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Defining statement

al-qawl al-shāriḥ

القَوْلُ الشَّارِح

A defining statement (al-qawl al-shāriḥ, also muʿarrif) is what leads to an unknown conception.

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In a picture

The four kinds of defining statement, built from genus, differentia, proprium and accidents.

Explanation

It is either an essential definition (ḥadd) or a descriptive definition (rasm), each complete or incomplete.

It is the counterpart of the argument (ḥujja), which leads to an unknown assent.

Also written as: qawl sharih, mu'arrif, definition.

In the text

الْحَدُّ: قَوْلٌ دَالٌّ عَلَى مَاهِيَّةِ الشَّيْءِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَرَكَّبُ مِنْ جِنْسِ الشَّيْءِ وَفَصْلِهِ الْقَرِيبَيْنِ، كَالْحَيَوَانِ النَّاطِقِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى الإِنْسَانِ، وَهُوَ الْحَدُّ التَّامُّ؛The essential definition is a statement that signifies the quiddity of a thing. When it is composed of the thing's proximate genus and proximate differentia, like “rational animal” for human, it is the complete essential definition.

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