Z al-Kufa do al-Samarqand, z al-Samarqand do Stambułu: Adab al-Bahs ła al-Munazara

Abstract

The chapter seeks to provide a road map of the historical journey of the science of Adab al-bahsa ła al-munazara (the science/art of investigation and debate). It has not attempted to identify all the various paths and crossroads of this journey, as it would have stretched the limits of this study too much. The focus was mainly on the Hanafi tradition. Even within this tradition, however, we did not have the opportunity to present all the directions and orientation points on the “Adab map”. We try to show, nevertheless, that if the route/road we have sketched is followed, then enough knowledge about the fundamental components of the science of debate/argumentation could be obtained. We hope, at the same time, that our study can serve as a guide to more exhaustive research on this subject. Undoubtedly, the road from Kufa to Samarkand described in the first, the largest part of the chapter is quite complex and challenging. Everything on the road seems to be still in the process of formation where not all patterns and principles have been fully revealed yet. The road from Kufa to Istanbul presented briefly at the end of the chapter contains probably less unexpected and challenging twists and turns than the previous one, but it is still far from being a simple, straight, and direct line connecting the starting point and the destination. As soon as we enter the Anatolian territory, via Tabriz, we encounter new texts and discourses of the science of debate. Moreover, the commentaries, glosses and taliqs (supercommentaries) produced on this land, have become, so to speak, the main record book and the general manual of the science of debate in every aspect.

Keywords

• abu hanīfa
• al-kufa
• al-samarquand
• istanbul
• the rules
• inquiry
• debate
• husayn shāh
• sachaqlizāda