Sharhul Aqaid
Author : Sa'ad al-Din Masud ibn Umar ibn Abd Allah al-Taftazani
Translated to English by : Muhammad Sajeer Bukhari
Part : 008
The Truthful Reports
Text:
والخبر الصادق على نوعين: أحدهما: الخبر المتواتر وهو الخبر الثابت على ألسنة قوم، لا يتصور تواطؤهم على الكذب وهو موجب للعلم الضرورى، كالعلم بالملوك الخالية فى الأزمنة الماضية والبلدان النائية
The truthful report is of two types: the first of them is
the recurrent report (mutawātir). It is the report that is established on the
tongues of a group of people who cannot be imagined to have conspired to lie.
This type of report necessitates certain knowledge, such as the knowledge of
past kings in bygone eras and distant lands.
Commentary
(والخبر الصادق) أى المطابق للواقع. فان الخبر كلام، يكون لنسبته خارج، تطابقه تلك النسبة، فيكون صادقا، أو لا تطابقه فيكون كاذبا. فالصدق والكذب على هذا، من أوصاف الخبر، وقد يقالان بمعنى الاخبار عن الشيء على ما هو به، أولا على ما هو به أى الاعلام بنسبة تامة تطابق الواقع أو لا تطابقه. فيكونان من صفات المخبر، فمن هاهنا يقع فى بعض الكتب الخبر الصادق بالوصف، وفى بعضها خبر الصادق بالإضافة.
(And the truthful report) means that which corresponds to reality. For a report is a statement, and its reference has an external reality either matches to the reference - it is truthful, or doesn't match it, it is false. Truth and falsehood are, thus, attributes of the report. And they may also be used to mean reporting about something as it is, or not as it is, i.e., to convey with complete accuracy either corresponds to reality or does not. Thus, they become of the attributes of one who reports. Hence, in some books, occurs al-khabaru aṣ-ṣādiqu (truthful report) as an attribute, and in some, khabaru aṣ-ṣādiqi (report of the truth) as a possessive construct.
(على نوعين: أحدهما: الخبر المتواتر) سمى بذلك لما أنه لا يقع دفعة بل على التعاقب والتوالى (وهو الخبر الثابت على ألسنة قوم، لا يتصور تواطؤهم) أى لا يجوز العقل توافقهم (على الكذب) ومصداقه: وقوع العلم من غير شبهة (وهو) بالضرورة (موجب للعلم الضرورى، كالعلم بالملوك الخالية فى الأزمنة الماضية والبلدان النائية) يحتمل العطف على الملوك، وعلى الأزمنة والأول أقرب وان كان أبعد
(is of two types: one of them is the
Recurrent (mutawātir) report). It is called so because it is not transmitted
all at once, but rather sequentially and successively. (It is the report that
is established on the tongues of a group of people who cannot be imagined to
have conspired to lie) i.e., Reasoning doesn’t allow their agreement on
falsehood.
Its veracity is the occurrence of certain knowledge without any doubt and (it) by necessity (implies necessary knowledge, such as the knowledge of past kings in bygone eras and distant lands). The conjunction in the phrase ‘wa-l-buldān al-nāʾiyah’ (and distant lands) could be attributed either to al-mulūk (kings) or to al-azminah (eras), but the former is closer (to the intended meaning), although more distant (structurally).
فههنا أمران: أحدهما: أن المتواتر موجب للعلم. وذلك بالضرورة فانا نجد من أنفسنا العلم بوجود «مكة» و «بغداد» وأنه ليس الا بالاخبار. والثانى: ان العلم الحاصل به ضرورى. وذلك لأنه يحصل للمستدل وغيره، حتى الصبيان الذين لا اهتداء لهم بطريق الاكتساب، وترتيب المقدمات. وأما خبر النصارى بقتل عيسى عليه السلام واليهود بتأبيد دين موسى عليه السلام فتواتره ممنوع.
Here are two points: Firstly, the recurrent report necessitates certain knowledge, and that is necessarily so. For we find within ourselves the knowledge of the existence of Mecca and Baghdad, and it comes solely through reports. Secondly, the knowledge obtained thereby is necessary. This is because it is acquired by the deducer and others, even by children who lack guidance in the means of acquisition and arranging premises. As for the report of the Christians about the killing of Jesus, peace be upon him, and the report of the Jews about the perpetuation of the religion of Moses, peace be upon him, their status of recurrence is not accepted.
Argument against Recurrent Reports and Response
فان قيل: خبر كل واحد لا يفيد الا الظن. وضم الظن الى الظن لا يوجب اليقين. وأيضا: جواز كذب كل واحد، يوجب جواز كذب المجموع، لأنه نفس الآحاد. قلنا: ربما يكون مع الاجتماع ما لا يكون مع الانفراد، كقوة الحبل المؤلف من الشعرات. فان قيل: الضروريات لا يقع فيها التفاوت ولا الاختلاف، ونحن نجد العلم بكون الواحد نصف الاثنين، أقوى من العلم بوجود «اسكندر» والمتواتر قد أنكر افادته العلم، جماعة من العقلاء. كالسمنية والبراهمة. قلنا ممنوع، بل قد تتفاوت أنواع الضرورى، بواسطة التفاوت فى الألف والعادة، والممارسة، والاخطار بالبال، وتصورات أطراف الأحكام. وقد يختلف فيه مكابرة وعنادا، كالسوفسطائية فى جميع الضروريات.
If it is argued: The report of each individual provides nothing but conjecture, and combining one conjecture with another does not lead to certainty. Additionally, allowing each individual to lie implies the possibility of lying by the collective, since they are the same individuals.
We respond: Perhaps there is with the collective what does not exist with the individual, such as the strength of a rope composed of strands.
If someone asks: No variation or difference occurs in necessities. We find that the knowledge that one is half of two is stronger than the knowledge of the existence of Alexander. A group of rational thinkers, like the Somanites* and Brahmins, have denied that the recurrent report provides certain knowledge.
If someone asks: No variation or difference occurs in necessities. We find that the knowledge that one is half of two is stronger than the knowledge of the existence of Alexander. A group of rational thinkers, like the Somanites* and Brahmins, have denied that the recurrent report provides certain knowledge.
We say: This argument is denied; rather, types of necessities may vary due to differences in familiarity, habit, practice, mental exercises, and conceptions of propositions' components. Sometimes differences may arise due to obstinacy and stubbornness, as the Sophists do with all necessities.
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* The people associated with the Somnath temple are referred to as "Somanites," It is in Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat, India, and is revered as a Hindu pilgrimage site (Tirtha Kshetra) and the primary among Shiva's twelve jyotirlinga shrines. Its origin, dating back possibly to the early 1st millennium CE, is uncertain. The term "Somnath" means "Lord of the Soma" or "moon."