Sharh al-Muqaddimat: The Premises of Sacred Knowledge
First text of the usul al-din sequence, the prolegomena of Imam al-Sanusi
The first course in the theology (usul al-din) sequence. Imam Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Sanusi (d. 1490) wrote al-Muqaddimat as the set of preliminaries a student needs before studying creed: what knowledge is, what a judgment (hukm) is, the three kinds of judgment (revealed, customary, rational), the three rational categories (necessary, impossible, possible), what is self-evident versus what requires reasoning, and who is morally responsible. Read with al-Sanusi's own commentary.
Lectures
Course texts
Start here: essential outside resources
Free complete English rendering of the matn, from the definition of hukm and its three types through the eight preludes to prophetic truthfulness. Readable in one sitting.
Free side-by-side Arabic and English of all eight preliminaries, with toggleable notes keyed to al-Sanusi's own commentary. The best free tool for following the Arabic while reading English.
13-page free PDF with the full vocalized Arabic of Umm al-Barahin alongside a clear English translation, opening with the three rational judgments. Shows the Muqaddimat terminology in action.
Free Level One course teaching al-Sanusi's two shortest primers, Sughra al-Sughra and al-Muqaddimat. Search the page for 'Sanusi'.
Compact Arabic-English glossary of core kalam vocabulary: jirm, jawhar, 'arad, huduth, mukhassis, the four categories of attributes, presented in the order the proof of the Maker uses them.
The only academic article in English devoted to the tripartite hukm typology of al-Muqaddimat, explaining each judgment type with examples and applying it to how Ash'aris view natural regularities. Maps directly onto the first prelude.
Full published English translation of the course text's commentary (ISBN 9781944904272). For purchase. The direct English counterpart to the Dar al-Taqwa edition in the course folder.