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| Editor | Dr. Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Ṭāliṣh |
|---|---|
| Author | Jalāl al-Dīn al-Qazwīnī |
| Original title | تلخيص المفتاح |
| Language | Arabic |
| Subject | Arabic rhetoric |
| Publisher | Dār al-Lubāb |
Publication date | 2021 |
| Publication place | Istanbul,Turkey |
| Pages | 424 |
Talkhīṣ al-Miftāḥ (Arabic:تلخيص المفتاح,romanized: The Digest of the Key) is a seminal 14th-century Arabic treatise on rhetoric (balāgha), authored by the renowned scholarJalāl al-Dīn al-Qazwīnī (d. 739 AH / 1338 CE). The work is an abridgment of the third section ofal-Sakkākī'sMiftāḥ al-ʿUlūm, focusing exclusively on the rhetorical sciences. Al-Qazwīnī aimed to streamline al-Sakkākī's often difficult and complex exposition into a clearer, more pedagogical format. The text became one of the most influential manuals in the teaching of Arabic rhetoric throughout the post-classical Islamic world until modern times.[1][2]
Talkhīṣ al-Miftāḥ (The Digest of the Key's) is a pedagogical reworking of the rhetorical section ofMiftāḥ al-ʿUlūm by al-Sakkākī. Composed in the early 14th century, al-Qazwīnī's work does not simply summarize its predecessor; it reframes, reorganizes, and condenses the material, creating what scholars describe as a de facto novel understanding of Arabic rhetoric.[3]
The text focuses exclusively on the third section of al-Sakkākī’s work—the science of rhetoric (ʿilm al-balāgha)—and omits the sections onlogic andgrammar. Al-Qazwīnī’s goal, as stated in the introduction, was to counteract the prolixity of al-Sakkākī’s presentation by producing a concise and memorizable text. This heavy condensation, however, often comes at the cost of clarity and accessibility, making the Talkhīṣ difficult to interpret without extensive commentary.[3]
Despite this, the work is meticulously structured, presenting rhetorical theory in a format suitable for rote learning within the madrasa system. Its dense form was intentionally designed for use in a highly disciplined educational environment, requiring students to rely on memorization and explanatory glosses.[3]
Talkhīṣ al-Miftāḥ became the most influential textbook ofArabic rhetoric in the Islamic world, from the later Middle Ages through to the modern times. It was widely adopted as a core text in the madrasa curriculum, not only for its conciseness but also for its authority in codifying the rhetorical sciences. Its concise style, logical organization, and instructional clarity led to it becoming more influential than its parent text (Miftāḥ al-ʿUlūm).[3]
A wide range of commentaries and glosses were written on the Talkhīṣ, most notably:[3]
These commentaries were essential for interpreting the often densely packed and elliptical prose of the Talkhīṣ. Its structure became the blueprint for teaching balāgha in pre-modern Islamic education, securing its place as a canonical work. According to modern research on Ottoman's Madrasah education: “It was almost the sole conduit for bringingal-Jurjānī's ideas out of 11th-century Iran and into all parts of the Islamic world.”[3]
Recent academic research confirms that al‑Qazwīnī's concise exposition significantly shaped the development of ʿilm al-maʿānī, the rhetorical sub-discipline. A 2025 peer-reviewed study in the Oriental Journal of Philology examines how Talkhīṣ presents and organizes rhetorical principles, demonstrating its lasting impact on Arabiclinguistics and rhetoric pedagogy.[4]
The work has been preserved through multiple manuscripts and printed editions. Notably, theLibrary of Congress/WDL digital copy shows an 1884Beirut edition, affirming its historical circulation and continued relevance.[5] Other manuscript witnesses are held inCambridge andBodleian libraries, revealing its broad scholarly dissemination.[6]
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