Discover the meaning of the term Al-jns (جنس) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readA name signifying many things distinct by their species.
A universal predicated of many distinct in reality, in answer to the question 'what is it' as such; the universal is the genus; the phrase 'distinct in reality' excludes the species, the property, and the near fasl; the phrase 'in answer to what is it' excludes the far fasl and the general accident; the latter is near if the answer bears on the quiddity and on part of its counterparts in that genus, that is, the answer to the quiddity and to all sharing in it, as the animal relative to man; and far if the answer bears on the quiddity and part of its counterparts other than the answer to the quiddity and the other part, as the growing body relative to man.
In the grammarians' usage: a name correctly used of the few and the many, like water, used of the drop and of the sea. In the usulis' usage: a universal predicated of many distinct by their purposes, like humankind, under which fall the man and the woman; the purpose of man's creation being to be prophet, imam, witness in penalties and retaliations, leader of the Friday prayer and the feasts, and so on; the purpose of woman's creation being to spread the couch, come with the child, manage the house's affairs, and so on. In the logicians' usage: a universal predicated of many distinct in reality, like the animal.
The origin of their difference is that the usulis examine only purposes, not realities, and the logicians only realities, not purposes.
What is predicated of many distinct in reality, in answer to: 'what is it?'