Qiyas of Analogy [] is more beneficial in attaining knowledge than, ‘Comprehensive Qiyas’ [], although the later type of Qiyas encompasses wider horizon. Qiyas of Analogy is like vision for attaining knowledge, as Comprehensive Qiyas, is like auditory information in acquiring knowledge. No doubt, that if a person sees something will never doubt the existence of that thing, similarly Qiyas of Analogy guarantees the correctness of that knowledge. However, no all knowledge can be seen, and there are vast amount of knowledge that can be acquired through hearing (auditory). So, this is like the comprehensive Qiyas.
Then, both of these types of Qiyas, as regard it’s assertive power –informative or doubtful- is directly proportional to it’s introductory axioms. For example, in the Analogical Qiyas [] if, we found that a thing is analogous to another thing, we knew that the judgment on this is the judgment on the other.However, if the judgment on the original is doubtful, then this doubtfulness also attributed to the comparative subject as well. As for their claim that, this type of analogy [] does not yield knowledge is an obvious error, as majority of mankind’s knowledge is of this type (analogical comparison).
Also, most of the other disciplines did not get benefit from this art of logic. Mathematics, medicine, etc has little tribute to logic. In fact, the statements and conclusions of mathematicians, physicians, and the like are more beneficial than those of philosophers and logicians. Because logicians used logic in search of things that can not be attained through logic. They went against the basic human instinct and against the prophets, which them enemies of man and became like devils. This is not, however, the case with medical doctors, who’s knowledge is much needed by men.
As for the meta-physics which they acclaim as the first philosophy -and their first teacher (Aristotle) attribute it as their goal- in fact, has little practicality. Most of their conclusion is debatable and they never used tools of logic to reach these conclusion, rather most of these conclusion was made based on observation.
So if the product of those logicians are between those that does not need logic, and those where logic can not be used, then their knowledge of logic has no benefit. And the wastage of time spent on learning this art, has eclipsed from learning many beneficial knowledge. Also, those well-known scientists and scholars who reached the apex of their discipline, reached the top without climbing through logic, like many of those mathematicians, or doctors.
Also, in Islam, many new scientific tools were designed like: the Arabic grammar rules, poem making rules, fiqh (jurispudance), etc, all these tools were designed before the Greek logic was even translated into Arabic.
As for the knowledge inherited through Prophets, these knowledge are the furthest from Greek logicians. The first three centuries of Islam –where the greatest scholars of Islam were born- never saw any attraction towards Greek logic, although those scholars were the best scholars that mankind could witness. They were deep in their knowledge, less pretentious, and the most noble in character. If one of them and another not among them, both discussed a common topic, you would see the difference between the two discussion, greater than the difference between head and toe.
On the other hand, those attracted by Greek philosophy, are the less knowledgeable and the most doubtful and lives in tension and anxiety. If any of them got some knowledge, then this knowledge was attained because of the clearness of it’s subject, and the healthy mind of this person, and not because of logic. Insertion of logic to a true science, takes this science further from clearness and easiness.
We do not deny that logic could aid some of those who are already inside a false religion or sect, like many of those Christians, Jews or Rafidhas (Shiites), who used to follow blindly their elders, to them logic will open their eyes and will help them see the error in their status quo ideology, but using logic only will not help them to reach to the true ideology, either. Thus, logic will lead them to be either deviant and frustrated, or to be hypocrites. In summary, those who’s mind was sharpened through logic, or caused him to identify errors in his ideology, has happened so because of the enormous falsehood he was staying in, not because of the perfection of logic. It is known, that if a polytheists becomes Magian , or a magian becomes Jew, then his position elevated comparing his previous position, but that does not indicate that he reached the truth.
Consider the people who work with Nahu (Arabic structure of sentences). These people mold the rules to fit the Arabic words based on semantics. Notice, that these people did not work with semantics (meaning) of the words, as meaning is very natural to human being, but they only worked with expressing the meaning through words (which can have different forms). This is why their science is beneficial, as opposed to logic, which tends to go into the natural instinct and work to make them complicated.
Disclaimer
This is a rough translation of Ibn Taymiyyah’s work. The intention is to preserve the meaning, and not the literal translation.
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Do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. [Quran aal-Imran (3):139]
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