Comprehensive glossary of Islamic scholarly terminology mapped to KR data models. Use when classifying genres, identifying scholars, processing Arabic text structure, or when uncertain about domain vocabulary.
This glossary maps Islamic scholarly terms to KR pipeline concepts and data model types. Terms are grouped by domain. Each entry includes: Arabic term, transliteration, precise definition, KR mapping, and common confusion points.
Usage: Reference this glossary when implementing genre classification, author identification, commentary hierarchy detection, science scope assignment, or any domain-specific logic. Precision in these terms directly prevents metadata corruption.
Genre enum in contracts.py)Definition: A foundational, standalone text that serves as the base for a scholarly tradition. Other works (sharh, hashiyah, nazm) are built upon it. Typically concise, authoritative, and widely memorized.
KR mapping: Genre.MATN
Examples: متن الآجرومية (nahw), عمدة الأحكام (hadith/fiqh), متن ابن عاشر (fiqh maliki)
Not every short work is a matn. A matn implies an ecosystem of commentaries built upon it. A modern risalah that nobody commented on is NOT a matn.
Definition: A commentary that explains a matn line-by-line or section-by-section. The sharh typically quotes the matn text then provides explanation. This creates a multi-layer structure.
KR mapping: Genre.SHARH, is_multi_layer: true, structural_format: commentary
Genre chain: sharh_of → the matn it explains
Examples: شرح ابن عقيل على ألفية ابن مالك, فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري
Confusion: A sharh is NOT merely "about" the same topic. It must directly engage with the matn's text, quoting and explaining it.
Definition: A marginal gloss or super-commentary written on a sharh (NOT on the matn directly). Hashiyah engages with the sharh's explanations, correcting, elaborating, or adding nuances.
KR mapping: Genre.HASHIYAH, is_multi_layer: true, structural_format: commentary
Genre chain: hashiyah_on → the sharh it glosses
Layer hierarchy: matn → sharh → hashiyah → ta'liqat (up to 4+ layers in some traditions)
Examples: حاشية الصبان على شرح الأشموني على ألفية ابن مالك (3 layers)
Confusion: hashiyah vs sharh — the hashiyah comments on the SHARH, not on the matn. If it primarily explains the matn directly, it's a sharh even if called حاشية in the title.
Definition: Brief annotations or notes on a text, less systematic than a hashiyah. Often by a student or later scholar adding clarifications.
KR mapping: Currently mapped to Genre.HASHIYAH (closest equivalent). Mark with a note.
Confusion: More informal than hashiyah; may not follow the text sequentially.
Definition: Lecture notes or oral explanations of a text, typically transcribed by students. Records a scholar's live teaching on a matn or sharh.
KR mapping: Genre.TAQRIRAT, is_multi_layer: true
Genre chain: taqrirat_on → the text being taught
Examples: تقريرات الشيخ ابن عثيمين على زاد المستقنع
Confusion: Unlike sharh, taqrirat are typically unpolished and may contain asides, questions, digressions.
Definition: An abridgment that condenses a longer work into essential points, preserving core content in fewer words.
KR mapping: Genre.MUKHTASAR
Genre chain: mukhtasar_of → the work it abridges
Examples: مختصر خليل (fiqh maliki), بلوغ المرام (mukhtasar of larger hadith compilations — loosely)
Confusion: A mukhtasar of a matn IS itself a matn if it becomes a base text for its own commentary tradition.
Definition: A versified rendering of a prose text, putting the content into rajaz or other meter for memorization.
KR mapping: Genre.NAZM, structural_format: verse
Genre chain: nazm_of → the prose original
Examples: ألفية ابن مالك (nazm of nahw principles), لامية الأفعال (sarf)
Confusion: Not all Arabic poetry is nazm. Nazm specifically versifies scholarly content. Qasidah poetry is Genre.ADAB or Genre.OTHER.
Definition: A short treatise on a specific topic. Standalone, focused, does not serve as a base text for commentaries.
KR mapping: Genre.RISALAH
Examples: آداب الفتوى (النووي), أحكام الاضطباع والرمل
Confusion: Any modern academic paper or short monograph is a risalah. NOT a matn (no commentary ecosystem). NOT a sharh (doesn't comment on another text).
Definition: An encyclopedia or comprehensive reference work covering a broad field.
KR mapping: Genre.MAWSUAH
Examples: الموسوعة الفقهية الكويتية
Confusion: Large compilations are not always mawsuah — المغني لابن قدامة is fiqh_comparative, not mawsuah.
Definition: Collections of legal rulings/opinions, typically organized by fiqh chapter.
KR mapping: Genre.FATAWA
Examples: مجموع فتاوى ابن تيمية, فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة
Confusion: Individual fatwas embedded in a risalah don't make the work fatawa — it's the collection format that matters.
Definition: A dictionary or lexicon, alphabetically or thematically organized.
KR mapping: Genre.MUJAM
Examples: لسان العرب, المعجم الوسيط, معجم مقاييس اللغة
Confusion: Tabaqat organized alphabetically by name are NOT mujam — they're tabaqat.
Definition: Biographical dictionaries organized by generation (tabaqah = generational layer) or alphabetically. Document scholars' lives, teachers, students, and works.
KR mapping: Genre.TABAQAT
Examples: طبقات الشافعية الكبرى, سير أعلام النبلاء
Confusion: Not every biographical work is tabaqat — tarikh (chronological history) and sirah (biography of one person) are different genres.
Definition: Comparative jurisprudence that systematically presents multiple madhab opinions on each issue.
KR mapping: Genre.FIQH_COMPARATIVE
Examples: المغني لابن قدامة, بداية المجتهد
Confusion: A Hanbali fiqh text that occasionally mentions other opinions is NOT fiqh_comparative — it must systematically compare across madhabs.
Definition: A compiled collection of prophetic traditions, organized by topic, narrator, or other scheme.
KR mapping: Genre.HADITH_COLLECTION
Sub-types (not separate enums but important context):
Definition: Quranic exegesis — explanation of the Quran verse by verse.
KR mapping: Genre.TAFSIR
Examples: تفسير ابن كثير, تفسير الجلالين
Confusion: A work that quotes Quran verses is NOT tafsir unless its primary structure is organized by and explains the Quran.
Definition: Biography, especially of the Prophet Muhammad.
KR mapping: Genre.SIRAH
Examples: سيرة ابن هشام, الرحيق المختوم
Confusion: Autobiographies/memoirs of non-prophetic figures are Genre.OTHER or Genre.TARIKH.
Definition: Historical chronicle, typically organized chronologically.
KR mapping: Genre.TARIKH
Examples: تاريخ الطبري, البداية والنهاية
Confusion: Tabaqat are biographical, not chronological — don't confuse them.
Definition: Literary works including belles-lettres, literary compilations, anecdotes, and rhetorical works.
KR mapping: Genre.ADAB
Examples: أخبار أبي القاسم الزجاجي, البيان والتبيين, الأمالي
Confusion: "adab" in modern Arabic means "literature" broadly, but in classical context it specifically means the أمالي/أخبار literary compilation tradition.
is_multi_layer, GenreRelationType)The Islamic scholarly tradition has a distinctive multi-layer commentary system:
Layer 0: متن (matn) — base text
Layer 1: شرح (sharh) — explains the matn
Layer 2: حاشية (hashiyah) — glosses the sharh
Layer 3: تعليقات / تقريرات — notes on any layer
KR detection rule: If a work contains embedded text from another work AND provides commentary on that embedded text → is_multi_layer: true.
Key relationships (GenreRelationType):
| Relation | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
sharh_of | شرح على | This work explains that matn |
hashiyah_on | حاشية على | This work glosses that sharh |
mukhtasar_of | مختصر ل | This work abridges that text |
nazm_of | نظم ل | This work versifies that prose |
taqrirat_on | تقريرات على | This work records lectures on that text |
responds_to | رد على / تعقبات على | This work critiques/responds to that text |
Detection signals for multi-layer:
commentary (interleaved base + explanation)NOT multi-layer:
Definition: Chain of transmitters connecting the reporter to the Prophet or earlier authority. Each link is a narrator (rawi). KR relevance: Source engine preserves isnad text exactly. Atomization must never split an isnad chain.
Definition: The actual content of the hadith (what was said/done), as opposed to the isnad. KR relevance: Do NOT confuse with متن (matn) as a genre. In hadith science, matn refers to the hadith text itself.
Definition: Synonym for isnad. Used interchangeably in most contexts.
Definition: Tracing a hadith to all the collections that report it, with full isnad analysis. KR relevance: May appear as a genre_chain relation or in science_scope.
Definition: The science of narrator criticism — evaluating transmitters as reliable or unreliable.
KR relevance: Maps to science_scope: ["hadith"] (sub-field, not separate science in our model).
Definition: Applied jurisprudence — specific rulings on acts of worship, transactions, etc.
KR relevance: Most fiqh texts in the library are furu'. Maps to science_scope: ["fiqh"].
Definition: Legal theory — methodology for deriving rulings from sources (Quran, Sunnah, ijma', qiyas).
KR relevance: Maps to science_scope: ["usul_al_fiqh"]. Different from fiqh proper.
Confusion: أصول in common usage can mean "basics" — but أصول الفقه is a specific discipline.
Definition: A specific legal question or case discussed in fiqh. KR relevance: Relevant to atomization — each mas'alah may become a separate atom.
Definition: Scholarly disagreement on a mas'alah. Texts that document khilaf are often fiqh_comparative.
KR relevance: structural_format: tabular_khilaf when formatted as comparison tables.
Definition: The preponderant/strongest opinion among competing views. KR relevance: Important for excerpting engine — the rajih is the core claim.
Definition: Evidence from Quran, Sunnah, ijma', or qiyas supporting a ruling. KR relevance: Excerpts should preserve the dalil alongside the claim.
Definition: Given/personal name. Example: محمد, يحيى, عبد الله KR relevance: Low discriminating power — many scholars share common isms.
Definition: Patronymic chain using بن/ابن (son of). Example: محمد بن إدريس بن العباس KR relevance: Full nasab chains are highly identifying but models often abbreviate them.
Definition: Teknonym using أبو/أم + name. Example: أبو حنيفة, أبو القاسم KR relevance: Some scholars are known primarily by kunya. The kunya IS identifying.
Definition: Honorific title or epithet. Example: جلال الدين, شمس الدين, الحافظ, القاضي KR relevance: Important for recognition but less discriminating alone.
Definition: Attribution to place, tribe, school, or profession. Example: البغدادي, الشافعي, الزجاجي
KR relevance: Highly discriminating — often the single most identifying component. The eval harness _extract_name_tokens function relies heavily on nisba matching.
Definition: Generational cohort of scholars. Example: "scholars of the 3rd century hijri" KR relevance: Death date (وفاة) is the primary tabaqah indicator. Combined with nisba, uniquely identifies a scholar.
Definition: Death date in Hijri calendar. Written as ت followed by year, e.g., ت 911هـ
KR relevance: author_death_hijri field. Exact match + any name component match → same person.
Definition: المكتبة الشاملة — the largest digital Islamic library software. Exports as .bok (binary) or .htm (HTML).
KR mapping: SourceFormat.SHAMELA_HTML
HTML structure: Single .htm file per volume. First PageText div contains metadata card (بطاقة الكتاب). Subsequent PageText divs contain text pages.
Definition: Machine-readable format developed by the OpenITI project for Arabic texts. Uses special markers for structural elements.
KR mapping: SourceFormat.PLAIN_TEXT (treat as enriched plain text)
Note: Not yet supported in Stage 1. Future import format.
Definition: Critical scholarly edition. The muhaqqiq (editor/researcher) is NOT the author — they produce the scholarly apparatus (footnotes, variant readings, manuscript comparison).
KR mapping: The muhaqqiq is stored in ScholarReference as muhaqiq, separate from the author.
Confusion: NEVER list the muhaqqiq as the author. If a source says "تحقيق أحمد شاكر", أحمد شاكر is the muhaqqiq, not the author.
Definition: The scholar who prepared the tahqiq (critical edition).
KR mapping: SourceMetadata.muhaqiq: ScholarReference
Confusion: Same as above — muhaqqiq ≠ author.
science_scope values)| Arabic | Transliteration | English | KR Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| نحو | nahw | Arabic grammar (syntax) | nahw |
| صرف | sarf | Arabic morphology | sarf |
| بلاغة | balagha | Arabic rhetoric | balagha |
| فقه | fiqh | Islamic jurisprudence | fiqh |
| أصول الفقه | usul al-fiqh | Legal theory/methodology | usul_al_fiqh |
| حديث | hadith | Prophetic traditions | hadith |
| تفسير | tafsir | Quranic exegesis | tafsir |
| عقيدة | aqidah | Islamic theology/creed | aqidah |
| تصوف | tasawwuf | Islamic spirituality/Sufism | tasawwuf |
| سيرة | sirah | Prophetic biography | sirah |
| تاريخ | tarikh | Islamic history | tarikh |
| أدب | adab | Arabic literature | adab |
Multi-scope rule: A work can belong to multiple sciences. Example: بلوغ المرام → ["hadith", "fiqh"] (hadith texts organized by fiqh topics).
Empty scope rule: Non-Islamic-scholarship works (autobiography, fiction, general knowledge) have science_scope: [].
AuthorityLevel enum)Definition: Original composition by the attributed author. Classical or modern.
KR mapping: AuthorityLevel.PRIMARY
Examples: الرسالة للشافعي (classical), المغني لابن قدامة (classical)
Definition: Recognized scholarly edition with scholarly apparatus (tahqiq, footnotes, variant readings).
KR mapping: AuthorityLevel.REFERENCE
Examples: تفسير الطبري (tahqiq عبد الله التركي)
Definition: Modern work that compiles, summarizes, or presents classical material for contemporary audiences.
KR mapping: AuthorityLevel.MODERN_COMPILATION
Examples: الملخص الفقهي (contemporary fiqh summary), university textbooks
sharh vs hashiyah: sharh explains the matn directly; hashiyah comments on the sharh. If you see "حاشية على شرح X", the hashiyah is on the sharh, not on the matn.
matn vs risalah: A matn becomes a matn because scholars write commentaries on it. A standalone short work with no commentary ecosystem is a risalah, even if old.
تعقبات (ta'qubat) vs sharh: Ta'qubat are critical corrections/refutations of another work. They CITE the other work but don't EXPLAIN it. Genre = risalah with relation responds_to, NOT sharh. is_multi_layer = false (citation, not interleaving).
hadith_collection vs fiqh: If the primary content is hadith texts and the organizing principle is fiqh topics → hadith_collection with science_scope: ["hadith", "fiqh"]. If the primary content is fiqh discussion that quotes hadith as evidence → fiqh with science_scope: ["fiqh"].
Author death date format: Always Hijri calendar. ت = توفي (died). If a range like "(631-676 هـ)" appears, the death year is the second number (676).
Modern vs classical boundary: Roughly 1300 هـ / 1900 CE. Scholars before this are classical (likely authority_level: primary). Authors after are modern (likely modern_compilation unless clearly a primary work).
Shamela categories are UNRELIABLE for genre/science_scope. Shamela categorizes by author's primary field, not by the specific work's content. Example: الزجاجي is filed under النحو والصرف because he's a grammarian, but أخبار أبي القاسم الزجاجي is actually أدب.
حاشية (hashiyah) is overloaded — Can mean: (a) marginal note, (b) super-commentary genre. Context disambiguates: if it's a standalone work title, it's the genre. If it's a note indicator in text, it's editorial apparatus.
كتبه identifies the COPYIST, not the author — The name after كتبه/نسخه in a colophon is the scribe (ناسخ). The name after ألفه/صنفه is the author (مؤلف). Confusing these corrupts author attribution.
Multiple scholars share names — ابن تيمية refers to at least 3 different scholars across centuries. Always disambiguate using death date (الحفيد = d.728H, الجد = d.652H).
المحقق has two meanings — Can mean (a) a critical editor (tahqiq editor of a modern edition) or (b) a scholarly title meaning "verifier/critical scholar." The edition's title page disambiguates.
شرح vs. حاشية vs. تقرير — These three commentary types are hierarchical: شرح comments on the base text (متن), حاشية comments on the شرح, and تقرير comments on the حاشية. Layer detection must respect this hierarchy.