By stating that man is weak and deficient, Khaldun establishes the limits of his own knowledge and, consequently, of the book. He contrasts his awareness with the God’s, claiming the superiority of the latter. The author restricts his explorations to the Maghrib region specifically because of his inability to portray in-depth other territories. Ignorance is a part of the weakness and deficiency of man. Hence, the phrase accentuates that Khaldun understands his ignorance regarding areas outside the Maghrib and perceives admitting it as his duty.
Additionally, the philosopher refers to Mas‘ûdî’s, whose portrayal of the region was defective, although he claimed his work to be complete. Another example of man’s weakness in the text is in Khaldun’s discussion of historiography, in which he expresses his concern for the study, as weak-minded and uncritical individuals invaded it (Khaldun75). Overall, this Khaldun’s phrase serves to explain the text’s limitations.
Work Cited
Khaldūn, Ibn. The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History. Abridged and edited by Nessim Joseph Dawood, translated and introduced by Franz Rosenthal, Princeton University Press, 2005.