and understanding.[16]
  • Chapter Six: This chapter is about trust in God and the fact that students should not preoccupy themselves with securing their livelihood; rather, they should be patient in pursuing knowledge to attain a pleasure higher than worldly pleasures.[17]
  • Chapter Seven: This chapter is about the time for acquiring knowledge. According to the author, the best period for gaining knowledge is the time of youth, and the most suitable times are during the pre-dawn hours and between the maghrib and isha' prayers.[18]
  • Chapter Eight: This chapter discusses compassion and goodwill between the teacher and the student. A scholar should be kind, benevolent, and free from envy, and the student should avoid any kind of conflict and enmity.[19]
  • Chapter Nine: This chapter discusses how students should benefit from their teachers. They must always be eager to learn and carry writing tools with them to take notes on everything they hear from scholars.[20]
  • Chapter Ten: This chapter focuses on maintaining the highest level of God-wariness in learning. The more God-wary the student is, the easier the acquisition of knowledge and the greater its benefits.[21]
  • Chapter Eleven: This chapter discusses what causes the preservation or forgetfulness of knowledge. The most important factors that enhance memory are listed as follows: diligence in learning, moderation in eating, performing the night prayer, and reciting the Qur'an. Likewise, committing many sins and excessive preoccupation with worldly matters are considered to cause forgetfulness and weakness of memory.[22]
  • Chapter Twelve: The final chapter discusses the factors that increase or decrease one's sustenance and lifespan. After citing a hadith from the Prophet (s) regarding how prayer increases one's sustenance and life, the author states that committing sins, especially lying, leads to poverty and destitution.[23]

Commentaries and Translations

According to Agha Buzurg Tihrani, a Shia bibliographer in the 14th/20th century, several commentaries have been written on the book Adab al-Muta'allimin:

  1. Bayan al-Adab by Muhammad Mu'min b. Muhammad Qasim al-Jaza'iri al-Shirazi (b. 1074/1663-4).[24]
  2. Al-L'lu' al-Thamin fi Sharh Adab al-Muta'allimin by Abu al-Hasan Sulayman b. 'Abd Allah Mahuzi (d. 1121/1709-10).[25]
  3. Hidayat al-Talibin fi Sharh Adab al-Muta'allimin by Sayyid Mahmud Musawi Dihsurkhi Isfahani.[26]

Also, several translations of the book with the following titles have been cited:

Publication and Distribution

Adab al-Muta'allimin has been published as part of the book Jami' al-Muqaddamat and has numerous printed and handwritten copies in the libraries of Iran (Tehran, Mashhad, Qom, and Hamedan), Pakistan, Egypt, and elsewhere.[31] A version of the book, researched by the Egyptian researcher Yahya Khashab, was published in the journal Ma'had al-Makhtutat al-'Arabiyya in 1376/1956-7 in Cairo.[32] Sayyid Muhammad Rida Husayni Jalali also published the book independently from Jami' al-Muqaddamat in 1416/1995-6, based on a collection of handwritten and printed copies.[33]

Notes

  1. ↑ ʿAṭāʾī Naẓarī, Nigāhī ijmālī bar Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn-hā, p. 13.
  2. ↑ Mīrī, Nigāhī bi kitābhā-yi akhlāqī-yi wīzha-yi Ḥawzawīyān, p. 297; Mawlawī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 165.
  3. ↑ ʿAṭāʾī Naẓarī, Nigāhī ijmālī bar Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn-hā, p. 13.
  4. ↑ Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 1, p. 27.
  5. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 1, p. 42.
  6. ↑ Khāwnsārī, Rawḍāt al-jannāt, vol. 6, p. 304.
  7. ↑ Mudarris Tabrīzī, Rayḥānat al-adab, vol. 2, p. 91.
  8. ↑ Jahānbakhsh, Dirangī dīgar dar intisāb-i Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn bi Ustādh al-Bashar, p. 179- 181.
  9. ↑ Kitābī, Mulāḥiẓātī darbara-yi risāla-yi Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn wa Muʾallif-i Ān, p. 189.
  10. ↑ Adab al-Muta'allimin (book)
  11. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 49.
  12. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 49- 50.
  13. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 50.
  14. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 51.
  15. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 53.
  16. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 53- 54.
  17. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 55.
  18. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 56.
  19. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 56.
  20. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 57.
  21. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 57.
  22. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 58- 59.
  23. ↑ Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 59.
  24. ↑ Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 3, p. 175.
  25. ↑ Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 18, p. 382.
  26. ↑ Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 25, p. 182.
  27. ↑ Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 4, p. 39.
  28. ↑ Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, al-Dharīʿa, vol. 4, p. 73.
  29. ↑ Dhihnī Tihrānī, Anīs al-Ṭālibīn, p. 4.
  30. ↑ Adab al-Muta'allimin (book)
  31. ↑ Mīrī, Nigāhī bi kitābhā-yi akhlāqī-yi wīzha-yi Ḥawzawīyān, p. 297; Mawlawī, Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 165.
  32. ↑ Ḥusaynī Jalālī, Muqaddima bar Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 24.
  33. ↑ Ḥusaynī Jalālī, Muqaddima bar Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn, p. 22.

References

  • Āqā Buzurg Tihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin. Al-Dharīʿa ilā taṣānīf al-Shīʿa. Beirut: Dār al-Aḍwāʾ, 1403 AH.
  • ʿAṭāʾī Naẓarī, Ḥamīd. Nigāhī ijmālī bar Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn-hā wa jāygāh-i ān dar niẓām-i akhlāqī-yi Ḥawza. Journal of Akhlāq, No. 21 (1389 Sh).
  • Dhihnī Tihrānī, Sayyid Muḥammad Jawād. Anīs al-Ṭālibīn. Qom: Ḥādhiq, 1370 Sh.
  • Ḥusaynī Jalālī, Sayyid Muḥammad Riḍā. Muqaddima bar Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn. 1st edition. Edited by Muḥammad Riḍā Ḥusaynī Jalālī. Shiraz: Kitābkhāna-yi Madrasa-yi ʿIlmīya-yi Imām-i ʿAṣr (a), 1416 AH.
  • Jahānbakhsh, Jūyā. Dirangī dīgar dar intisāb-i Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn bi Ustādh al-Bashar. Journal of Akhlāq, No. 1 (1384 Sh).
  • Kitābī, Badr al-Dīn. Mulāḥiẓātī darbara-yi risāla-yi Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn wa Muʾallif-i Ān. Journal of Nāma Farhang, No. 28 (1376 Sh).
  • Khāwnsārī, Muḥammad Bāqir. Rawḍāt al-jannāt fī aḥwāl al-ʿulamāʾ wa al-sādāt. 1st edition. Qom: Ismāʿīlīyān, 1390 Sh.
  • Mudarris Tabrīzī, Muḥammad ʿAlī. Rayḥānat al-adab fī tarājum al-maʿrūfīn bi-l-kunya wa al-laqab. Qom: Muʾassisat Imām Ṣādiq (a), 1395 Sh.
  • Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir al-. Biḥār al-Anwār. 2nd edition. Tehran: Muʾassisat al-Wafaʾ, 1403 AH.
  • Mawlawī, Muḥammad ʿAlī. Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn. in Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif-i Buzurg-i Islāmī. 2nd edition. Tehran: Markaz-i Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif-i Buzurg-i Islāmī, 1369 Sh.
  • Mīrī, Sayyid ʿAbbās. Nigāhī bi kitābhā-yi akhlāqī-yi wīzha-yi Ḥawzawīyān Journal of Ḥawza, No. 68- 69 (1374 Sh).
  • Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad. Ādāb al-Mutaʿallimīn. in Jāmiʿ al-Muqaddamāt. Edited by Mudarris Afghānī. Qom: Muʾassisa-yi Intishārāt-i Hijrat, [n.d].
  • Adab al-Muta'allimin (book) (Persian). Accessed: 2024/12/09.
  • Adab al-Muta'allimin (book) (Persian). Accessed: 2024/12/09.
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