The Key Instrumental Sciences by Shaykh Salih al-Ghursi
Three: The Key Instrumental Sciences
by Shaykh Salih al-Ghursi
The following article presents the third set out of four counsels. These were recorded by the esteemed Shaykh Salih al-Ghursi for SeekersGuidance. They have been translated and transcribed with subtitles.
Shaykh Salih al-Ghursi is a senior theologian and scholar of the rational sciences based in Konya, Turkey. He delivers a class for Dar al Fuqaha Seminary in Istanbul.
In the Name of Allah, the Encompassingly Merciful, the Particularly Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah. May the best of blessings and most perfect of peace be upon our master Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his followers, his companions, and all guided by his teachings.
Our topic of discussion is the key instrumental sciences. The instrumental sciences are many. The sciences themselves are divided into instrumental and core sciences. The core (ma’ali) sciences are those which are sought in and of themselves, while the instrumental sciences are those which are means to understand the [core] sciences or to derive them from the Quran and Sunna.
Here, we will mention some—not all—of the instrumental sciences, discussing the most important, then ordering them in order of importance as instrumental sciences, on the basis of our opinion and informed judgment.
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Grammar (nahw).
This is the most important of the instrumental sciences. This is because the instrumental sciences are the sciences which are means to understanding of Islam, deriving Islamic rulings from the Quran and Sunna, understanding the Quran and Sunna correctly and deriving rulings from them.
Beyond this, they are also means to understanding the works written by the earlier Muslims regarding the various aspects of Islam—ranging from creed, law, ethics, and other topics. Without grammar, these matters will not be realized.
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Arabic morphology (sarf).
This comes after grammar in importance. Hence, scholars have said: “Grammar is the mother of the sciences, and morphology is their father” or vice versa. This is because both of them relate to language itself, its structure, vocabulary, and sentences.
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Rhetoric (balagha).
This is because it is as if rhetoric is a philosophy of grammar, and it is akin to being a cause for grammar. We won’t say that it is the one cause, but it may be included among the causes of grammar from one angle.
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Hadith terminology (mustalah al-hadith).
Hadith terminology does not directly relate to the Arabic language. Only the first three sciences directly relate to the Arabic language. Rather, hadith terminology is an instrumental science because it is a means to verify hadiths narrated from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), to know which are rigorously authenticated (sahih), well-authenticated (hasan), weak (da‘if), and fabricated (mawdu‘).
Hence, it falls under the category of instrumental sciences, as it is a means towards the hadiths of the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). It does not apply to the Quran, as the Quran was brought to us through decisive mass transmission (tawatur), whereas hadith terminology relates to the narration.
Muslim scholars have laid out principles related to the narration which they were the first to come up with and which had not occurred to anyone in human history before. Nothing even comes close to it, nor can take its place, to know about reports related from individuals we have not met. The soundest method to critically analyze these historical narrations—and to analyze history— are through the principles of the science of hadith terminology, and the principles of critically analyzing chains of transmission and the narration itself.
Hadith terminology also counts as an instrumental science, because it is a means for analyzing hadith transmissions and distinguishing the rigorously authenticated (sahih) from the well-authenticated (hasan), the well-authenticated from the weak (da‘if), and the weak from the fabricated (mawdu‘) narration.
Without this, fabricated and weak narrations would be gathered with the sound, and this would be a cause of great distress for the Muslims. However, the scholars laid down this science and then applied it upon the hadith in a comprehensive manner. They did it comprehensively because it relates to the religion, religion’s very foundation, and to the second source of guidance in the religion—namely, the Sunna.
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Legal methodology (usul al-fiqh).
This comes next in importance. Legal methodology, too, is an instrumental science. It is a means to understand the Quran and Sunna and a means to derive rulings from the Quran and Sunna.
We have placed it after the sciences previously mentioned because it is contingent on them, and because most of them are components of it and it is made up of them. It is considered to be made up of them, some of them to a greater extent and others to a lesser extent. Because of this, we have mentioned it last.
We will suffice with this extent, and peace be upon you, and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings.
Shaykh Salih al-Ghursi and Dar al Fuqaha
It is an honor to have Shaykh Salih teach within the Dar al Fuqaha seminary in Istanbul. Read about him here.
