Al-Risala al-Imtihaniyya of Mohammed Munib bin Mohammed Sa'id Al-'Ayntabi (d. 1238 AH) — A Study and Critical Edition

Abstract

This paper deals with the study and Critical Edition of the manuscript “Al-Risala Al-Imtihaniyya” by Mohammed Munib Al-'Ayntabi, with attention given to highlighting its scientific value, verifying the authenticity of its attribution to its author, and examining its title in light of what is found in catalog books, particularly what has been confirmed as a case of naming it 'Al-Risala Al-Imtihaniyya on Some Grammatical Issues,' while favoring the title 'Al-Risala Al-Imtihaniyya' as it is more appropriate for the content of the manuscript and its educational nature. It also clarified its methodology, described the copies, and the method of verification, and finally concluded the paper with the verified text. This study aimed to provide a scholarly biography of the author and to highlight his academic standing. It then examined the manuscript, describing its various copies and analyzing its methodology, which is based on a dialectical, examination-based educational framework. This framework is structured as mandatory questions and answers, in which the author goes beyond direct explanation to test the student's ability to apply multiple disciplines, such as grammar, rhetoric, logic, theology, and jurisprudence, to address a single scientific statement. The study also discussed the author's approach to defining the scope of the answer and guiding the student toward methods of reasoning and debate, while emphasizing his goal of cultivating a solid scholarly foundation based on analysis and critical thinking, rather than mere superficial understanding or rote memorization.

The study concluded with a critical edition of the manuscript, conducted according to established scholarly principles. This involved collecting and comparing the manuscript copies, verifying and documenting the text, and adding commentary where necessary. This process resulted in a text that closely reflects the author's intentions, serving the scholarly heritage and contributing to the understanding of an important aspect of educational and examination methods within the Ottoman tradition.