Editorial reading guide
A map of sections, chapters, and volumes
Understand the organizational units before moving between an edition and a manuscript.
Updated:
Distinguish the units
A major section, or faṣl, groups numbered chapters, or abwāb. In the Konya description, a safar is a manuscript volume containing internal parts and chapters or portions of chapters. A printed volume in a Cairo reference is a different unit. Its number cannot simply replace a manuscript-volume number.
The six sections
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Knowledges — المعارف | 1–73 |
| Practices — المعاملات | 74–188 |
| States — الأحوال | 189–269 |
| Abodes — المنازل | 270–383 |
| Encounters — المنازلات | 384–461 |
| Stations — المقامات | 462–560 |
An opening address, contents, and introduction precede the numbered chapters. The project's description organizes the Konya manuscript into 37 volumes. Chapters vary in length, so a chapter number does not measure progress through the page count. Crossing a volume boundary need not mean entering a new major section.
Use the map
Choose a section for orientation, then open the chapter index and find a particular heading. From there, follow the relevant edition or manuscript reference. When studying a recurring subject, keep every chapter reference rather than placing all results under one broad heading. This helps you compare contexts without mistaking search order for the author's sequence of argument.
If a study uses “part” or “volume,” check whether it means an internal division, a printed binding, or a digital file. Spell out the unit in your first reference. The English section names here are reading aids; the Arabic terms remain useful when precise terminology matters.