LISANULARAB - ض - THE ARAB TONGUE

Rules for Achieving the Optimum in Qur'anic Reflection

2007-10-26T00:51:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

The following is a list of about 40 rules for enhancing the activity of al-Tadabbur taken from Sh.Abdurrahman Hasan Habannakah al-Midani’s Qawa-‘id al-Tadabbur al-Amthal (Rules for Optimal Reflection).

Rule 1: concerning the relation of the Qur’anic sentence (under reflection) to the general theme or topic of the Surah, and its thematic relation to other relevant verses dispersed throughout the Qur’an

Rule 2: concerning the unity of the Surah’s subject matter

Rule 3: concerning the multiple objectives that the text aims at achieving

Rule 4: concerning the human, temporal, local, psychological, ideological (conceptual), individual and collective aspects of the context and environment in which the text was revealed

Rule 5: concerning specific and narrow interpretations on the one hand and a more general and all-encompassing interpretation on the other

Rule 6: concerning the complementary nature of the Qur’anic texts with respect to the various themes and topics that it covers, and to avoid as much as possible the explanation that a particular instance of repetition is merely the result of emphasis and corroboration

Rule 7: concerning following narrative exegesis (tafsir) in determining the meaning of a text

Rule 8: concerning the mutual equivalence of Qur’anic texts and the necessity of harmonizing them within a complete and coherent conceptual system or framework without having to resort to abrogation except if it has been categorically established on the basis of sound, clear and explicit proof

Rule 9: concerning tracing the stages and phases of revelation

Rule 10: concerning the significance and wisdom behind placing (in some cases) Medinan verses in Meccan surahs and Meccan verses in Medinan surahs

Rule 11: concerning investigating the occasions of descension or causes of revelation

Rule 12: concerning the necessity of understanding a verse according to its order or sequence amongst other verses in the Surah

Rule 13: concerning the fact that there are no contradictions and inconsistencies in the Qur’an, nor is there any disagreement between the Qur’an and the scientific facts established through human means

Rule 14: concerning implied meanings and conceptual links in the text, ellipted elements that have been ellipted for the purpose of brevity and lexical incorporations that expressions are made to incorporate

Rule 15: concerning repetition and the aims it is meant to realize

Rule 16: concerning the necessity of doing proper scientific and linguistic research into the meanings of Qur’anic words

Rule 17: concerning linking between verses and their endings

Rule 18: concerning looking into words that are close or synonymous in meaning

Rule 19: concerning the vacillation of text between two or more meanings

Rule 20: concerning the oath in the Qur’an

Rule 21: concerning agreement between the literary style used and the objective to be realized

Rule 22: concerning searching for stylistic and rhetorical devices used in the text and the purpose behind their use

Rule 23: concerning the adequacy of using different expressions that are spread over similar meaning concepts for the purpose of indicating stylistic complementarity and how their usages can be extended to the rest of group of similar meaning concepts in complementary fashion

Rule 24: concerning the diverse use of devices in stylistic expression

Rule 25: concerning investigating the aims in the use of different expressions in various but similar meaning passages (i.e. various passages with a single theme running through them)

Rule 26: concerning the necessity of observing the rules of Arabic grammar, the meanings of the morphological patterns and the importance of searching for the significance of apparent discrepancies in declension and how they are explained away

Rule 27: concerning the care that the Qur’an takes with regard to verse endings because of the importance placed on the overall balance and uniformity of the text’s outward form and structure

Rule 28: concerning the use of an expression to signify more than one meaning simultaneously

Rule 29: concerning explaining the reason for action by means of the infinitival أن together with that which follows it, and the necessity of assuming an elipted element before it in certain Qur’anic verses

Rule 30: concerning the use of the perfect verb in the case of (a) that which has perpetual and eternal existence, (b) that which has actually happened, (c) that which has been decreed in the future and exists in Allah’s Infinite & Eternal Knowledge, and will definitely happen in the future, and the time in which it will happen is being awaited

Rule 31: concerning looking into those to whom the Divine text is addressed

Rule 32: concerning the word (لعَلَّ) that occurs in the Qur’an in expressions such as (لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ)

Rule 33: concerning the word (بَلَى) in the Qur’an

Rule 34: concerning the structure (وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا ...؟) in the Qur’an

Rule 35: concerning the transitivity of the verb (أَرَادَ – يُرِيْدُ) in the Qur’an

Rule 36: concerning the expressions (مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ ، وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ) and likewise (أَمَامَ and وَرَاءَ )

Rule 37: concerning predicating the verb or that which shares its meaning of its agent or its bearer / possessor, its effect, the one motivating its execution, the one ascribing it to someone, the one finding someone to possess it, the one who desires it, etc.

Rule 38: concerning what is called الاستِثْنَاء الْمُنْقَطِع (disjunctive exception or exclusion)

Rule 39: concerning the word كَذَلِكَ in the Qur’an

Rule 40: concerning the 10 Qur’anic variant readings

Having just listed all these rules, I know that to many readers they would not mean much unless they are accompanied by some examples that not only illustrate their meaning but also their correct application. So, insha Allah, I will try in the future, if time permits, to provide an example or two for each rule in order to maximise the benefit of knowing, understanding and being able to apply these rules.

A Grammar Rule and Something More Profound ... Oh So Profound ...

2008-01-15T03:08:00.000-08:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

[those who are not grammatically-orientated might want to skip the grammatical discussion and go on straight to the main point of the post]

At the beginning of his magnum opus - the Mughnil-Labib - Ibn Hisham al-Ansari discusses the functions of the Hamzah in Arabic, and states two such functions:

(a) that it can be used as a vocative particle (حرف نداء) like the Hamzah at the start of the following verse from Imru'ul-Qays's famous al-Mu-'allaqah (Hanging Ode):

أَفَاطِمَ مَهْلاَ بَعْضَ هَذَا التَّدَلُّلِ * وَإِنْ كُنْتِ قَدْ أَزْمَعْتِ صَرْمِيْ فَأَجْمِلِيْ

"O Fatimah, Do go slowly with some of this coquettishness, for if you do intend to (finally) break with me, then do go about it gently".

(b) that it can be used as an interrogative particle (حرف استفهام) , with the literal meaning of "istifhaam" being 'the request for knowledge or understanding'.

Then Ibn Hisham goes on to say that both these functions can be applied to the Qur'anic variant of the two Harami Readers (from anongst the Seven or Ten Canonical Readers), namely: Nafi' al-Madani (from the Madani Haram) and Ibn Kathir al-Makki (from the Makki Haram), (as well as Hamzah but is not mentioned by Ibn Hisham), of the following Qur'anic verse:

(أَمَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ)

where the Hamzah at the start can be interpreted either as حرف نداء (vocative particle) or as حرف استفهام (interrogative) and that both interpretations have their strengths (promoting factors) and weaknesses (demoting factors).

The Interpretation as Vocative Particle:

(1) Promoting Factors: (a) there is no need for any metaphorical interpretation, and (b) there is no need for elipsis or omission.

(2) Demoting Factors: the Qur'an does not tend to use a vocative particle other than يَا .

The Interpretation as Interrogative Particle:

(1) Promoting Factors: the Hamzah is commonly used as an interrogative particle in the Qur'an.

(2) Demoting Factors: (a) the need to move away from the original literal meaning of istifhaam to the secondary metaphorical meaning, since Allah does not literally request knowledge or understanding of something, and (b) the need to omit not only a khabar (predicate) in the particular Qur'anic verse but also the particle أم and its complement. Let me explain this last point after quoting the full verse (Surah al-Zumar verse 9):

أَمَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ

[Is the one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord - (better or the one who does not)? Say: "Are equal those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that are mindful.]

Observe that when you read the verse as a question you would expect something like the following to complete the question خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَنْ هُوَ عَلَى غَيْرِ هذَا الْوَصْفِ ؟)ـ) which in the translation is indicated in red between brackets. So, the khabar that has been dropped is assumed as خَيْرٌ and the particle أم together with its complement is assumed as أم من هو على غير هذا الوصف or something similar. This does not mean that the verse cannot be interpreted this way. In fact, not only can it be interpreted this way, but often it leads to a more profound and insightful interpretation in the long run. In fact, Ibn Hisham goes on to explain why the second interpretation might not necessary have any (or some) of the weaknesses mentioned above.

This then is the grammatical point of the verse. Now for something more profound.

But first let us explain some of the words mentioned in the verse above.

Firstly, the word قانت does not merely mean someone who worships devoutly but rather it means someone who does so habitually and regularly. Secondly, in describing the state or condition of the قانت during these hours of the night, Allah mentions four qualities: the first two ساجدا and قائما characterise his outward state, and the second two يحذر الآخرة and يرجوا رحمة ربه his inward state. So, outwardly while he is prostrating and standing in prayer, inwardly he is fearful of Allah's Punishment in the Hereafter and hopeful of His Mercy. All of this is generated by his spending the night in devotion to Allah.

Praying to Allah during the stillness of the night when one sees nothing and he hears nothing, he is able to connect his physical and outer condition of prostrating and standing in prayer with his spiritual and inner condition of fear an hope. During the day one tends to get distracted by what one sees and hears around him, such that there is no synchronisation between what he utters on his tongue and feels inwardly in his heart. It is for this reason that Allah says in Surah al-Muzzammil verse 6:

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْءًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا

[Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise). ]

The word الوطء used here has the meaning of placing one's foot down, and is often used in the context of someone placing his foot on the spot where someone else has placed his such that there ensues agreement. Hence, الوطء gives the meaning of agreement and being congruous. So what is meant is that rising up at night (in prayer) makes for better agreement between tongue and heart, between what one utters outwardly and what one experiences and feels inwardly. In other words, the night is much more conducive for generating hightened states of spirituality in which there is total conformity between the dhikr of the tongue and the dhikr of the heart, with the Qur'an being the Ultimate Dhikr. It is during the quiet and darkness of the night that the heart is able to optimally follow and fully take in what the tongue utters.

Now, coming back to the first verse, let us ask ourselves the following question: What is the connection between the part of the verse that reads: أَمَنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ and the part that reads: قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ ? In other words, how does someone who spends the night in devotion relate to the inequality between those who know and those who do not know? Put differently, what does rising at night (for the purpose of worship and devotion) have to do with knowledge?

A number of answers have been provided, but one that I find particularly intriguing and spiritually very encouraging and motivating is that habitual praying and standing up during the night actually leads to knowledge of an entirely different kind - a knowledge that makes one fearful of the Hereafter and hopeful of Allah's Mercy - a knowledge that obtains when there is syncrony between the outward and the inward, between the tongue and the heart, between the body and the soul. The night is the time that one is able to close himself off from the World and attends himself solely to the Lord of the World. Therefore, it is as if the verse is saying: How can the one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night be like the one who does not, because the one who knows is not equal to the one who knows not? So the one who worships devoutly at night is knowledgeable while he who does worship devoutly during the night is unknowlegeable, because with such worship comes a special knowledge. At the same time the verse is also telling us that the truly knowledgeable are those who are practising and engaged in worship and devotion. Finally, the verse concludes by saying: إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ (It is those endued with understanding that are mindful (of these things). They are the ones who really understand the difference between the above categories of people. Moreover, a description of the أولو الألباب (People of Understanding) has been given in Surah Al-'Imran verses 190 & 191:

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الألْبَابِ
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

[Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for Men of Understanding,- Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! You created this not in vain. Glory be to You! Protect us from the chastisement of the Fire.]

Again we are told that the People of Understanding are People of Action, People of Dhikr, People of Worship whether standing, sitting or reclining on their sides, People of Tafakkur, People of Tadhakkur (taking heed), People of Supplication, People of Nighttime Devotion, People of Descernment, etc. In other words, People of Understanding are people who are not endued with a mere theoretical knowledge. In fact, their knowledge comes from their action. It is through these actions that they gain a better understanding - nay - the understanding - the understanding of things as they are in reality. O Allah, make us of the People of Understanding - the Ulul-Albaab, Ameen!

Kohl (Kajal) and the first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah

2007-12-06T06:18:00.000-08:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

What do Kohl (surma - a type of eyeliner), the first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah and a blog on Arabic have in common? At first it might seem a very unlikely combination - a combination that could very well qualify as suitable material for your typical lateral thinking question.

So as not to keep you in suspense any longer, let me give you the answer. While, after I've given you the answer, it would not be difficult to see how these three elements are combined, the mas'alah, though, that is behind the question might prove a little bit difficult to understand. The main point, then, is to understand how these 3 things are connected, and if you, in addition to that, also understand the mas'alah then that is a bonus.

So, first of all, the underlying mas'alah is a Nahw mas-alah, and that is how it is relevant to my blog. Second of all, the mas'alah involves the word الْكُحْلَ (or kohl) and that is how kohl comes into the picture. In fact, the mas'alah in the Arabic linguistic literature is known as "the mas'alah al-kuhl" (مسألة الكحل) . Third of all, a real example of the mas'alah al-kuhl comes from a hadith ascribed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he extols the excellence of the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah and the excellence of fasting on these days. And what is actually meant by the first 10 days (in the context of fasting) is the first 9 days, because the 10th day is Yawm al-Nahr or Eid al-ADHaa, and is forbidden to fast on the Eid al-ADHaa. I stated between brackets "in the context of fasting" because there are other wordings or even reports that state in place of the word "fasting" "good works" so as to make it more general.

Now, as for the mas'alah al-kuhl, here it goes (and fasten your seat belts because it's going to be a bumby ride). In Arabic the verb is known to make certain nouns marfu', and certain other nouns mansub, because it is an action and an action must proceed from someone and sometimes it can also proceed onto something else. For example, the verb كَتَبَ (to write) must proceed from someone in the sense that he does or performs the act of writing, and it can also proceed onto something else in the sense that it gets done or applied to a letter for example. So you might say: كَتَبَ الرَّجُلُ الرِّسَالَةَ (the man wrote the letter). Now, there are certain nouns (call them verb-like nouns) that can also do what verbs do, that is, they can also make certain nouns marfu' and others mansub. This is so because they also denote action just like verbs, and actions proceed from people and proceed onto other things (depending on the type of action). One such noun is the اسم الفاعل (or active participle) such as كَاتِبٌ . So you can say for example: أَكَاتِبٌ الرَّجُلُ الرِّسَالَةَ (Is the man writing the letter?), where الرَّجُلُ is the Fa-'il and الرِّسَالَةَ the Maf-'ul bihi of the noun "كاتِبٌ" .

Having said, there are also other types of noun can also perform the verbal function but with many more conditions that make the whole thing a bit complicated. Anyhow, I'm going try to explain it in a way that is IMHO the least difficult, insha Allah. Another type of noun with verbal power or force but under very strict circumstances is the اسم التفضيل (ism al-tafDil or the noun of comparison) such as أَفْضَلُ (better), أَجْمَلُ (more beautiful), etc. Now, the اسم التفضيل is able to make a substantive noun Marfu' as shown in the following example which has become famous as the mas'alah al-kuhl:

مَا رَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً أَحْسَنَ فِيْ عَيْنِهِ الْكُحْلُ مِنْهُ فِيْ عَيْنِ زَيْدٍ

[I have not seen a man in whose eye(s) kohl is more beautiful than in the eye(s) of Zayd]

Now, in order for the اسم التفضيل to perform this verbal function of making a substantive noun Marfu' the following conditions need to be met as per the example just given:

(1) the اسم التفضيل must occur in a sentence containing a negation, which in the example is: مَا رَأَيْتُ

(2) the negation must be followed by a noun denoting a class of objects rather than someone or something specific, which in the example is رَجُلاَ ,

(3) this noun in turn must be described or qualified by the اسم التفضيل , which in the example is أَحْسَنَ ,

(4) this اسم التفضيل in turn must be followed by a noun that bears no grammatical connection to the previous generic noun, which in this case is الكحل which contains no Damir to show that it is connected to the previous generic noun, and

(5) this noun (which is الكحل ) must be preferred over or compared from two perspectives which here is (a) the eye of the man (in general) and (b) the eye of Zayd. The way to explain this last point is to take a hat, for example, and place it on my head and see how it looks, and then to take the same hat and place it on someone else's hat and see how it looks, and then one can conclude that: this hat looks better on that someone else's head than what it (i.e. that same hat) looks on my head.

This then is the mas'alah al-kuhl. As for the hadith that has been ascribed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), this is its wording in the Sharh of Ibn 'Aqil on the famous al-Alfiyyah of Ibn Malik:

مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللهِ فِيْهَا الصَّوْمُ مِنْهُ فِيْ عَشْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ

(There aren't days on which fasting is more loved by Allah than on the ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah)

I'm yet to find this wording of the hadith, though, in a credible hadith collection while I have come across other wordings of the hadith. Another wording mentioned in the Arabic linguistic literature is: ما من أيام أحبَّ إلى الله فيها الصومُ من أيام العشر . In some of the Hadith literature that I have consulted الْعَمَل or الْعَمَل الصًّالِح (good deeds in general) is used in stead of الصَّوم so as to make more general the kinds of good that you can do on those days.

Finally, you might be asking yourself: Is there any particular relevance in having chosen this specific topic for the post rather than another topic? The answer is: Yes, and reason is that the start of Dhul-Hijjah is just a couple of days away, and I'm just reminding myself before I remind anyone else of the excellence of doing good works on the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah (including fasting on the first nine Days) which is the least we can do while our brothers and sisters are all performing the holy rites of Hajj, not only out of respect for the greatness of the time that we will be finding ourselves in but also in solidarity with the Hujjaj who are performing this great pillar of Islam. May Allah accept all their good deeds and du'as, and grant them a Hajj Maqbul and Mabrur, and return them safely to their loved ones all spiritually enriched with the Blessings of Hajj and the Barakah of the Greatest Cities on earth (Makkah and Madinah), and may we soon be able to follow in their footsteps as Allah's Chosen and Honoured Guests, Ameen Allahumma Ameen!

PS. I recently came across the following hadith compiled by al-Bukhari in his Collection of Sahih Hadith in the Book of the Two Eids, the Section on Doing Righteous Works during the Days of al-Tashriq:

مَا مِنْ أيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ فِيْهِنَّ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ (يَعْنِيْ عَشْرَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ) قَالُوْا: وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ؟ قَال: وَلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ، إِلاَّ رَجُلاً خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ بِشَيْءِ

There aren't any days in which righteous work is more loved by Allah than these Days (i.e. the Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah). They said: Not even Jihad in the Path of Allah? He said: Not even Jihad in the Path of Allah, except a man who goes out (in the Path of Allah) with his life and his wealth, and does not return with anything (therefore).

The System of Derivation in Arabic

2007-11-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

The following is a translation of Lesson Six in Book Two of the popular al-Kitab al-Asasi series. What prompted me to translate this lesson is that during my stay in Syria many of my friends were taking the Arabic course at the University of Damascus where al-Kitab al-Asasi was the primary text book. Book Two was taught in the third level, and it was particularly challenging as it constituded a big jump from Book One. Consequently, students asked me if I could assist them with the reading and understanding of the fairly long passages and exercises in the lessons that Book Two comprised of. I found al-Kitab al-Asasi quite comprehensive and holistic in a number of respects. All the basic language skills are being catered for and the srudent is exposed to very useful MSA vocabulary. In addition, the student emerges from it with a sound and good working knowledge of all the necessary grammatical elements.

Of all the lessons in Book Two it was Lesson Six that I found particularly useful for the student. Lesson Six provides an excellent and non-technical introduction to the Theory of Derivation which is sort of the Ruh (Spirit) of the Morphological Component of the Arabic language. The Theory of Declension and the Governor , on the other hand, is the Ruh of the Syntactic Component of the Arabic language. The introduction to the System or Theory of Derivation is just that - an introduction - and does not offer to cover the specifics of Derivation. What it does do is to present the System of Derivation in a reader-friendly way and in dialogue form between a Wsetern student (John Adams) and his Arabic professor. It should be borne in mind that this lesson is intended for students who have no idea of the Theory of Derivation in Arabic and who wish to know what it is all about.

Lesson Six

(from al-Kitab al-Asasi Book Two)

The System of Derivation in the Arabic Language

(نِظَام الاشْتِقَاقِ فِي اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ)

John Adams is preparing to travel to the Arab countries. His professor at the university is saying to him:

“Don’t forget, John, – while you are there – to read one Arabic newspaper at least every day. Reading Arabic newspapers and magazines will help you to become familiar with Arab society and will help you to improve your Arabic (language) also.”

John: “The problem, Professor, is in the words. I have learnt a reasonable amount of Arabic, but the new words are too many, and the words that I know I hardly find in the newspapers.”

Professor: “The Arabic words appear as if they are new to the non-Arab learner. This is natural, but many of them – in reality – have a relation / bond with the words which he has learnt before. We have studied in the previous lessons that the Executive Power ( السُّلْطَة التَّنْفِيْذِيَّة ) executes ( تُنَفِّذُ ) tasks and the judges ( الْقُضَاة ) in the legislative power ( السُّلْطَة الْقَضَائِيَّة ) deliver judgement / adjudicate ( يَقْضُوْنَ ) on court cases ( الْقَضَايَا ) amongst people.”

John: “Yes… Yes…! Sorry – Professor – for interrupting – (but) you have just reminded me. There is another issue that confuses me. I have in fact observed that a number of words that I have studied constitute groups: each group shares in a number of the letters and at the same time (they are) close to each other (i.e. similar) in meaning.”

Professor: “Like …?”

John: “Like: (1) دَرْسٌ - دَرَسَ - دِرَاسَةٌ - دَارِسٌ - مَدْرَسَةٌ - مُدَرِّسٌ
(lesson – to learn – learning – learner – school – teacher)
and also: (2) فَتْحٌ - فَتَحَ - فَاتِحٌ - مَفْتُوْحٌ – مِفْتَاحٌ
(opening – to open – opener (s.o. or s,th. that opens) – open – key)
and also: (3) لَعِبٌ - لَعِبَ - لاَعِبٌ - مَلْعَبٌ – لُعبَةٌ
(playing – to play – player – playground – toy)

You have just focused my attention on two other / more groups. What is the reality of the matter, Professor?”

Professor: “The reality of the matter – John – is that the words in each group share in a certain number of letters, which in Arabic is called "الْجِذْر" (root) or "الأَصْل" (source, root, origin). Thus, the الْجِذْر in the first group is (د – ر – س ) .”

John: “Hence, the الْجِذْر in the second group is (ف – ت – ح ) and the الْجِذْر in the third group is (ل – ع – ب ) ”

Professor: “Well done (Bravo!). Also, every جِذْر has a basic meaning wherein the words of the group share …”

John: “… and of course, they differ in certain (other) things?”

Professor: “Yes, this الْجِذْر and the words belonging to it are like a tree: it (the tree) has one root from which the stem, numerous branches, leaves, flowers / blossoms and seeds spring. All of them share in one thing which is the root (i.e. الْجِذْر ), but each one differs from the other in certain things.”

John: “Am I also able to say that they are like a family? They share in a (common) grandfather and grandmother (i.e. the الْجِذْر ) and from them the descendants branch out who comprise the sons, daughters, (paternal) uncles and aunts, (maternal) uncles and aunts and the grandchildren …etc.”

Professor: “Yes, this is a good example / analogy.”

John: “The words in every group – then – share in some things and differ in some (other) things?”

Professor: “Right. The word "مُدَرِّسٌ" – for example – denotes the person teaching ( الشَّخْص الَّذِيْ يُدَرِّسُ ) but the word "مَدْرَسَةٌ" denotes the place in which the teacher teaches ( الْمَكَان الَّذِيْ يُدَرِّسُ فِيْهِ الْمُدَرِّسُ ) and the word "دَارِسٌ" denotes the person studying / learning (الشَّخْص الَّذِيْ يَدْرُسُ ), that is, all of them share in the meaning of "الدِّرَاسَة" (studying, learning) ...”

John: “…and (it is) clear that they differ in the fact that each of these words has a meaning that is specific to it.”

Professor: “Yes. Also these words – as we have observed – share in the letters of the الْجِذْر and they are (د – ر – س ) ...”

John: “…and at the same time they differ in the rest of its letters.”

Professor: “Yes. The words of every جِذْر are called "الْمُشْتَقَّات" (derivatives) (the singular form is "مُشْتَقٌّ" ) and every مُشْتَقٌّ (derivative) (1) has a specific form i.e. a specific structure for it letters, and (2) it has a specific meaning. Thus, the word "لاَعِبٌ" (player, is playing) [(note the form / pattern) which is that of "فَاعِلٌ" ] denotes the person playing (الشَّخْص الَّذِيْ يَلْعَبُ ).”

John: “Hence, the word "كَاتِبٌ" (writer, is writing) denotes the one writing (الَّذِيْ يَكْتُبُ ), and the word "قَارِئٌ" (reader, is reading) denotes the one reading (الَّذِيْ يَقْرَأُ ), and the word "نَائِمٌ" (someone sleeping, is sleeping) denotes the one sleeping (الَّذِيْ يَنَامُ ) ....”

Professor: “Right. Also "مُعَلِّمٌ" (teacher, is teaching) denotes the one teaching ( الَّذِيْ يُعَلِّمُ ), and "مُمَرِّضٌ" (male-nurse) denotes the one performing nursing (الَّذِيْ يَقُوْمُ بَالتَّمْرِيْضِ ), "مُدَرِّبٌ" (trainer, coach) denotes the one training / coaching ( الَّذِيْ يُدَرِّبُ ), and "مُدِيْرٌ" (manager / director) denotes the one managing / directing (a company for example) (الَّذِيْ يُدِيْرُ شَرِكَةً مَثَلاً ), and "مُرْسِلٌ" (sender) denotes the one sending (a letter for example) (الَّذِيْ يُرْسِلُ خِطَاباً مَثَلاً ), and "مُتَكَلِّمٌ" (speaker, is speaking) denotes the one speaking ( الَّذِيْ يَتَكَلَّمُ ) …”

John: “…(it is) clear that these words denote the one doing something ( الَّذِيْ يَفْعَلُ شَيْئًا ).”

Professor: “Yes, and for that reason this type of الْمُشْتَقَّات is called "اسْم الْفَاعِلِ" (active participle or the one doing the action).”

John: “There has to be in the Arabic language a type of الْمُشْتَقَّات denoting the opposite meaning.”

Professor: “Well done! Well done! (Bravo! Bravo!). You have started to enter into the heart and soul of the Arabic language. There is an opposite form / pattern and its name is "اسْم الْمَفْعُوْلِ" (passive participle or that onto which the action is done) and you have studied thereof words such as: "بَابُ مَفْتُوْحٌ" [(a door) that has been opened i.e. an open door] …”

John: “Wait … wait … leave me to think (i.e. let me think) … "عَقْدٌ مَكْتُوْبٌ" [a written (contract)] and "شَقَّةٌ مَفْرُوْشَةٌ" [a furnished (apartment / flat)].”

Professor: “Well done! (Bravo!). There is another form / pattern. The word "مَدْرَسَةٌ" – as you know – denotes the place in which the teacher teaches ( الْمَكَان الَّذِيْ يُدَرِّسُ فِيْهِ الْمُدَرِّسُ ) and it is for that reason that it is called in Arabic Grammar "اسْم الْمَكَانِ" (Noun of Place) …”

John: “Am I also able to say that words like: "مَلْعَب (الْكُرَةِ)" [playground (for playing ball)], "مَكْتَب (الْبَرِيْدِ)" [(post) office], "مَطْبَخٌ" (place of cooking i.e. kitchen) and "مَطْعَمٌ" (place of eating i.e. restaurant) are also اسْم الْمَكَانِ ?”

Professor: “Yes, and "مُسْتَشْفًى" (place for curing people i.e. hospital), "مَحَطَّة (الْحَافِلَةِ)" [(bus) terminal / platform / depot) and "مُتْحَفٌ" (museum) are also اسْم الْمَكَانِ .”

John: “That means, we have up to now: the الْجِذْر , the اسْم الْفَاعِلِ , the اسْم الْمَفْعُوْلِ and the اسْم الْمَكَانِ ...”

Professor: “…and also the الْمَصْدَر (infinitive / verbal noun / gerund) like: الدِّرَاسَة (studying, learning), اللَّعِب (playing), الْكِتَابَة (writing), الْقِرَاءَة (reading, reciting), التَّنْفِيْذ (executing) and السَّفَر (travelling) ...”

John: “…like: "السَّفَر إِلَى الْبِلاَدِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ" (travelling to Arab countries), "دِرَاسَة هَذَا الدَّرْسِ" (studying this lesson), "قِرَاءَة الصُّحُفِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ" (reading newspapers everyday) (and so on) up to the last of (all) the difficult pieces of advice (that you have given me).”

Professor: “Well done! (Bravo!), John.”

John: “…and the upshot is, Professor?”

Professor: “The upshot, John, is that Arabic words appear – at first glance – so many to the non-Arab learner, but the existence of words in groups / sets around lexical roots makes it easy for the student to understand many of the new words.”

John: “Of course, after he studies … after he studies …I have forgotten, Professor, …(after he) studies what?”

Professor: “… the System of Derivation, and now, to the exercises, John, in order that you do not forget this important topic.”

Hajj is Arafah: Developing an Insight

2007-12-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

While Laylah al-Qadr is the greatest night of the year for Muslims , Yawm 'Arafah is the greatest day of the year for Muslims. So great is this day that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed "Hajj is Arafah". There is no night in which we supplicate more than the Night of Power and there is no day on which we supplicate more than the Day of 'Arafah. Even those not participating in the Hajj rituals are encouraged to fast on the Day of Arafah and engage in all kinds of good and righteous works.

Now, what are some of the lessons that can be learnt from the Hajj and more specifically the Day of 'Arafah?

For me personally, the significance of the Hajj and especially the Day of 'Arafah is embodied in the following very important Qur'anic verse - a Qur'anic verse that addresses the whole of humanity:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

This verse is mentioned in Surah al-Hujurat. It is significant that in this Surah Allah Almighty - prior to this verse - addresses the Believers five times with يا أيها الذين آمنوا (O you who believe). In the sixth address (which is this address) the message is directed to the whole of humanity because it is a matter that concerns the whole of humanity - humanity in all its diversity. Apart from the universal address there are also some other important points:

(a) All of humanity share in the common denominator of being created by Allah .

(b) We were created from a common origin, a single pair of male and female - a pair whose parts are different yet complementary - a pair that requires both parts to ensure that the human race lives on

(c) Even though we were created from a common origin, we were still made into different nations and tribes with different languages and colours. These differences, though, were never intended to create division but rather (i) as a sign pointing to Allah's Power to create diversity from a unity as He says in Surah Rum (verse: 22) (وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِينَ ), and (ii) as a means to learn to know one another by looking beyond these physical and Islamically insignificant differences as stated in this verse in Surah al-Hujurat. Also, Allah Himself says that if He wanted He could have made us into one single nation, but instead He chose otherwise (وَلَوْ شَاء اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ) (Surah al-Shura verse: 8), and (وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ) (Surah Hud verse: 118).

(d) As stated in the previous point, the reason behind all this diversity is for us to rise above our differences by embracing the one and only commonality which is that we are all creatures of Allah, and created by Him from a single male and female, and then made into different nations and tribes. So what really unites us is the fact that we all share the reality of being created by Allah, and that makes us no better than anyone else. This intended human diversity is not without significance. The significance of this diversity is to afford the best amongst us the opportunity to rise above these differences, and to see only the commonality that unites us which is our utter dependence as creatures of Allah upon Allah (يا أيها الناس أنتم الفقراء إلى الله والله هو الغني الحميد) (O People, You are the ones that are in need of Allah, while Allah is absolutely free of all wants, and the One Always Praised).

(e) The next point in the verse is where a categorical statement is made, namely: (Verily, the most noble and honourable amongst you in Allah's estimation are the most Allah-conscious of you). As if to say, that not only is Taqwa the main and primary criterion for determining the most noble and honourable amongst us, but that Taqwa itself is also the means that enables us to see beyond our differences and to see only what unites us. In fact, it is only relationships that are bulit on Taqwa that are lasting and enduring relationships. The Qur'an tells us that on the Day of Judgment all friends will be enemies of one another except those who have Taqwa: الْأَخِلَّاء يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ (Surah al-Zukhruf verse: 67). Moreover, the fact that Taqwa is not tangible so as to be measurable means that no one can really claim the quality for him or herself (except the Messenger of Allah) but that we can only strive to be the best that we can possibly be.

(f) Should we be deluded into thinking that we have more Taqwa than some others, then just remember the hidden and veiled warning in the final part of the verse: (إِنَّ الله عَلِيْمٌ خَبِيْرٌ) , as if to say: Only Alllah knows and is aware of those who have Taqwa, so let us not be deluded and be carried away by false piety. In fact, Allah has made the sole criterion for being the best amongst humanity a quality that cannot really be measured because Allah alone knows how much you have of it if at all. If anything then Taqwa will cause you to know how really insignificant you are and that it will also cause you to think others better than you. You cannot be having Taqwa if you claim that your Taqwa is more than someone else's. In Surah al-Najm verse: 33 Allah reminds us that He knows us from the very beginning, from the time He created our ancestors from the earth and from the time that we were nothing but tiny emryos in our mothers' wombs, and therefore we should not make ourselves out to be good and pure, because He knows best those (among us) who have Taqwa:

(هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى ) .

Now, if you seek to find a link between Sawm and Hajj, then the link is this very quality of Taqwa. Sawm precedes Hajj by about two or three months, and Allah tells in the famous Sawm verse the whole purpose behind fasting which is to develop and achieve Taqwa (لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ) . In a very important Hajj verse Allah tells us to gather our supplies but that the best of supplies is Taqwa (فَتَزَوَّدُوْا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى) . It is as if Ramadhan prepared us and equipped us with the neccesary supplies (i.e. Taqwa) to enable us to get through the Hajj in the best possible manner.

Thus, it is in the Hajj that we see all the values that are mentioned in the verse mentioned in Surah al-Hujurat realised there and then:

The theme of unity and commonnness of humanity is stressed throughout Hajj:

(1) Unity of Purpose: We all go to Makkah with one and only purpose in mind, namely, to respond to Allah's invitation to come to the Holy House by saying: labbayk (Here we are, in answer to Your call; Here we are, in answer to Your call). In fact, "Hajj" itself means "to intend" because the pilgrim intends the House of Allah وَللهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلاَ .

(2) Unity of Dress: We all dress in one type of garment, and it is significant that this is also how we will be dressed when we are finally laid into our graves

(3) Unity of Language: We all recite the same Thikr and Du'a

(4) Unity of Activity: We all engage in the same activities

(5) Unity of Locations: We all move around in the same locations, and congregate on Yawm 'Arafah on the same plain the Plain of Arafat, where everybody engage in Thikr and Du'a

Everything that the pilgrim engages in during Hajj emphasises the unity of humanity rather than its diversity. While they are all different and diverse they are really all the same, because they all go there with the same concerns, and the common hope that Allah will accept their Thikr, Du'a and Righteous Deeds.

There is also something very atomic and cosmic about the Hajj. During the Tawaf we circumambulate the Ka'bah just as planets do around a star or sun or sub-atomic particles around a nucleus. In other words, from the smallest to the largest of objects in the universe, there is this sense of revolving around a center. It is this center which unites these apparently disparate bodies., without which they will all be scattered. Even on a non-physical level we require this center or purpose in life around which our whole life revolves. There is always a tendency to tie apparently unrelated things together. There is this tendency towards Tawhid, if you may. Even in life we have cycles. There are our own life cycles. And on reflection we see that even these cycles tend to have a center. It is the center that provides the unity to all the diversity that we see. It's only now that I understand the full impication of the words of the poet: وَفِيْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ لَهُ آيَةٌ * تَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ وَاحِدٌ [In everything there is a sign that points to the fact that He (Allah) is One]. Isn't tasbih exactly just that: to celebrate the Absolute Uniqueness of Allah and to have a belief in Allah that is free from likening Allah to any of His creation. In other words, He is Absolutely Unique, He is Absolutely One, and this is what everything in the universe attests to, and this includes the Hajj. Not only do we as Hujjaj (pilgrims) celebrate the unity of humanity but we also celebrate through our states and actions the Absolute Unity of the Lord of Humanity.

It should also be remembered that Arafah is so called because it is said that it is the place where Adam and Hawwa' came together after their exit from Paradise. It is also significant that 'Arafah comes from the same root as لتعارفوا (lita'aarafuu = in order that you may know each other) mentioned in the Hujuraat verse. It is almost as if people are meant to learn to know one another by foregetting their differences (even internal and sectarian differences) and all just to unite as a single human being with a single purpose and a single request that Allah forgive them all, and to save them from the Fire of Jahannam.

The Hajj should be a lesson for all of us in that by joining forces and having a common purpose we should be able to overcome the challenges that face us as an Ummah. Our problem is that we still prefer to foreground our differences rather than our commanilities as an Ummah, which is why we have become the laughing stock of the world. As a Muslim Ummah we have all the ingredients to be the best nation that has evolved for the entire humanity, but we prefer petty and trivial differences to divide, and the outcome is what you see in the world today as regards the condition of the Muslims. The irony of it all is that despite being a weak Ummah at the moment we are still a force to be reckoned with. The point is what a force won't we be if we are instead in a position of strength! The Hajj should remind us every year of our strength as an Ummah: how Muslims can mobilise millions within a short period of time in one place - an Ummah that operates as a single human being. HAJJ IS THE ULTIMATE SHOW OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

O Allah, help us as an UMMAH, O Allah, help the UMMAH of Your Most Beloved, Ameen!

قتل الإنسان ما أكفره - Developing an Insight

2007-11-16T06:17:00.000-08:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Introduction to the post:

The following is an insight I got as I was writing on the humble beginnings of man. In fact, the post was initially entitled "the humble beginnings of man". But as I was writing this piece I realised for the first time the connection between the gratitude we ought to show to Allah and the gratitude we ought to show to our parents as mentioned in Surah Luqman. It suddenly dawned upon me that those who are rebellious and ungrateful to Allah are not very different from those who are rebellious and ungrateful to their parents. Whilst parents are the nurturers of their children Allah is the Lord and Nurturer of the Worlds. I then thought of exploring this insight further through a connection with the Qur'anic verse I had originally in mind for the post, namely: قُتِلَ الإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ .

The following, then, is no more than an attempt to develop my initial thought for the post and a subsequent thought as I was originally writing the post, into a coherent and structured piece of writing, insha Allah. In hindsight, I have also realised that there are different ways in which I could have gone about this task - ways that I might consider in the future. Once such way (some elements of which are included here) is to explore all the implications in being grateful or ungrateful to Allah, and why Allah in one verse orders us to thank him but at the same time also to thank our parents. Shukr is an act of acknowledging that someone has been good to you, and Kufr is a rejection not only of the benevolence of that someone but often also of the very existence of that someone. Shukr presupposes also that we are aware of the good that has been done to us, and that we often contemplate these gestures of goodness, kindness and generosity, lest we not take them for granted or just assume and accept that that is how things ought to be and just are in the world. For example, it just so happens that we have parents who care for us, and that there is nothing special about this, such that it warrants gratitude. This is a perspective that will have to change even if we do not hold it consciously. It is by acknowledging our parents and what they have done for us, esp. our mothers, that we will also properly understand what it means to make Shukr to Allah, Who is the One Who gave us parents in the first place.

There are other insights that can be teased out from an extended reflection on the concept of Shukr, but we will defer that for now so as not to delay some of the insights that we have already gained from such a reflection, and to Allah belongs all Praise.

Exploring the Qur'anic verse: قُتِل الإنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ :

[Assessing Three Translations Based on a Linguistic Analysis of the Verse]:

YUSUF ALI: Woe to man! What hath made him reject Allah;

PICKTHAL: Man is (self-)destroyed: how ungrateful!

SHAKIR: Cursed be man! how ungrateful is he!

Both Pickthal and Shakir concur that the Kufr mentioned in مَا أَكْفَرَهُ is the Kufr that relates to being ungrateful to the Bounties and Favours of Allah whereas Yusuf Ali maintains that it refers to the Kufr that relates to the Rejection of Allah and the Denial of His Existence. On consulting the tafsir literature the tendency seems towards interpreting Kufr as Rejection and Denial but at the same time many of them also combine the Kufr of Rejection and Denial with the Kufr of Ungratefulness implying that both interpretations are valid, and that a Rejection of Allah's Bounties is also a Rejection of Allah Himself.

Secondly, while Yusuf Ali analyses "ما" as being interrogative (استفهامية) such that the sentence becomes a question, both Pickthal and Shakir analyse it as the "maa" of displaying wonder (تعجبية) such that the sentence becomes one of displaying wonder and surprise at the fact of man's rejection of Allah and His Favours. Both these analyses are supported in the tafsir and lughah literature.

Thirdly, قُتِلَ is interpreted as a type supplication against man. Many exegetes give the meaning of "قُتِلَ" as "لُعِنَ" (i.e. to be cursed). This seems to concur with the interpretation of Shakir and possibly Yusuf Ali, whereas Pickthal gives a more literal interpretation of self-desctruction coming to man.

Fourthly, الإنسان is taken mostly in the generic sense, and is often interpreted as الْكَافِر because of "ما أكفره" ., such that it is not الإنسان in the absolute sense but rather الإنسان as a كافر (rejector of Allah and His Bounties). Also, if interpreted as referring to someone in particular, then it can also be extended to others by way of qiyas (analogy), that is, people displaying similar qualities.

What is the cause for the CHARGE OF INGRATITUDE being laid against man?

The Qur'an continuously and constantly reminds us of our humble beginnings:

(1) there was a time that we were not a thing worth mentioning

(2) we originated from a despicable substance that came from an equally dispicable place

(3) as babies and little kids we could not care for ourselves; in fact we could not feed ourselves nor could we clean ourselves after we rid ourselves of the substances that came from the food that we could not feed ourselves

(4) we are also utterly and totally dependent on everything and everyone around us just to survive let alone live in luxury: the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the food that we eat, the houses that we find shelter in, the clothes that we wear, etc.

We are like little children, because we just happened to have had parents that looked after us and cared for us, and we took for granted that that is how things must be. How ungrateful we often are to our parents. It is this fact, that the Qur'an in Surah Luqman endeavours to bring home and engrave in our consciousness. It tells us to be good and grateful to our parents, and then tell us at length of a period in our development that we often take for granted and that we have no recollection of. This is the period when our mothers carried us pain upon pain, weakness upon weakness, and then risk dying during child-birth just to give birth to us. Then we turn around when we are older and treat our parents with such ingratitude and disdain that it is almost hard to believe that as weak and helpless babies we would turn out to be such monsters to our parents.

Now, this situation is not much different from our relation to Allah. No wonder Allah orders us in the same verse to be grateful to both Him and our parents. Yet Allah has done infinitely more for us than our parents. In fact, He gave us parents in the first place to look after us. Whatever care and compassion they showed us when we were helpless babies and children is as a result of the mercy and compassion He has placed in the hearts of our parents especially our mothers.

At the end of the day, all Praise belongs to Allah. Yet, many of us, despite partaking of all the bounties and favours that Allah has betstowed upon us turn around and show nothing but ingratitude and arrogance.

Some of us turn around and put forth a parable to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Allah says of him in Surah Yasin:وضرب لنا مثلا ونسي خلقه، قال من يحيي العظام وهي رميم؟ . Such utter arrongance and ungratefulness! After everything He has given us, some of us have the audacity to question His Existence, His Revelation, our Resurrection on the Day of Judgment! The Qur'an time and again tells us, nay, reminds us of how hopeless and helpless we once were, and how hopeless and helpless we will once again become, but very few of us take heed and take the Reminder seriously. In fact, the verses (17 - 23 of Surah 'Abasa) that follow the verse under discussion (namely, قتل الإنسان ما أكفره ), remind us of our humble beginnings:

مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ
ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاء أَنشَرَهُ
كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ

[From what stuff hath He created him?
From a sperm-drop: He hath created him, and then mouldeth him in due proportions;
Then doth He make His path smooth for him;
Then He causeth him to die, and putteth him in his grave;

Then, when it is His Will, He will raise him up (again).

By no means hath he fulfilled what Allah hath commanded him. ]

Yes, from what stuff was man created?

Yes, and what was he before he was created?

هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الْإِنسَانِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئًا مَّذْكُورًا

[Has there come over man a period of time when he was a thing not worth mentioning?] (Surah al-Insan, verse: 1).

Such then are man's origins: nothingness, then a sperm-drop - a dispicable substance emitted from an equally dispicable place, and so also when he is eventually born. It is clear that the beginnings of man's creation involve nothing but lowliness and inferiority. Why then all this arrogance, audaciousness and impudence?

So also will be his end in this world. From nothingness he comes and to nothingness will he be reduced. From turab (dust) he comes and to turab will he return. ثم أماته فأقبره (then He caused him to die, and then put him in the grave). Why then all this arrogance, audaciousness and impudence?

I mean if it is not enough that we should be humbled by our humble beginnings then let us at least be humbled by our humble end in this world. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say: Every day you hear people announcing: مَات فُلاَنٌ (So-and-so has died), and there will come a day when people will announce: مَاتَ عُمَرُ ('Umar has died), and that did come and people did announce: مَات عُمَرُ ('Umar has died).

And here I, the author of this blog, say as 'Umar has said: Everyday you hear people announcing: مَات فُلاَنٌ (So-and-so has died), and there will come a day when people will announce: مَاتَ أَمِيْنُ اللهِ (Amienoellah has died).

Are we ready for that day? If not, then let us not waste time.

The Greatest of Mortal Sins:

I remember in a hadith that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his companions concerning the greatest of Mortal Sins, to which he then replied: الإشراك بالله وعقوق الوالدين و and then he sat up and said: ألا وقول الزور and repeated it until the narrator wished he would stop (because of how much it scared them), in this order. What is striking of this hadith is the mentioning of the sin of disobeying one's parents immediately after the sin of associating partners with Allah. If one ponders over a possible connection between these two sins then you cannot but conclude that at the basis of both these mortal sins is the issue of ungratefulness. How can one associate partners with Allah after He created him and then bestow bounties upon him? How can one disobey his parents after all they that they have done for him and have gone through whether before or after he was born? Worse then is to disobey one's parents and on top of it to associate partners with Allah. In fact, the Qur'an talks about such a case.

You might ask concerning the parents who strive to cause you to deviate from the Straight Path. Here again we find the Qur'anic directives instructive. We are told not to obey them in that respect but still to accompany them in goodness in this world. This is the gratitude we show to them even if they are non-Muslim, because as non-Muslims they went through the same difficulties and gave us the same care when and after we were brought into this world.

Worse is the fact that some of us use the very bounties that Allah has bestowed to deny Allah and show ingratitude:

Allah says in Surah Ibrahim (verses: 28 - 29):

29 -أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ، جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَوْنَهَا وَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ - سورة إبراهيم 28

[Have you not seen those who change the Grace of Allah into rejection and ungratefulness and led their people down to the Abode of Destruction, into Hell? They will burn therein, - an evil place to stay in!]

The Mufassirun say that the people referred to in the verse are the Disbelievers of Makkah on whom Allah had bestowed all kinds of bounties and favours, and then honoured them with His greatest Bounty which was to raise the The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) - the Mercy unto the Worlds - from their midst. Yet they turned around and rejected him, and instead of welcoming him they ridiculed him and subjected him to all types of persecution, such that he and his followers had to eventually flee Makkah.

In this day and age we find that the favours that Allah has bestowed on humanity such as technology, science and medical advancement, have been used by some to deny Allah's Existence. The very tools of learning and research (such as their senses and intellectual faculties) that Allah has endowed them with, they have used to turn against Him. Instead of using these tools to point them in the direction of Allah they use them to to point them in the direction of atheism and a godless secularism.

In fact, we find some have even made it their livelihood - a livelihood that (in reality) comes to them from Allah - to reject and deny Allah and His bounties. It is to this effect that Allah says in Surah al-Waqi'ah (verses: 81 - 82):

أَفَبِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَنتُم مُّدْهِنُونَ ، وَتَجْعَلُونَ رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ

[Is this the Message that you scorn? And have you transformed the livelihood and sustenance that come to you into denial and false declaration?] In other words, is this how you show your gratitude and thankfulness to Us and repay Our Favours upon you by not only being ungateful and thankless but by outrightly rejecting Us and denying this Message of Ours?]

... But it is Allah's Way not to act hastily but to let them rejoice in their misguidance for a while. This is the meaning of Allah's Name al-Sabur (الصبور) - which refers to Allah's attribute of not acting hastily and executing matters before their appointed times - times that He Himself has appointed for them.

We can only but marvel at the patience and constance with which they are marching to and getting ready for the Fire (if Allah does not will for them to be guided). To echo the words in Surah al-Baqarah (verse: 175):

فَمَا أَصْبَرَهُمْ عَلَى النَّارِ

[How constant and patient are they in their striving to reach the Fire!]

... But then again it is only out of ignorance that they behave in this way, for had they really known, their behaviour would have been totally different.

Finally, Allah Almighty is not in need of our gratitude, nor does our ingratitude affect Him in the least, because He is free of all needs and wants, while we are the ones who are in need of Him (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الغَنِيُّ الحَمِيدُ) (O Mankind, You are the ones who are need of Allah, while Allah is free of all needs and wants, and worthy of all praise) (Surah Fatir: verse 15). Moreover, we are the ones who stand to benefit from showing how grateful and thankful we are for all the bounties and favours Allah has bestowed and continues to bestow upon us. Thus, Allah reminds us in Surah Luqman verse: 12:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

[Indeed, We bestowed (in the past) Wisdom on Luqman: "Show gratitude to Allah." Any who shows gratitude (to Allah) does so only to profit his own soul: but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, Worthy of all praise.]

May Allah make us the custodians of His Din, and make us utilise everything in our power and possess from what He has granted us in the way of promoting and advancing the course of the Religion of Truth.

To Be or Not To Be? That is the Question

2007-10-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

My life often fluctuates between moments of extreme objectivity and moments of extreme subjectivity, and both have often been very beneficial for me, and sometimes detrimental. Objectivity promotes the scientific rational side and subjectivity the artistic, emotional and spiritual side. Objectivity is about reasoning and subjectivity is about feeling and experiencing. At the risk of being too general, I would say that the seat of reasononing is the mind and intellect and the seat of feeling and experiencing is the heart and the soul. The Qur'an, we find, addresses both the intellect and the heart, and while 'aql (reasononing) is associated with the mind and intellect, fiqh (deep understanding) as well as shu'ur (feeling) is associated with the heart. Coupled to these instruments are the 5 senses which play a very pivotal role in supplying the heart and mind with the raw materials in order for them to engage in their respective activities.

The Qur'an is replete with verses that urge us to exercise and utilise all these instruments in the service of knowing and worshiping Allah. There are numerous verses that invite us to reflect, to look, observe, listen, journey into the land, etc. etc. All of these activities serve a very important purpose which is to know Allah and His Attributes and Most Beautiful Names that are manifested and reflected not only in the universe but also in ourselves.

Often we use our minds and hearts to deal with matters of day-to-day living, and we often make vital decisions based on them. Our decisions are not always right or within our so called "realm of control" (if we are ever in control) which is why we resort to al-Istikharah or we say as the Qur'an teaches us: وأفوض أمري إلى الله إن الله بصير بالعباد , [And I refer my matter to Allah. Truly, Allah is sees (everything) concerning His servants]. The latter is more when you find yourself in a really difficult situation and you have no way out from it, then you appeal to Allah.

While my situation is not as grave, I'm nevertheless at a cross-roads, and hence the question: To be or not to be? I've decided that blogging is not the best forum or medium for what I wish to get across, and for I what I have in mind vis-a-vis Arabic. Also, my engagement in blogging has been very intense and all-consuming over the past couple of weeks, and it's not as if I don't have other work to do. It's just that this is something I like doing, and I can't seem to do it in moderation. So it's an all or nothing situation. Add to that the fact that since mine is still a young blog and not as established as other blogs I thought it won't be great loss (if at all). Moreover, blogging is new to me and holds too many unknowns, so I think it's better for me to err on the side of caution, and call it a day in the world of blogging.

As to my 2 or 3 readers (who have coomented from time to time), I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. You have my email, and so as not to disappoint you, we can work something else out if you wish - something less intense and less consuming, insha Allah. Finally, I ask Allah to remove the dunya from our hearts, crown our efforts with ikhlas and grant us all a حسن الخاتمة (good ending):

اللهم افتح لنا بالخير واختم لنا بالخير واجعل عواقب أمورنا بالخير بيدك الخير إنك على كل شيء قدير

A Very Exciting Project: The Art of Tadabbur and Tafakkur

2007-10-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

At one of the prominent institutions that I was teaching, I was asked by the Director to teach a module on Qur'anic Vocabulary (Mufradat al-Qur'an) - may Allah reward him for affording me the opportunity to explore a whole new world. The course materials that I had at my disposal proved inadequate at the time, and I decided to devise my own. The result was astonishing. Never had I developed such an appreciation for the Qur'an as I did then. I was forced to make use of my then current linguistic skills and develop new ones to deal with the task at hand. These skills I used in conjunction with the tafsir literature that I had access to. For me it was if an entirely different world was opening up - a world that I'd never experienced before. For the first time I began to understand why the Quran was talking about itself in such majestic terms [Furthermore I call to witness the Places of the Stars - and that is indeed a mighty oath if you but knew - that this is indeed a Qur'an Most Honourable in a Book well-guarded which none shall touch save the purified, a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds (Surah al-Waqi'ah verses: 75 - 80)]. For the first time did I understand why the Qur'an urges us to constantly reflect, contemplate and ponder. It is as if you had stopped breathing air and in its place you are breathing the Qur'an that goes into your whole system like oxygen flows into your blood bringing about rejuvenation of the body. The Qur'an on the other hand brings about the rejuvenation of the soul. When the Qur'an touches you it touches you very deeply, and makes you shiver inside, and for the first time you undertsand the meaning of the Qur'anic verse in Surah al-Hashr: [Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect. (Surah al-Hashr verse: 21)]. There are numerous verses in the Qur'an that refer to the impact of the Qur'an on its listeners.

Realising what it is that I had discovered, I decided to pursue it further even after I had left the institution. I had in the process added another component to the study that deals with contemplation of the ayat (signs) in the Universe as well in addition to the ayat (verses) in the Qur'an. Al-Hamdulillah, I have managed to collect some really valuable materials along the way, and managed to develop a skill which I had not hitherto known about. I then thought of how it might be possible for others to develop this skill which I have meanwhile called "Fann al-Tadabbur wa al-Tafakkur" (The Art of Contemplation of the Qur'an and the Universe) or "Fiqh al-Ayat Fil-Qur'an wa Fil-Kawn" (A Deep Understanding of the Ayat in Both the Qur'an and the Universe). I thought that the best way would be to lay out its components to see how this can be developed into a course outline for a course that can be offered as a module. I have meanwhile also thought about writing a complete manual or textbook on "Fann al-Tadabbur wa al-Tafakkur". Insha Allah, I hope all this can materialise soon, and then maybe others can develop and refine it further.

What follows is a tentative structure or outline that I've come up with which is posted on the Lisanularab Discussion Forum, and which I'm importing here. Insha Allah, I hope to develop this topic in this blog from now onwards. This format of the envisaged course was before I introduced the al-Tafakkur component. So, insha Allah, aspects of the al-Tafakkur component will be brought in as separate posts. Your comments will be appreciated.

Introduction:

(a) Definition of al-Tadabbur, lughatan and shar'an
(b) Defining related terms such as tafakkur, i'tibar, tadhakkur, nathar, sayr fil-ard, etc. also terms denoting other human activities vis-à-vis the Qur'an, e.g. qira’ah, tilawah, tartil, sam’ & istima’ and so on. Moreover, these human activities can be divided into two groups: positive activities and negative activities. The aforementioned activities are all positive. Negative activities include kufr (both in the sense of "rejection / denial" and "being ungrateful"), juhuud (rejection), taktheeb (rejection, belying), istikbaar (haughtiness and arrogance), i'raadh (turning away, ignoring), nisyaan (forgetting), etc.
(c) Excellence of al-Tadabbur from Qur'an & Sunnah, and scholarly opinions.
(d) Aim and Benefits of al-Tadabbur
(e) Keywords: al-Tadabbur, Qalb, Aqfal, Qur'an, al-Fafakkur, al-I'tibar, Ayat, 'Ibrah, etc.

Exploring al-Tadabbur, al-Tafakkur, & other related concepts in the Qur'an:

Components / Elements of al-Tadabbur:

(a) the Object of al-Tadabbur (i.e. the Qur'an) – verbal / written Qur’an & visual Qur'an (i.e. ayat quraniyyah & ayat kawniyyah)
(b) the Subject (al-Mutadabbir)
(c) the Method of al-Tadabbur

Types of al-Tadabbur:

Linguistic Aspects (Grammatical & Rhetorical Devices)
Scientific Aspects
Historical Aspects
Divine Aspects (e.g. Divine Attributes, Beautiful Names)
Prophetic Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Eschatological Aspects (e.g. Final Day, Hereafter, Resurrection, Different Names & Attributes for Last Hour / Day, Death, Grave, etc.)
Etc.

Instrument(s) of al-Tadabbur:

The Heart
The Mind / Intellect

Factors that Enhance / Curtail al-Tadabbur:

(a) presence or absence of locks (aqfal) on the heart [i.e. locks that are specific to hearts (aqfaluha)]
(b) subject’s spiritual level
(c) time of day or night (early hours of the day)
(d) setting / environment
(e) mental state / condition (motivated, tired, etc.)
(f) etc.

Al-Tadabbur & the Organizational Structure of the Qur'an & its Surahs:

Rules of al-Tadabbur:

Examing Instances & Examples of al-Tadabbur from the Qur'an & Tafsir literature:

Use of Modern Media, Tools and Aids for Enhancing the Activity of al-Tadabbur:

(a) Recordings of selected Qur'anic portions recited by renowned Qur'anic readers (e.g. Muhammad Siddiq al-Minshawi, Mustafa Ismail, AbdulBasit Muhammad AbdulSamad), recordings of Tarawih renditions, recordings of whole Qur'an by renowned Qur'anic readers, etc.
(b) The Qur'anic reader's use of musicality and variation of maqamat in highlighting particular Qur'anic meanings for the purpose of creating heightened spiritual effect

Key Readings & Studies for Developing the Skill of al-Tadabbur:

(1) ‘Ilm Ma’rifat Fawatih al-Suwar wa Khawatimiha
(2) ‘Ilm Tanasub al-Ayat wa –al-Suwar
(3) ‘Ilm Ma’rifat Aqsam al-Qur'an wa Amthalihi
(4) ‘Ilm Binyat al-Suwar
(5) ‘Ulum al-Balaghah
(6) ‘Ilm Ma’rifat Mufradat al-Qur'an
(7) Al-Furuq al-Lughawiyyah
(8) ‘Ilm Ma’rifat Dala-il al-I’jaz
(9) ‘Ilm al-Sarf (‘Ilm al-Ishtiqaq), ‘Ilm al-Nahw, ‘Ilm al-Lughah (Fiqh al-Lughah)
(10) Some Tafasir that deal with the aforementioned subjects

من صامَ رمضانَ، وأَتْبعَهُ سِتًا من شوّالٍ : a question posed by a student to his teacher

2007-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

We are all familiar with the hadith: من صامَ رمضانَ، وأتبعَهُ سِتًا من شوّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ (Whosoever fasts Ramadan, and follows it up with the six (days / nights) of Shawwal, then his fasting is like the fasting of a whole year) which has been documented by Muslim in his Compilation of Authentic Hadiths.

Apart from the significance of this hadith because of the month that we find ourselves in - the month of Shawwal - the hadith also contains a special Nahw question. At the same time it is also a lesson in for us in student-teacher relationships.

The special grammatical question or query in the hadith is why is it سِتَّا and not سِتَّةً on the basis that what is implied is 'six days' in which case we say: سِتَّةَ أيَّام , and not سِتَّ أَيَّامٍ , such that the implied structure of the hadith should read: من صامَ رمضانَ، وأتبعَهُ سِتَّةَ أَيَّامٍ من شوّالٍ ?

This was the exact question that one student asked his teacher in a series of questions concerning a number of ahadith in Sahih Muslim. The student was no other than the great Imam al-Nawawi, the author of numerous works including the highly popular Forty Hadith and Riyadh al-Salihin, and the teacher no other than the great Ibn Malik, also the author of numerous works and was especially famed for his Alfiyyah (thousand verse didactic poem on grammar). Imam al-Nawawi could not have asked for a better Nahw teacher and Ibn Malik could not have asked for a better student. It is said that it was Imam al-Nawawi that Ibn Malik referred to in the second half of line 126 of his Alfiyyah when he gave examples of a mubtada' occurring as an indefinite (nakirah) noun: وَرَجُلٌ مِنَ الْكِرَامِ عِنْدَنَا (... and there is a man from amongst the honourable men in our midst). What a student! and, What a teacher! May Allah reward both them with only the best for the tremendous services that these two giants have rendered to Islam.

Ibn Malik's Response to Imam al-Nawawi's Question:

Since the first of the month is a night (i.e. it starts from sunset) and the last of the month is a day (i.e. it ends with sunset), the Arabs calculated their dating using the nights, and by mentioning the nights they did not need to mention the days.Therefore, they would say: كُتِبَ لِخَمْسٍ [it was written after five (nights have passed)]. This is also not case of التغليب (giving the one preference and precedence over the other), because التغليب obtains when both categories are mentioned, and then both of them is given the treatment of one of them as though it was mentioned alone, e.g. رأَيْتُ رِجالاً ونِسَاءً يَتَحَدَّثُوْنَ (I saw men and women talking) [here يتحدثون is in reference to both men and women but is conjugated according to the gender of رجال (men)]. This is not the case with كُتِبَ لِخَمْسٍ , because what is mentioned does not cover nights and days, rather the mentioning of الليالي obviates the need to mention الأيام .So when this system was became sort of the standard for dating, it became also adopted for other things, on condition there was no confusion or ambiguity, like the Statement of the Most High: يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنْفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرا، البقرة: 234 (they should keep themselves in waiting for four months and ten days) and يَتَخَافَتُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا عَشْراً ، طـه:103 [they should keep themselves in waiting for four months and ten (days)].Falling in this category would be the following: وأتْبَعَهُ ستّاً مِنْ شَوَّال . Al-Zamakhshari says in the al-Kash-shaf: “You say: صُمْتُ عَشْراً (I fasted ten), and were you to have made it agree with the masculine, you would most certainly have strayed and deviated from their way of speaking (i.e. the way of the Arabs)”.

Ibn Uthman’s comment: This last point that al-Zamakhshari makes is interesting because the whole purpose of the study of al-Nahw is to emulate and follow the Speech or Lisan of the Arabs. This is clearly stated by Abu Bakr Ibn al-Sarraj when he says in his highly acclaimed al-Usul Fi al-Nahw (the Foundations of Grammar): : النحو إنما أريد به أن ينحو المتكلم إذا تعلمه كلام العرب [(Nahw: its purpose is for the speaker – when he learns it (i.e. Nahw) – to emulate and follow the Speech of the Arabs]. The Arabic word for “emulate and follow” in Ibn al-Sarraj’s text is يَنْحُوْ from whence the term النحو (al-Nahw). In other words, Nahw is all about emulating and following the (classical) Arabs in their Speech.

والله أعلم

The True Meaning of "Ahlan Wa Sahlan (Wa Marhaban)"

2007-10-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Arabs, when they had visitors (or even just strangers) coming to visit them, used to say to them (and they still do): أهلاَ وسَهْلاَ . In those days, people traveled by land and over long stretches of often rugged and steep terrain – over hills and down mountain passes, etc. – and with not a single soul in sight. Often when they did find people these people might prove hostile, and so on. Therefore, the two most yearned-after words that you would like hear as a traveler were: أهلاَ وسَهْلاَ which actually means: أَتَيْتَ / صَادَفْتَ أَهْلاَ ووَطِئْتَ سَهْلاَ [You came upon / found hospitable people (i.e. people that are almost if they are family to you) and are treading smooth and flat terrain]. Often they would add أهلا وسهلا ومَرْحَباً . The word "مرحبا" is often translated as “welcome” but this translation does not do justice to the word. The root form which is also used in the Qur’an, namely, رَحُبَ (rahuba) has the meaning of “being spacious and wide” as opposed to “being narrow and constricted”. The Qur’anic expression وضاقت عليهم الأرض بما رحبت (and the earth became narrow and constricted for them despite being wide and spacious) refers to how in a battle when you are surrounded by the enemy with no where to run, you are literally constrained and narrowed down to that area despite the land being so wide and stretched out. So the addition, مرحباَ which also occurs in the Qur’an (See Surah Sad verse: 59) means that not only have you found a smoothed-out stretch of terrain but also an open and spacious place so as not to feel constrained. Anyone who lives in places like the Gulf would know how much the Arabs love their space. So, the last thing they want is to be constricted and confined to a small area.

This also brings to mind the word الْفُسْحَة and التفسّح (spaciousness, width, roominess) in verse 11 of Surah al-Mujadilah or al-Mujadalah in the part which reads:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ، سورة المجادلة: 11

[O you who believe! When it is said to you: Make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room: (ample) room will Allah provide for you.]

[By the way, Surah al-Mujadilah or al-Mujadalah, which comprises 22 verses, is the only surah in the Qur'an where each of its verses contains the Name الله ]

One scholar and exegete (Fakhr al-Din al-Razi) in explaining this verse starts by saying: After Allah Almighty has ordered you to refrain from doing things that will breed hatred and animosity among you, He orders you to do things that will bring about love and compassion among you.

He then goes on to explain an alternative reading to تفسَّحوا (tafassahu) namely, تفاسحوا (tafaasahu) and quotes Ibn Jinni (d. 392 AH = 1001 AD) as saying that the latter reading is more apt since the first one only means “let there be space (tafassuh) between you” where as the second reading (tafaasahu) means that everybody must share and co-operate in the act of making space and room for each other.

He then mentions an alternative reading for المجالس (al-majaalis = assemblies) which is the singular form المجلِس (al-majlis = assembly). He says that the singular reading refers to the Majlis of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with his companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and plural reading refers to the sum of individual places of sitting i.e. the places where individual companions might be sitting.

Al-Razi then goes into the various views as to what is meant by المجالس or المجلس in this context. The part, though, that I found most fascinating and very relevant for our times is where he says and I quote:

واعلم أن هذه الآية دلت على أن كل من وسع على عباد الله أبواب الخير والراحة، وسع الله عليه خيرات الدنيا والآخرة، ولا ينبغي للعاقل أن يقيد الآية بالتفسح في المجلس، بل المراد منه إيصال الخير إلى المسلم، وإدخال السرور في قلبه، ولذلك قال عليه السلام: "لا يزال الله في عون العبد ما زال العبد في عون أخيه المسلم".

[Know that this verse indicates that everyone and anyone who makes available for Allah’s servants in abundant and “spacious” fashion the avenues and doors of goodness and comfort, then Allah will make available for him also in abundant fashion the goodness of this World and the Next. It is not for a rationally-minded person to restrict this verse to merely “making room for someone in an assembly”, but what is really intended by this action is that one must allow and want khayr (goodness) to reach a fellow-Muslim, and have happiness and joy occupy his or her heart. It is for this reason that he (the Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah continues to provide assistance to a servant for as long as the servant continues to provide assistance to his fellow-Muslim brother”]

The significance of this for me is that we are living in a world where we can ill-afford to make life difficult for one another. For me if you have not made space and room for your Muslim brother or sister IN YOUR HEART, then you will not make space and room for him or her anywhere, and in any world (whether real or virtual). The expression “Ahlan Wa Sahlan Wa Marhaban” should not only be used in the physical sense but in all senses and on all levels. Then and only then will we see an improvement in our condition. I ask Allah to forgive us our shortcomings and increase the spaciousness of our hearts for one another and to remove the ghill (malice) that is occupying our hearts. In saying this, I’m reminding myself first and foremost, since it is easy for one to see the faults in others and be blinded to his / her own.

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلّاً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Ameen!

Arabic Around The World

2007-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

It has always been a goal of mine to one day do a survey of all the Arabic institutions and centers around the world - whether traditional or modern, with a view to learning more about:

When the institution was founded, and how long it has been in existence?
Whether it follows a traditional or modern system, and which particular traditional or modern system?
What the focus is on - grammar, communication, holistic, Classical or Modern Standard Arabic, or both, etc.?
What their syllabus or curriculum is like
What textbooks it is using?
Who the most prominent teachers are?
What the medium of instruction is
What challenges it is facing?
and so on.

I've always been interested in how Arabic is taught in the Arab countries, Turkey, Indo-Pak Subcontinent (esp. the traditional Darul-Ulum), Malaysia, Indonesia, some African countries, and the systems that they are following, and the textsbooks that they are using. For example, in Turkey, Indo-Pak Subcontinent, and Iran they are all big on the al-Kafiyah of Ibn al-Hajib on Nahw, as a sort of end book. To get to the al-Kafiyah, though, they might follow different routes. In Turkey, for example, they start with al-Birgwi's Kitab al-'Awamil al-Jadid, followed by his Ith-har al-Asrar, and the al-Kafiyah. Along the away, I assume, students might do a commentary or two so as to prepare them adequately for the next book in the ladder or hierarchy of Arabic Nahw books. In Indo-Pak (esp. the Darul-Ulum) they do, for example, Nahw Mir, and the Mi-at 'Amil of Abdul-Qahir al-Jurjani together with a Sharh. This is followed by Hidayah al-Nahw, which is sort of equivalent to the Ith-har al-Asrar of al-Birgwi in Turkey. Aftr the Ith-har al-Asrar in Turkey, and the Hidayah al-Nahw in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent the students direct themselves to Ibn al-Hajib's al-Kafiyah. The Matn of the al-Kafiyah is further augmented by the commentaries of Radhiyyud-Din al-Astarabadhi and Mulla al-Jami. In both traditions, the Nahw is taught hand-in-hand with a very elaborate focus on Sarf esp. the patterns, where students are required to memorise these patterns.

What is interesting in my brief observations of the various systems and approaches (the Arab, Turkish and Indo-Pak) is that there exist slight differences in the way they do their analysis (i'rab) of sentences, and so on. It was rather refreshing for me to know that, for example, the Turkish system of doing I'rab highlighted aspects of the sentence that is being analysed not highlighted in the other systems. In fact, you most probably wouldn't understand a Turkish I'rab text unless you have been through their system or have done some of their books. Likewise, Turkish students who have been through the Turkish system find it equally confusing when confronted by another system of I'rab. However, if you are familiar with all three systems you are all the more enriched.

These, then, are just some of my observations and thoughts on a project that I would like to attempt some time in the future, insha Allah. Make du'a that it comes to fruition.

Three Classics on I'rab al-Hadith

2007-10-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahatullahi wabarakatuh

While there are many books that deal with the i'rab (syntactic analysis) of the Qur'an, there are not as many that deal with the i'rab of Hadith. The primary reason for this is the claim that much of what was transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in terms of sayings was done so on the basis of its meaning rather than its actual form and wording. In other words, preference was given to preserving the overall meaning rather than the actual form and wording of the hadith, such that narrators and transmitters could (and would) supply their own wording as long as the meaning and message of the hadith were kept intact. This also accounts for the often multiple but slightly different narrations of the same hadith. Often you will hear that a particular hadith was narrated by both Bukhari and Muslim but that the wording of the hadith is that of Muslim.

This also raised another very important question - question of which a great deal has been written classically as well as in modern times. This question pertains to the admissibility or inadmissibility of the Hadith as evidence and proof for linguistic rules. In other words, can a hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) be used in support of and as evidence for a particular grammatical rule just as the Qur'an and the speech of reliable Arab informants was used in support of and as evidence for grammatical rules? Obviously, if the hadith contained the exact words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then there would have been absolutely no problem since the Prophet himself was an Arab (in addition to being the most eloquent of Arabs) and his speech automatically qualified as evidence and proof. However, this appears not have been the case, and a number of hadith scholars and transmitters that were involved in the transmission of hadith were themselves non-Arabs. One only has to consider their names to know that a great many of them were non-Arab.

So the fact that very few Arabic scholars ascribed any evidentiary value to Hadith in terms of whether or not it could establish a grammatical rule, is the primary cause for Arabic scholars not paying much attention to singling out or targeting Hadith for independent linguistic study. This does not mean that ahadith were not linguistically analysed in the huge hadith commentaries. However, this was more for purpose of establishing and determining the meaning and message of the hadith. In other words, Arabic and Arabic study served as a kind of hermeneutical tool wherewith to decipher and interpret the text. As for independent linguistic studies or autonomous i'rab works on the huge corpus of Hadith literature there exist very little in the form of works dedicated to this genre of Arabic linguistic study. In fact, only three classical works in the category of i'rab al-hadith have been identified, all of them by renowned and famous Arabic grammarians: the first by Abul-Baqa' al-'Ukbari (d. 616 AH - 1219 AD), the second by Muhammad ibn Malik (d. 672 AH - 1273 AD), and the third by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH - 1505 AD). What follows is a brief description of each of these works, insha Allah.

Keeping Up with the Times: Arabic and the Challenges of Postmodernity

2007-10-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

As Muslims it is important that we understand the times that we live in. Now, the times that we live in can be variously interpreted and have been variously interpreted by different social scientists. We might all agree that certain things have been happening, but how we view the significance and importance of these events, and whether or not we have to change accordingly is entirely a different issue. What follows is a brief discussion on the times in which we live based on a particular view thereof, and where Arabic (in the traditional sense) features in these times. The discussion that follows is in part based on a particular reading of the times (which is not necessarily my own reading thereof). The idea is basically to take Arabic into hitherto unchartered territories in the current Muslim discourse especially vis-a-vis Arabic, and to see what Arabic is up against in the modern age, and how we can successfully navigate its way through these troubled waters and stormy seas.

We are living in times where socio-economic changes have been fast and furious - fast in that never in history have changes been at the highly accelerated pace that we witness them today, and furious in that never in history did people have to change their lifestyles and the way they view things so drastically as they have done in this day and age. Already under modernity did we witness severe pressures been exerted on societies to make the change from a traditional lifestyle to that of a modern one. Tradition was a vestige of the past and therefore not commensurate with modern scientific, technological and political developments. The situation under modernity required large-scale adjustment of society and culture in the form of making a clean break with tradition, and in the process adopting the forward-looking attitude of modern and progressive societies rather than the backward-looking of traditional and static societies.

The arrival of postmodernity meant that even the modernist movement of modernity had become outdated and outmoded. The solidity of modernism melted under postmodernity, and hopes and promises of modernism vanished into thin air with the advent of postmodernity. People were now entering and experiencing what was called the "Postmodern Condition". The certainity and self-assuredness of modernity have given way to the doubt and ambivalence of postmodernity. In fact, according to postmodernism (the movement sparked by postmodernity) even modernity was never on any sure ground or foundation, as there was never any ground or foundation in the first place - it only appeared solid to us at the time but in reality it was melting. In other words, modernism was always meant to self-destruct, it is just that we did not know that at the time, but now that we know it in hindsight we also know that it never really was. What I have just raised forms part of what is called "Postmodern Speak".

The question is that if tradition already had it tough under modernity how much more tougher would'nt the situation be under postmodernity? As Muslims, and as Muslims who are very attached to our Tradition, we are most certainly feeling the strains and pressures of the times. Those who do not value our Tradition and do not share it with us view it as a burden and unwanted baggage that is slowing us down from making any progress in the modern age, and have therefore called for its total abandonment. Others with even more sinister agendas have called for the total abandonment if not annihilisation of Islam as a religion, not just its tradition. At this stage you might want to ask also how all of this affects or ties in with Arabic? Well, my response to that is that a great deal of Arabic as we know it is part and parcel of the Arabic and Islamic Tradition. The two Primary Sources of Islam are in Arabic. The studies that we depend on for understanding these Primary Sources have themselves been conducted and written in Arabic and according rules and principles that have been formulated quite early on in the Tradition, and then continued to develop and mature in that Tradition. Some contemporary Muslim scholars classify Arabic as being an integral component in the structure that makes up the Tradition.

My own Islamic Traditional response to the above is that Islam and Muslims, masha Allah, have proven to be extremely resilient in the face of the challenges of the Modern Age. Muslims all over the world - from the simplest to the most educated - continue to be inspired by Islam and the Qur'an. While in the West many have relinquished their religions, Muslims have held fast to theirs and we find Islam even gaining more Muslims in the process.

يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِؤُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ ، سورة الصف: 8

[Their intention is to extinguish Allah's Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it). ]

We are definitely living in very trying times, and the challenges are mounting by the day, yet, Muslims all over the world pray their five daily prayers, fast the Month of Ramadhan, and perform the Holy Pilgrimage. It is almost as if Islam has become their life-blood and the oxygen that they breathe, and that is despite the negative portrayal of Islam and Muslims in the media. There is no doubt that in these trying times Muslims have to stand together and support each other and encourage each other to hang in there and persevere through the trials and tribulations of the times in which we live:

وَالْعَصْرِ، إِنَّ الإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ، إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ، سورة العصر: 1 - 3

[(I swear) by the time. Most surely man is in loss, except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. ]

As for Arabic, we need not fear, as Allah Himself has undertaken to protect the Qur'an of which Arabic is an indivisible part. Arabic cannot be separated from the Qur'an, nor can the Qur'an be separated from its Arabic.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآناً عَرَبِيّاً لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ، سورة يوسف: 2

[We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may understand.]

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ ، سورة الحجر: 9

[We have, without doubt, sent down the Reminder; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).]

Islam Will Eventually Prevail

ألم يأنِ لنا - نحن الناطقين بغير اللغة العربية - أن نتكلم بها ...؟

2007-10-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

إلى كل غيور على لسان العرب وكل عاشق لبنت عدنان أوجه هذه الرسالة من صميم قلبي لعله يتشجع على التكلم باللغة العربية محاورة ومحادثة، والكتابة بها تحريرا وإنشاء، فقد حان الحين وآن الأوان لأن نؤدي المهمة الملقاة على عاتقنا تجاه لغة الضاد، وهي مهمة إحيائها في أظهرنا وفي تعاملنا بعضنا مع بعض، إذ لا نكون قد قمنا بما يجب علينا القيام به نحو هذه اللغة على النحو المطلوب إلا إذا توّجنا جهودنا في خدمة لغة القرآن والسعي من أجل إحيائها في أوساط مجتمع غير عربي وبيئة لا تتمتع فيها اللغة العربية بالسيادة وإقبال الناس على دراستها وتعلمها، في حين أننا كثيرا ما نرى غيرنا يتعلم لغة أجنبية أو أكثر حتى يصل به الأمر إلى أنه يتقنها لا قراءة فحسب بل قراءة وحوارا واستماعا وكتابة، بيدما نحن نبقى متعاملين مع لغة القرآن على المستوى القرائي فقط لا غير، مع أنها من أجمل اللغات - إن لم تكن أجملها - محادثة وكتابة واستماعاً.

ألم يأن لنا أن نعطي اللغة العربية حقها وافيا كاملا من الاهتمام والاعتناء وأن نبذل قصارى جهودنا للرفع من شأنها فيما بيننا والنهوض بها نحو احتلال مكانة مرموقة بين لغات العالم حتى نُكتب عند الله ممن
خدم لغة القرآن حق الخدمة وشمّر عن ساعد الجد للحيلولة دون انقراضها إذ نعيش في زمن تقدَّر فيه لغات وتحقَّر أخرى، بل يرمى إلى بعضها تهمة أنها لغة إرهابية، وأنها تدفع أبناءها إلى أعمال إرهابية، ومن ثم يجب القضاء عليها وإحلال غيرها محلها، كما أنه بلغنا من بعض جهات معتبرة أن اللغة العربية سينتهي بها الأمر إلى الانقراض خلال الخمس والثلاثين سنة القادمة، هذا واللغة العربية الفصحى لا تكاد يتكلم بها إلا في مواقف ومناسبات رسمية في بلاد العرب، وعلاوة على ما مضى من العدوان على بنت عدنان فقد صدر كتاب بعنوان "تباًّ لسيبويه" وفيه يلقي مؤلفه (هداه الله) على سيبويه اللوم كل اللوم بشأن ما آلت إليه حالة اللغة العربية في عصرنا الحاضر ويحمله هو مسؤولية تدهور مكانة لغة العرب في العالم وذلك بما يدعي من أن سيبويه عقَّد اللغة العربية وجعل دراستها وتعلمها على النحو الموصوف في كتاب سيبويه أمرا صعباً وشاقّاً على أبنائها، مما يجعلهم - في ظنه - يتلكمون بما لا يكتبون ويكتبون ما لا يتكلمون به، بمعنى أن حياتهم اليومية واتصال بعضهم ببعض بشكل يومي أمر يفرض عليهم التكلم بالعربية العامية بيدما المطلوب على مستوى الكتابة أن تكون بالعربية الفصحى.

فإذا كانت هذه حال العربية في الوطن العربي فإنها لدلالة سوء، وإن اللغة العربية لفي خطر شديد، فالأمر جدّ، ولا بد من تدارك الأمر قبل الفوات، فعلى كل غيور على هذه اللغة عربيا كان أم غير عربي أن يؤدي دوره حسب طاقته وقدر استطاعته، فهذه محاولة من غير عربي لأداء دوره هو فيما يجب تجاه إنقاذ هذه من التلاشي والهلاك مع أني لا يخطر ببالي أن الأمر سيؤول باللغة العربية إلى هذه النهاية إذ الذي يتكفل بحفظها ورعايتها وإبقائها بناء على أن لسان العرب مرتبط بالقرآن ارتباطاً وثيقاً لا انفصام له، ومتصل به غير منفصل عنه أبد الآبدين.

أسأل الله جل وعلا أن يجعلنا ممن يخدم كتابه ولغة كتابه وسنة نبيه ولغة سنة نبيه حتى تنتشرفي مشارق الأرض ومغاربها، وأن يجعلها منطلقة على ألسنتنا إنه ولي ذلك والقادر عليه، وأصلي وأسلم على أفصح من نطق بالضاد وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين،
والله أعلم

ولباس التقوى ذلك خير (... and the Garment / Covering of Taqwa, that is better ...)

2007-10-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Allah, the Almighty, says in the Holy Qur'an addressing the Children of Adam:

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ، سورة الأعراف: 26

[O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty. But the clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful.]

A short exploration into the word لباس (and other related words):

The word "لِباس" (libas) can be traced to one of two roots:

(1) لبِس - يلْبَس (labisa - yalbasu) - to cover yourself with or get dressed in a garment
The nouns لِباس (libas), لَبُوس (labus), and لُبْس (lubs) all refer to any clothing or garment that you cover yourself with. The verb لبِس (labisa) is almost always used in relation to clothing and garments

(2) لبَس - يلْبِس (labasa - yalbisu) - to cover, conceal, hide, confound, obfuscate, etc, and does not necessarily involve garments or clothing. In fact, all the times the verb لبَس or one of its cognates is used in the Qur'an it is used in the sense of covering up or concealing in general, and almost always in a perjorative sense, as the following verses illustrate:

- وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ، سورة البقرة: 42

[And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is)]

- الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمُ الأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ، سورة الأنعام: 82

[It is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrongdoing / oppression - that are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) guidance]

Thus, in the first sense لباس (which appears to be the more common sense in which it is used) refers to a garment or raiment that you cover yourself with, whereas in the second sense it refers to any form of covering that is not necessarily a garment or a piece of clothing.

Now, a garment ( لباس ) serves two essential functions: (a) it covers one's nakedness, and (b) it protects one's body from the elements such as heat and cold. There is also a third but not so essential function which is that a garment can also serve as a form of adornment. In fact, it is this function of garments that is referred to by the Qur'anic expression رِيْشاً which literally means' feathers' but because feathers also serve as a adornment for birds, it is often used metaphorically to refer to beauty and adornment in other objects. The famous exegete, linguist and lexicographer, al-Zamakhshari, states in his "Asas al-Balaghah" (a dictionary dealing with Arabic metaphorical usages) that: "Allah has made garments into "rish" (lit. feathers): adornment and beauty قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا [We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty], and this usage is borrowed from feathers which serve to cover and adorn birds". It is this same adornment and beauty that Allah refers to one verse later: يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ ، سورة الأعراف: 31 [O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer].

Subsequently, the word لباس has come to be used for anything that covers and conceals a person from what is ugly and abominable. Thus, married partners or spouses are referred to as garments unto each other not only because they are allowed to cover each other like garments but also because they protect and safeguard each other from falling into sin by being there for each other.

Insha Allah, we will also see later on, the significance of describing or referring to التقوى in terms of لباس .

Different interpretations of التقوى in لباس التقوى :

التقوى as we know has the meaning of 'protection, safeguarding, etc.' whether in the physical sense of protecting against physical harm or injury or in the spiritual sense of protecting against evil and sinfulness. That لباس التقوى can refer to some type of protective garment or even coat of arms / armour, is borne out by the following two verses:

وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ سورة النحل: 81

[He made you garments to protect you from heat, and coats of mail /arms to protect you from your (mutual) violence]

(Here even a verb bearing the same root letters of التقوى is used to mean "to protect", namely, تَقِيْ )

وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍ لَّكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُم مِّن بَأْسِكُمْ فَهَلْ أَنتُمْ شَاكِرُونَ ، سورة الأنبياء: 80

[It was We Who taught him the making of coats of mail / arms for your benefit, to guard you from each other's violence: will ye then be grateful?]

As for التقوى referring to a covering or barrier that protects against evil and sinfulness is a common enough meaning and has already been discussed at length in a previous post. We will shortly discuss the connection between التقوى and اللباس and the significance of this connection and comparison.

Grammatical Analysis of لباس التقوى based on the Raf' and Nasb readings of لباس :

There exist basically two primary Quranic readings in terms of how لباس of لباس التقوى is read. These two readings will now be discussed together with the grammatical justifications for these readings.

(A) the Raf' reading of لباسُ (Hamzah, Ibn Kathir, 'Asim & Abu 'Amr):

This is by far the more popular of the two readings, and 4 explanations have been forwarded as to its grammatical validity:

(a) لباسُ التقوى - is the mubtada',

ذلك - is tab'i (appositive) of لباس , (a sifah, badal or 'atf bayan),

خيرٌ - is the khabar of the mubtada' لباسُ التقوى

(b) لباسُ التقوى - is the first mubtada'
ذلك - is the second mubtada'
خيرٌ - is the khabar of the second mubtada' which together constitute a nominal clause serving as the khabar of the first mubtada'

(c) لباسُ التقوى - is the khabar of an elided mubtada', with the structure assumed as: وساترُ عوراتكم لباس التقوى (... and that which covers your nakedness is the covering / garment of Taqwa)

(d) لباسُ التقوى - is the mubtada' of an elided khabar, with the structure assumed as: ولباسُ التقوى ساترُ عوراتكم (... and the covering / garment of Taqwa is that which covers your nakedness)

(B) the Nasb reading of لباسَ (the rest of the Renowned Qur'anic Readers):

The explanation put forward for the Nasb-reading of لباسَ is that it is ma'tuf (conjoined via the conjunctive particle waw) to
لباساً يواري سوآتكم وريشاً in which case they all fall under both the grammatical and semantic force of the verb أنزلْنا .

What is the significance of comparing التقوى to a لباس , and why is the لباس التقوى better?

By comparing التقوى to a لباس it implies that التقوى serves all those functions normally associated with garments and clothing, like protecting one's body, covering one's nakedness, and adorning oneself. By then stating that the لباس التقوى is better, it implies that the لباس التقوى is even superior to an regular garment in these three respects or functions. Here is why I think the لباس التقوى is superior to a regular garment:

(1) The garment of Taqwa safeguards the soul and protects it from the destructive forces of evil and disobedience, and we all know that the soul is more important than the body. At the same we are taught that are bodies also have rights over us, and that we need to look after them and care for them. It is our Taqwa that ensures that we give our bodies adequate protection by eating and drinking properly, not inflicting punishments on ourselves, etc.

(2) The garment of Taqwa covers more than just our nakedness. It preserves also our modesty. It is what prevents us from dressing inappropriately and immodestly when it is scorching hot, and the temperatures are soaring. By covering up our bodies we turn our focus from the outside to the inside, from our bodies to our souls. Thus, while a regular garment only covers our nakedness and the secrets of our bodies except from our spouses, the Garment of Taqwa covers the nakedness of souls and the secrets of our hearts except from Allah. While our bodies are meant for our spouses, our souls and hearts are meant for Allah.

(3) The garment of Taqwa focuses on inner beauty rather than outer beauty. By wearing the garment of Taqwa we cover ourselves in a wide range and great variety of beautiful and coulourful character traits. It is significant that the word used for acquiring and developing virtuous character traits is التحلِّي (al-tahalli), that is, 'to adorn, beautify or dress yourself up', and the word used for shunning bad and undesirable character traits is التخلِّي (al-takhalli), that is, 'to abandon, shun, get rid off, empty out, etc.'

This also brings to mind the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that states: "A believer is a mirror unto his brother". There is none of us that leaves the house except that he or she has looked into the mirror to see if his or her appearance is acceptable and presentable to the public eye. The mirror that your believing brother or sister holds up to you is to ensure that you look acceptable and presentable in the Presence of Allah on the Day of Judgement, because He does not look at your physical bodies and forms, rather He looks at your hearts and deeds. In another hadith it is stated that: "Iman is what occurs in the heart and is verified by the deeds". In other words, the deeds reflect what is on the inside. Just as you accept the advice of a mirror and are more than ready to do the necessary adjustments to your appearance based on what the mirror tells you, you should be even more accepting of the advice of the mirror that your believing brother or sister holds up to you and more ready to do the necessary adjustments to your siritual appearance, since in the final analysis, it is your spiritual appearance that counts rather than your physical appearance:

وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ، يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ، إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ، سورة الشعراء: 87 - 89

[And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up - The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail - but only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart ]

والله أعلم

زكاة الفطر & عيد الفطر : A Linguistic Analysis

2007-10-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

As we are approaching the end of this Blessed month of Ramadhan, we have most probably paid the زكاة الفطر or the الفطرة for ourselves and those in our care (if we are of those on whom it is uncumbant) and looking forward to celebrating عيد الفطر despite at the same having to bid farewell to our honoured guest - a guest who only vists once a year. In bidding farewell our only hope is that we have shown him ikraam (hospitality) in the best way we possibly can, insha Allah.

Having said this, what then do terms : زكاة , فطر & عيد , mean linguistically, that is, and what is the connection between their linguistic meaning and technical shar'i meaning?

As for the term زكاة , it was originally زَكَوَة , just as صلاة was originally صَلَوَة , as evidenced by their plurals: زَكَوَات and صَلَوَات , respectively. In fact, sometimes زكاة and صلاة are written with the waw instead of the alif.

Anyhow, lexically زكاة has one of four meanings: (1) to cleanse, purify, (2) to grow, increase, (3) to improve and make better, , and (4) to praise, with the first 2 meanings being its primary meanings. الزكاة is socalled because it cleanses the one who pays it to those to whom it is due from sin, and purifies him from being contaminated by the filth of not giving those who entitled to his zakah, as stated in the following Qur'anic verse: "خذ من أموالهم صدقة تطهرهم وتزكيهم بها". At the same time it purifies his wealth, and increases it in the Sight of Allah. The latter part is borne out by the follwing du'a of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): " اللهم أعط منفقا خلفا وأعط ممسكا تلفا" [O Allah, grant the one who gives (in charity) compensation,' and grant the one who withholds damage and loss]. Moreover, it also increases him spriritually and makes him a better and more righteous person in the process.

As for فطر , it means 'to open up something and expose it, or to split open', and it is said that one who who beaks his is called مُفْطِر (muftir) because he opens up his mouth to take in the food. This is also the meaning that appears in the Qur'anic statement: إذا السماء انفطرت (when the sky is split open). The verb "فَطَرَ" also have the meaning of 'making or doing something first'. It is in this connection that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I did not know the meaning of الفاطر (al-Fatir) until two desert Arabs (bedouins) came up to me to for my judgment concerning a well that was dug. One of them said: أنا فطرتُها (ana fatartuha) meaning, 'I was the first to dig it'. Likewise, the word الفِطْرَة refers to "the manner in which something was created". Thus, human beings were created with a natural disposition towards following the truth (which is Islam), which is termed "الفِطْرَة" (al-fitrah). It is with this meaning that الفطرة is used in the following Qur'anic verse: فأقم وجهك للدين حنيفاً فطرة الله التي فطر الناس عليها لا تبديل لخلق الله ذلك الدين القيم ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون as well as in the following hadith: ما من مولود إلاّ ويولد على الفطرة، ثم أبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه، أو يمجسانه [there is no child except that he was born with a fitrah (i.e. natural disposition towards Islam), but then it is his parents that made him either into a Jew, Christian, or Magian (fireworshipper)].

So the meaning of الفطر in the genetive construct زكاة الفطر refers to الفطر in the sense of 'opening one's mouth to break his / her fast' , and زكاة الفطر then is the zakah that becomes compulsory on having fasted Ramadhan till the end, at which stage he would have entered the stage of الفطر (breaking fast or ending the fast of Ramadhan by breaking fast), and it is this الفطر together with having fasted Ramadhan or a portion of it that makes the zakah al-fitr compulsory on those who qualify. The purpose of the زكاة الفطر , scholars say, is to 'repair' any damage done to one's sawm, just as sujud al-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) repairs and supplies a missing part in the salah. Subhanallah! all these opportunities that are afforded to us to make the best of this Holy Month, and to make up for lapses and mistakes.

Now, we come to the final word of the trio, namely, عِيْد , which comes from the verb عاد - يعود - عَوْدا which means 'to return or come back', because it always returns from time to time. In the case of عيد الفطر it refers to an event that recurs once every year and is accompanied by celebration, joy and hapiness. In Islam, there are two 'eids: "'eid al-fitr" and "'eid al-adh-ha". The first refers to the celebration on the occasion of the great multitude of people that have been freed from the shackles of Jahannam following having fasted and spent the month of Ramadhan in worship. The second refers to the celebration of the on the occasion of also the great multitude of people that have been freed from the shackles of Jahannam following the Hajj and the time they spent on Arafat making to du'a to Allah with all their hearts. It is the knowledge that Allah has made so much opportunity available for His servants during these two periods of the year to once again redeem themselves, and the knowledge that Allah would have saved so many from the Fire, insha Allah, gives us reason to be joyous and festive on these two great Days, the Days of Feasting and Celebration for everybody.

So coming to the linguistic analysis, عِيْد was originally عِوْد , but because of the kasrah preceding the waw, the latter is forced to change into a yaa'. The plural of عِيْد is أَعْيَاد but is supposed to have been أعْواد because plurals and diminutives normally restore letters to their original forms. This anomaly, however, is explained by the fact that the yaa' in عِيْد never reverts back to the waw, as if it is always with the yaa', and by the fact that أعْواد is already a plural for عُوْد (piece of wood).

In conclusion, we ask Allah to make us of those who have been saved from the Fire, and earned His pleasure during these very auspicious times, Ameen!

والله أعلم

Jalaluddin al-Suyuti and the Number Seven

2007-10-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

There is absolutely no doubt that Jalaluddin al-Suyuti was an accomplished scholar who, because of his vast knowledge and independent thinking in a vast array of subjects, has reached the level of a mujtahid (a scholar who, because of his independent thinking in the field of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence, is in a position to open his own school of Islamic law and established his own madh-hab). He, however, continued to be a follower of the Shafi'i school of law. When he was a little baby he was taken to Hafith Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (who both lived in Egypt), and this event kindled in al-Suyiti the desire to be like the grand master of hadith. There is almost not a single Islamic or Arabic science unless he has written something about it, and a prolific writer he was. For me personally that are three things that stand out about him:

(1) his uncanny ability to import organisational systems and methodologies used in one area of study into other areas of studies in which they have hitherto not been used - a type of methodological cross-pollination; instances of this will follow shortly, insha Allah.

(2) the great ease with which he was able to commit almost anything and everything to verse; a case in point is that I remember him to mention at the end of his thousand verse didactic poem on Hadith Nomenclature and Methodology (one of many such poems that he has composed on different topics) that he had composed it in 5 days; let me see if I can find the part in his al-alfiyyah (on Mustalah al-Hadith) where he says so; here you go verse 988:

نَظَمْتُهَا فِيْ خَمْسَةِ الأَيَّامِ * بِقًدْرَةِ الْمُهَيْمِنِ الْعَلاَّمِ
(I composed it in verse form in five days, with the Power of the All-Knowing Supreme Guardian)

(3) his quest for excellence and setting himself the challenge to always improve on how something has been done before him; a case in point is the famous al-Muqaddimah al-Ajurrumiyyah which is most probably one of the shortest if not the shortest text written on Arabic grammar; whilst living in Amman I stumbled on a grammar text written by al-Suyuti called the "al-Sham'ah al-Mudiyyah" (the shining candle) which was almost ten times more shorter than the al-Ajurrumiyyah, and of course much easier to memorise.

There are of course many other great things about this truly versatile scholar of which I have only singled out three that I find particularly amazing. Anyhow, much has been written about al-Suyuti. In fact, he wrote an autobiography so as to save later authors of biographical dictionaries the trouble of having to investigate and research everything about him. Some of those who do not find al-Suyuti impressive as a scholar has often charged him with being a mere compiler not writing anything original. However, anyone who reads his works with honesty and fairness will realise that this charge is completely unfounded. While he did often quote extensively from other works at the same time his works are not shorn of his own genius and originality. The idea with the quotations could be seen as trying to bring as many of the original and classical voices to bear on the particular topic of discourse, only then to let himself enter the discourse as a worthy participant at which point he would conclude with the words after having heard everything that has been said before "now, I say that ...".

Now, for the topic at hand "Jalaluddin al-Suyuti and the Number Seven". What is so special about the number seven for Jalaluddin al-Suyuti. Well, it goes back to the famous Tajuddin al-Subki, son of the equally famous Taqiyyuddin al-Subki, as they are popularly known, who wrote many books, two of which are of special importance to us: (1) the جمع الجوامع (jam' al-jawami') on Usul al-Fiqh, followed by his own sharh or commentary entitled "منع الموانع" (man' al-mawani') and (2) الأشباه والنظائر on qawa'id al-Fiqh (Legal Maxims).

Later, al-Suyuti came around and wrote his جمع الجوامع together with his own sharh entitled همع الهوامع on the subject of Nahw (and Sarf). He wrote this following the same organisation of al-Subki's جمع الجوامع which is composed of a number of introductory paragraphs, followed by seven chapters or books, and then concluding with a conclusion. Al-Suyuti followed the same scheme not only in the جمع الجوامع but also in two other books on (a) الأشباه والنظائر في النحو which deals with grammatical maxims; this was after al-Suyuti wrote a book on Shafi'i legal maxims with the same title الأشباه والنظائر ; often these 2 books are confused as the latter is more popular, so you end up find the book on grammatical maxims in the legal section of bookstores, (b) الاقتراح في علم أصول النحو a primer on Usul al-Nahw which is to Nahw as Usul al-Fiqh is to Fiqh. In this book, al-Suyuti follows the same organisational principle of a number of introductory points, followed by seven books, and then followed by a conclusion.

In his introduction to the همع الهوامع على جمع الجوامع he writes that he has arranged this book in a way not done before, following therein the books on Usul, and in making it seven he sees it as being appropriate because of a hadith narrated by Ibn Hibban et al:
"إن الله وتر، يحب الوتر، أما ترى السموات سبعاً، والأيام سبعاً، والطواف سبعاً" [Allah is One and its an odd number, and He loves odd numbers. Do you not see the heavens to be seven, the days to be seven, and tawaf (circumambulation around the al-Ka'bah) to be seven?]

So from this we see how al-Suyuti import systems and organisational principles from field other than Nahw, into Nahw. This is definitely a type of interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary approach to the Islamic and Arabic sciences.

Later on, insha Allah, I would like to elaborate on the specific methodology and organisation used in the aforementioned books based on al-Suyuti's introductions or khuatbahs to these books.

Goal Setting & Goal Achievement: لعلكم تتقون (... in order that you may achieve Taqwa) - Part Two

2007-10-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

Benefits of Taqwa

The word “تقوى” and its cognates appear numerous times in the Qur’an and in a variety of different contexts. From this we can gauge the benefits of Taqwa (not only in this life but also in the after life), and why it is important to develop this important quality which serves as a shield protecting us from vice. I will here suffice with just listing the benefits together with the relevant Qur'anic references

Benefits of Taqwa in this Life:

(1) it is a cause for facilitating and making things easy in life

(Surah al-Talaq: 4)
(Surah al-Layl: 5 - 7)

(2) it is a cause for protection against the harms of shaytan
(Surah al-A’raf: 201)

(3) it is the cause for receiving blessings from the heavens and the earth
(Surah al-A’raf: 96)

(4) it is a cause for being able to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, etc.
(Surah al-Anfal: 29)

(5) it is a cause for being delivered from difficult situations, and obtaining sustenance from whence one knows not
(Surah al-Talaq: 2 - 3)

(6) it is a cause for gaining Allah’s Friendship
(Surah al-Anfal: 34)
(Surah al-Jathiyah: 19)

(7) it is a cause for eliminating one's fear of the harm and destructive plans of the enemy
(Surah Al ‘Imran: 120)

(8) it is a cause for bringing on the arrival of heavenly help when confronting the enemy
(Surah Al ‘Imran: 123 – 126)

(9) it is also a cause for enabling Muslims to live and co-exist peacefully without harbouring any animosity and grudges towards each other
(Surah Maryam: 17 – 18)

(10) it is also cause for venerating the Islamic religious institutions and symbols
(Surah al-Hajj: 32)

(11) it is also a cause for one’s actions to be righteous and be accepted by Allah as well as having one’s sins forgiven
(Surah al-Ahzab: 70 – 71)

(12) it is also a cause for lowering one’s voice in the presence or company of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
(Surah al-Hujurat: 2)

(13) it is a also a cause for gaining Allah’s Love both in this life and the Hereafter
(Surah Al ‘Imran: 76)

(14) it is also a cause for acquiring knowledge
(Surah al-Baqarah: 182)

(15) it is also a cause that prevents one from misguidance after having been guided to the Straight Path
(Surah al-An’am: 153)

(16) it is also a cause for receiving Allah’s Mercy and Grace both in this life and the Afterlife
(Surah al-A’raf: 156)

(17) it is also a cause for gaining Allah’s care and protection
(Surah al-Nahl: 6)
(Surah al-Baqarah: 194)

(18) the Good End will be for the People of Taqwa
(Surah Taha: 132)

(19) it is also a cause for receiving good tidings or news both in this world and the Hereafter.
(Surah Yunus: 63 - 64)

(20) it is also a cause for setting women (of Taqwa) apart from ordinary women
(Surah al-Ahzab: 32)

(21) it is also a cause for not behaving unjustly and unfairly with respect to the bequest
(Surah al-Baqarah: 180)

(22) it is also a cause for treating people in a position of weakness with fairness and justice
(Surah al-Baqarah: 241)

(23) it is also a cause for not forfeiting one’s reward both in this world and the Hereafter
(Surah Yusuf: 90)

(24) it is also a cause for receiving Divine Guidance
(Surah al-Baqarah: 1 – 2)

Benefits of Taqwa in the Afterlife:

(1) it is a cause for being honoured by Allah
(Surah al-Hujurat: 11)

(2) it is also a cause for Success and Felicity
(Surah al-Nur: 52)

(3) it is also a cause for Salvation on the Day of Judgment from Allah’s Punishment
(Surah Maryam: 71 - 72)
Surah al-Layl: 17)

(4) it is also a cause for one’s deeds being accepted
(Surah al-Maidah: 27)

(5) it is also a cause for inheriting Paradise
(Surah Maryam: 63)

(6) the People of Taqwa will have in Paradise Chambers upon Chambers
(Surah al-Zumar: 20)

(7) the People of Taqwa because of their Taqwa will be superior to and high above the unbelievers in everything
(Surah al-Baqarah: 212)

(8) it is a cause for entry into Paradise
(Surah Al-‘Imran: 133)
(Surah al-Maidah: 65)

(9) it is a cause for the obliteration and expiation of one’s sins
(Surah al-Talaq: 5)
(Surah al-Maidah: 65)

(10) it is a cause for obtaining in Jannah whatever one’s heart desires and one’s eye delights in
(Surah al-Nahl: 31)

(11) it is also a cause for eliminating fear and grief, and for preventing harm from coming to one on the Day of Judgment
(Surah al-Zumar: 61)
(Surah Yunus: 62 – 63)

(12) the People of Taqwa will be presented to Allah like a band presented before a king for honours
(Surah Maryam: 13)

(13) the Jannah (Paradise) will be brought in close proximity to them
(Surah al-Shu’ara’: 90)
(Surah Qaf: 21)

(14) it will be what makes the People of Taqwa different from the sinners, so that the two groups cannot be equated
(Surah Sad: 28)

(15) every friendship and companionship on the Day of Judgment will end up in and be doomed to animosity, hatred and hostility except the friendship and companionship based and founded on Taqwa
(Surah al-Zukhruf: 67)

(16) As to the People of Taqwa (they will be) in a position of Security, Among Gardens and Springs; Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other; So; and We shall join them to Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes. There can they call for every kind of fruit in peace and security; Nor will they there taste Death, except the first death; and He will preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire,- As a Bounty from thy Lord! that will be the supreme achievement! (Surah al-Dukhan: 51 – 56)

(17) The People of Taqwa will be in an Assembly of Truth, in the Presence of a Sovereign Omnipotent (Surah al-Qamar: 54 – 55)

(18) it will also be cause for the flowing of rivers of different
(Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the People of Taqwa are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Surah Muhammad: 15)

(19) it is also a cause for traveling under the trees of Paradise enjoying the coolness of its shade

As to the People of Taqwa, they shall be amidst (cool) shades and springs (of water). And (they shall have) fruits,- all they desire. "Eat ye and drink ye to your heart's content: for that ye worked (Righteousness). Thus do We certainly reward the Doers of Good. (Surah al-Mursalat: 41 – 43)

(20) Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve; Those who believe and (constantly) guard against evil (i.e. they have Taqwa);- For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity. Let not their speech grieve thee: for all power and honour belong to Allah. It is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things). (Surah Yunus: 62 – 65)

(21) the People of Taqwa will have Excellent Abode
(Surah al-Nahl: 30)

(22) the People of Taqwa will have their rewards multiplied for them
Surah al-Hadid: 28)

May Allah (Subhanahu WaTa'ala) makes us of the People of Taqwa who will reap its benefits both in this life and the Afterlife. Ameen!

Goal Setting & Goal Achievement: لعلكم تتقون (... in order that you may achieve Taqwa) - Part One

2007-10-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

We are all approaching the end of the Blessed Month of Ramadhan, and now we need to ask ourself whether we have or are on our way to achieving our Ramadhan goals. It is time for stock-taking with the hope of making up in what little remains of Ramadhan. Ramadhan has come to give us a 29 / 30 day training session in developing Taqwa. Have we achieved our stated goal? In this post I wish to show how Ramadhan is all about goal setting and goal achievement based on a partial linguistic analysis of the sawm verse.

We are all familiar with famous sawm verse that read as follows:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ، سورة البقرة: 183

[O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, in order that you may achieve Taqwa]

The significance of the particle لعلّ in the sawm verse:

The operative particle here in the verse is لَعَلَّ which we know to be sister of إنّ . While it performs the same grammatical function of إنّ in terms of operating on a nominal sentence (jumlah ismiyyah) causing the mubtada' therein to become mansub and the khabar therein to remain marfu', it differs from إنّ semantically. Thus, while إنّ seeks to emphasise that something is or is not the case, لعلّ conveys the meaning of hoping or expecting something to be or not be the case. So if I say: لعَلَّكَ ناَجِحٌ (Hopefully, you have passed / I'm expecting that you have pass). The hope or expectation can either be on the part of the speaker or on the part of the addressee. It is in this second sense (i.e. hope or expectation on the part of the addressee) that لعلّ is to be understood and interpreted when used in relation to Allah. Another meaning that has often been attributed to لعلّ in this context is that of "reason /cause" and is often translated as "in order that" or "so that" or just simply "that" and is normally preceded by the action or event that brings about the desired state of affairs.

Another meaning of لعلّ is "expressing fear, concern or apprehension" and is normally translated as "perhaps" or "maybe", e.g. لعل زيداً مريضٌ (Perhaps, Zayd is sick / has taken ill). It is in this sense that لعلّ in the following Qur'anic verse is said to be understood and interpreted: لعلّ السَّاعَةَ قَرِيْبٌ، سورة الشورى: 17 (Perhaps, the Hour is near).

What, then, might be the significance of the use of لعل in the sawm verse?

The particle لعل tells us why it is that sawm has been legislated for us. It informs us about the goal of sawm, which is to achieve a certain state and that state is the state of Taqwa. Now, if this is the goal of sawm or fasting then it follows that we ourselves have to set ourselves that goal at the beginning of the month of Ramadhan, and then see at the end of the month of Ramadhan whether we have actually achieved that goal. However before we can even set ourselves the goal of achieving a state of Taqwa, we have to fully understand what this goal entails, and then clearly work towards achieving it. In other words, there should tangible indicators that should tell us at the end of a month long training program, that we have to a certain degree achieved our goal. At the same time we have to ensure that we have properly planned how to organise our time and activities that will ensure, insha Allah, that we have achieved our stated goal. The process itself calls for continuous assessment of all our actions and efforts during the various stages and phases of the training program to we see whether we are actually on track and getting closer to realising our goal.

Now, the time has arrived for us to take stock, and see how well we have fared towards achieving this noble goal of Taqwa. To know whether we have achieved our goal requires us to know what the essence is of what we are meant to achieve, namely, Taqwa. So what is Taqwa, and what does it mean to be a Muttaqi, and is there a tangible way of measuring not necessarily the degree of Taqwa but rather its presence or existence?

What is Taqwa?

A whole book can be written on this topic, and whole books have been written on it, so what I’ll be presenting is just a droplet in the ocean. The word “taqwa” or تَقْوَى comes from the root و ق ي which means ‘to protect, safeguard, shield, prevent, etc.’. The الماضي، المضارع، الأمر & المصدر forms of are: وَقَى – يَقِيْ – قِ – وِقَايَة , and belongs to the category of verb called الفعل اللفيف المفروق which is a verb whose root letters comprise 2 weak letters separated by a sound / strong letter. Verbs such as these have their الأمر form as a single letter which is the middle strong letter. Its الأمر form occurs in the Qur’an in popular verses such وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ (Protect us from the Punishment of the Fire) and قُوْا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيْكُمْ نَاراً وَقُوْدُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ (Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones). Sawm (fasting) itself has been described in hadith as being a shield or protection (جُنَّة) and normally explained as وِقَايَة .

Now, you might ask where the waw is in تقوى , and the answer is that it changed into a taa’ just as the waw of ورث (to inherit) changed into a taa’ in تُراث (inheritance, heritage, legacy). So it is by no means uncommon. The same goes for تَتَّقُوْنَ the original form of which is تَوْتََقِيُوْنَ , with the first waw changing into a taa' so as make possible its assimilation (idghaam / iddighaam) into the taa' following it, and the yaa’ gets dropped due to a morphological rule or rules that will be discussed in later post, insha Allah.

As for the shar’i meaning of التَّقْوَى , the following definitions have been forwarded:

(a) اتِّقَاء الْمَعَاصِيْ (ittiqaa’ al-ma’asi = warding off, avoiding sins, disobedience); this meaning seems to be very apt for the kind of Taqwa that we envisage to gain during the course of Ramadhan, since during Ramadhan we refrain from things that are normally halaal (lawful) so as to make it doubly easy for us to refrain from things that are haraam (unlawful). Ibn ‘Ashur gives an interesting reason as to how sawm teaches and trains us to ward off and refrain from sinful acts. He says that sinful acts are of two types: (a) sinful acts which require us to sufficiently reflect on its detriments in order to abandon them, such as drinking wine, gambling, stealing, usurping other people’s property, etc., and (b) sinful acts that stem from anger and natural desire which might be difficult to just abandon through mere reflection on its negative aspects, and for this reason sawm has been legislated to help us overcome and refrain from these sinful acts. This the act of sawm accomplishes or effects through regulating and controlling one’s lower desires through elevating and raising the individual from being immersed and steeped in base materialism to the lofty heights of the spiritual world. Sawm, then, is a means through which ones engages in the sublime activities of a sinless spiritual world to gain control over the sinful and base desires of an animalistic world. Sawm, then, becomes as the hadith says: a shield that safeguards and protects one from not only falling into sin and disobedience but also from falling into the depthless Fire of the Jahannam in the Hereafter. Moreover, it also serves as a shield that protects us from illnesses and sicknesses that befall people who indulge in lust and desire without the slightest restraint.

(b) Ali ibn Abi Talib’s definition: هي الخوف من الجليل، والعمل بالتنزيل، والقناعة بالقليل، والاستعداد ليوم الرحيل

Taqwa is Fearing Allah, the Majestic, acting according to Revelation, being contented with little, and making preparation for the Day of the Journey

(c) another common definition is: Taqwa is when a servant places between him and what he fears a barrier that will protect him from it

(d) Ibn Abbas says that the Muttaqun (people of Taqwa) are those who fear Allah and His Punishment

(e) Abdullahi ibn Mas’ud says concerning the meaning of Qur’anic statement: اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ (Fear Allah as He should be feared):

أن يُطاع فلا يُعصى، ويذكر فلا ينسى، وأن يشكر فلا يكفر

(that Allah must be obeyed and not be disobeyed, that He must be remembered and not be forgotten, that He be shown gratitude and not ingratitude)

These then are some of the definitions of Taqwa, and by studying them closely one realises that Taqwa is one of those terms whose meaning whose meaning is so all-encompassing so as almost to leave nothing out. It seems to me that this all-encompassing property and trait of Taqwa stems from the fact that it creates the person who possesses Taqwa a certain type of consciousness and awareness of Allah such that it permeates his whole being and radiates his whole life and existence, with the result that everything he does is done with that consciousness and awareness of Allah. Being in that frame of mind certainly brings out the best in you, and causes you to engage only in good and refrain from evil.

A Precious Prophetic Pearl on Upholding the Night of Power / Decree (Part Two)

2007-10-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

Part Two:

The word "القيام" is a very rich word, and is used in a lot of different contexts. Here in the hadith, what is meant by القيام (the verbal noun of يَقُمْ literally 'to stand') is to uphold this Night in 'ibadah (worship) and ta'ah (obdedience). The significance of using the word "قام - يقوم" is that it is often used as a synonym for "carrying out", "executing", "producing", esp. when used with the baa' e.g. قام بـ and so on. So, it is general for any kind of activity which in the context involves worship and obedience to Allah. It is also often used with prepositions such as إلى , لـ , على , and so on. It also has connotations of "standing up to do something" like getting ready for Salah, and so on. It is also in this sense of "obedience" and "devotion" that the word القيام is used in the following Qur'anic verse: (وَقُوْمُوْا للهِ قَانِتِيْن) (And stand up in obedience and devotion to Allah).

Some scholars say that what qualifies as القيام on that night is anything called قيام in the minimal sense of the word and not necessarily spending the whole night in worship, so much so that it is sufficient to just pray Salah al-'Isha in congregation. Having said this , it should be remembered that according to the popular and customary meaning of the expression قام الليلة (he upheld the night) it is not used except for someone who upheld the whole night or the greater part of it rather than just a small portion thereof.

In addition, he gets the reward mentioned in hadith even if he was not aware of the fact that that particular night was Laylatul-Qadr, which means that if you spend all of the nights of Ramadhan in القيام in some form or the other then you bound to receive the reward of upholding the Night of Power, insha Allah.

At the same time it is not sufficient that you just engage in some form of 'ibadah but that you do so with iman, that is, firm belief and conviction that what you are doing is something genuine and a form of obedience to Allah, not something false and disobedience to Allah, and having firm faith that it is a cause for earning Allah's Forgiveness and that He will reward you for it.

Likewise his 'ibadah for that Night must be sincerely and utterly for the Sake of Allah which is the meaning of "ihtisab". There should be no showiness in it. The word الاحتساب (al-ihtisab) comes from the word الحساب (reckoning, computing, counting, etc.) which is almost as if you are carefully taking account and reckoning of your 'ibadah ensuring that it does not become contaminated with worldly interests such as riya' (showiness). Here it is important not to put yourself in a position where you know that you stand to compromise your 'ibadah, like when you are a good orator and you have to give a talk in front of a massive audience, or you have a good voice and you have to recite the Qur'an in front of a large crowd or you are wealthy and you give sadaqah for everyone to see, etc. If you are obliged to take such a position then try at least to remind yourself to have a pure intention from time to time so as not to compromise your 'ibadah. May Allah help us to to keep our intentions pure, and take the showiness out of our actions.

As for the part of the hadith that deals with the obliteration of previous sins, it refers to minor sins perpetrated against Allah (according to what Imam al-Nawawi reports as being the received view). As for what concerns the Rights of Allah's Servants, these still stand, such that if you have wrongfully taken something from someone then you will have to return it to its rightful owner.

As to why these two nouns ( إيماناً and احتساباً ) are mansub, 3 possibilities have been given:

(a) they are mansub due to being the haal (state or condition in which the agent occurs at the time of the action) because they are two verbal nouns (masdar) having the meaning of their active particples (ism fa-'il), so the structure becomes: من يقم ليلة القدر مؤمنا ومحتسبا (whosoever upholds the Night of Qadr while being in the state of iman and ihtisaba ...),

(b) they are mansub due to being the maf'ul li-ajlihi (object of reason) so the structure becomes من يقم ليلة القدر من أجل لإيمانه واحتسابه (whosoever upholds the Night of Qadr out of iman and ihtisab ...)

(c) they are mansub due to being the tamyiz (noun of specification) so the structure prior to tamyiz was as follows: من يقم ليلة القدر قيام إيمان وقيام احتساب (whosoever upholds the Night of Qadr with an upholding that is based on iman and ihtisab ...)

In another version of the hadith there is the addition: وما تأخر (and his future sins), that is, both his past and future sins will be forgiven.

Finally, the word القدر can either mean "high status, rank, position, worth" on the one hand or "decreeing or setting out in the future" on the other hand.

As for the first interpretation, scholars have given different reasons as to why this Night is the Night of High Status, Rank, Position, etc.:

- because someone who is a nobody on that Night becomes a somebody, i.e. someone of no standing becomes someone of high standing in the estimation of Allah

- because there is no righteous deed that a believer performs on that night except that increases in worth and rank and is accepted by Allah

- because a Book of exceptionally high status was revealed during that Night

As for the second interpretation, some scholars maintain it is called the Night of Decree because it is the Night on which Allah decrees the the affairs of human beings for that year.

Moreover, القَدْر can be variously pronounced as الْقَدْر (with a sukun on the daal) and الْقَدَر (with a fathah on the Daal) are two diactical variants just as النَّهْر (with a sukun on the haa') and النَّهَر (with a fathah on the haa') are two dialectical variants for the word "river".

Wallahu a'lam.

May Allah make us of those who uphold or have upheld the Night of Power / Decree with iman (firm conviction) and ihtisab (sincerity and purity of intention), Ameen!

A Precious Prophetic Pearl on Upholding the Night of Power / Decree (Part One)

2007-10-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Part One:

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatuulahi wabarakatuh

عن أبي هريرة (رضي الله عنه) أنه قال: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم "مَنْ يَقُمْ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ"

[It was reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whosoever, upholds Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power / Decree) in a state of iman and ihtisab will have his previous sins forgiven”. (Compiled by al-Bukhari in the section of his Sahih Collection entitled “Upholding Laylatul Qadr is part of Iman”)]

The noble hadith employs a particular grammatical structure or device called الشَّرْطِيَّة (Conditionality). الشرطية is a situation where two events (both normally indicated by verbs) are connected in such a way so that the first event (referred to as the الشرط ) serves as a condition or pre-requisite (شرط) for the second event (referred to as the الجواب or الجزاء ). To put it differently, the second event (الجواب / الجزاء) follows or results from the first event (الشرط) . To make this connection of conditionality possible a third element is required called the أداة الشرط (conditional instrument or instrument of conditionality) which is a particle or noun placed before the conditional clause containing the الشرط . The أداة الشرط is of two types: a type that effects, in addition to conditionality, الجزم of the shart clause and jawab clause, and a type that only effects conditionality but not الجزم .

Now, in the blessed hadith, the أداة الشرط (conditional instrument) is "من" (whosoever) and is placed before the shart clause / verb which is يَقُمْ (stands, upholds) and the jawab clause is غُفِرَ (to have something forgiven). Moreover, this أداة الشرط effects الجزم which is clearly seen in the verb "يَقُمْ" which majzum with a sukun, as for the verb "غُفِرَ" , it occurs in the الماضي and therefore does not show the effect of الجزم . In other words, should one uphold the Night of Power / Decree in the manner described then the result would be that his / her previous sins will be forgiven. In other words, in order for one to have his / her previous sins forgiven (on that auspicious Night), there is a condition that must be met, and that condition is that he upholds Laylatul-Qadr, and upholds in the manner described in the hadith.

Having clarified the concept of ‘Conditionality’ and using the noble hadith to illustrate this concept, we now move on to what constitutes a شرط and a جواب / جزاء . Here we refer to Ibn Malik’s famous 1000 verse didactic poem on Nahw called the "al-Alfiyyah" (from the word "alf" meaning 'a thousand'). In dicussing the instruments of الجزم that effect conditionality he says:

فِعْلَيْنِ يَقْتَضِيْنَ شَرْطٌ قُدِّمَا * يَتْلُو الْجَزَاءُ وَجَواباً وُسِمَا
مَاضِيَيْنِ أَوْ مُضَارِعَيْنِ * تُلْفِيْهِمَا أَوْ مُتَخَالِفِيْنِ

[Two verbs do they (i.e. these conditional instruments) require: a شَرْط that is placed before (i.e. at the begining after the أداة الشرط ), followed by the الجزاء which is also called the الْجَوَاب ]
[You’ll find them (i.e. these two verbs) either both in the الْمَاضِيْ or both in the الْمُضَارِع or differently (i.e. الْمَاضِيْ + الْمُضَارِع or الْمُضَارِع + الْمَاضِيْ )]

In the case of the blessed hadith we find that the الشرط (conditional verb) – يَقُمْ - is مُضَارِع , and the الْجَوَاب or الجَزَاء (“result” verb) - غُفِرَ - is مَاضٍ . In other words, they are different, and not the same, with the الشرط being مُضَارِع and the الجزاء being مَاضٍ .

Now, to find out the significance of selecting the combination of الْمُضَارِع + الْمَاضَيْ from the four possible combinations, we turn to Balaghah, and more specifically the section called عِلْم الْمَعَانِيْ . While Nahw tells us that the four combinations are possible, it does not tell us why one combination is better than another based on the context. This is the domain of Balaghah and more specifically ‘Ilm al-Ma’ani.

Hence, the significance of the combination of الْمُضَارِع + الْمَاضَيْ is that the الْمُضَارِع – because it’s normally in the process of occurring or it has not occurred yet – there is a certain uncertainty about it. In other words, we do not know for certain how it is going to play out. The الْمَاضِيْ , on the other hand, is more certainty about precisely because it has already occurred, and there is nothing as definitive as the past. It’s the present and future that are somewhat uncertain.

Applying this to the hadith we see that the part which uses the الْمُضَارِع which is من يقم ليلة القدر is with reference to upholding the Night of Power, and we all know the element of uncertainty concerning Laytul-Qadr – which night of Ramadhan it is, and so on. So it is appropriate that the المضارع is used to denote an event that is shrouded in mystery, which makes us all the more anxious to find it lest it should pass us by without we even knowing it. As for when we do get the honour and privilege to uphold this highly auspicious Night, the forgiveness of our previous sins is assured, and there is absolutely no uncertainty about that. Therefore, the most eloquent of those who utter the Dad, the one who has been honoured with جوامع الكلم (i.e. the ability to speak volumes in just a few words) has in this one short hadith told us not merely the excellence and great virtue of upholding this Night but also the fact that the time of its occurrence is uncertain; but that the occurrence of forgiveness for one's previous sins is certain. At the same time he is telling us that to keep up the whole Ramadhan as Laylatul-Qadr could be in any of its nights. In another hadith he tells us to find it in the last ten nights, which to me also as the significance of making a special effort as the month comes to a close, as we are normally so energized at the beginning but than wane towards the end like the waning of the moon. By telling us to search for it in the last ten days, we approach the “final leg” of the month with renewed energy and vigour, such that we not only have a husn al-bidayah (good beginning) but also a husn al-nihayah / al-khatimah (good ending).

اللهم افتح لنا بالخير واختم لنا بالخير واجعل عواقب أمورنا بالخير بيدك الخير والعافية إنك على كل شيء قدير

In Part Two of our analysis of the hadith we will be focusing on the meanings of some of the words used in the hadith, insha Allah.

Allahu a'lam.

A Book In This World Yet ... Not From This World But Rather From The Lord Of The Worlds

2007-10-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

A Qur'anic Communication Model That Shows How Everything About The Qur'an Is Great

The Sender
Allah, the Most High, the Lord of the Worlds, the All-Knowing and All-Wise, to Whom belong the Most Beautiful Names

The Message
the Holy Qur'an itself, Allah's Final Revelation to the World, a Message that had it been sent down on a mountain, the mountain would crumble out of fear for and humility to Allah, a message that had the trees been pens and sea ink backed up by seven more seas, even then the Allah's Words would not run out and be exhausted

The Recipient (as Addressee & Messenger)
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Best of Creation, the Purest of Creation, the Final of Divine Emissaries; Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) even though he was the primary recipient of the Message of the Qur'an, was himself also sent by Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) as a Mercy to the Worlds and as a living example and embodiment of Allah's Final Message (afterall his character was the Qur'an كان خُلُقُه القرآن )

The Recipient (as Addressee only)
initial addresses were the inhabitants of Makkah and the surrounding areas, but later on extended to the whole of humanity

The Conveyor
the Archangel Jibril, the Highest of the Angels, was the angel entrusted with conveying the Sublime Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

The Medium
Oral & Written form in the Language of the Arabs, the Most Eloquent of Languages

The Time
First Revelation on the Blessed Night of Power (Laylah al-Qadr) during the Blessed Month of Ramadhan, and thereafter for 23 years in piece-meal fashion (in 7th Century Arabia)

The Place
Makkah, the Mother of Cities, and its surrounding areas

The Purpose
to guide humanity from the Darkness of Kufr to the Light of Islam, from the Darkness of Ignorance to the Light of Knowledge, from the Darkness of Misguidance to the Light of Guidance, to become the Best of Nations to have been evolved for Humanity, odering Good, forbidding Evil, and believing in Allah

Noise (External & Internal)

the noise constitutes an impedient or obstacle, whether physical or physiological (external) or psychological (internal), that prevents the message from reaching the recipient or from being understood by him / her; an example of external is actual physical noise that interferes with the transmission and reception of the message, and an example of internal noise is where the recipient has a certain negative bias towards the message that prevents him / her from properly comprehending and being open to it; it goes without saying that noise is not applicable to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

Some Qur'anic verses that bear out the components in the above model

Some of these verses mention up to 3 or 4 of these components. With the exception of noise, the rest of the components are all positive components. In fact, each of them occupies a high status with respect to the Qur'an.

It was Allah, the Most High, the Geatest, who sent His Final Revelation, the Qur'an, the Greatest of Revelations (as a whole and then the first of what was revealed), to the Best of His Creation, the Choicest of His Messengers via the Highest of Angels, Jibril, on the Holiest of Nights, in the Holy Month of Ramadhan, in the Greatest of Cities, Makkah, in the precincts of the Greatest House, the House of Allah, in the most Eloquent of Languages, Arabic, to make of its followers the Best of Nations to have evolved for Humanity, exhorting Good, forbidding Evil and believing in Allah. Such then is the kind of Book that we have in our midst.
A Book in this world yet not from this world but rather from the Lord of the Worlds.

[See if you can spot the components of the Qur'anic Communication Model in the following Qur'anic verses]

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ، نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ ، عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ ، بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُّبِينٍ ، سورة الشعراء: 192- 195

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجَا ، سورة الكهف: 1

اللَّهُ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ قَرِيبٌ ، سورة الشورى: 17

لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ، سورة الحشر: 24

وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ، سورة لقمان: 27

وَإِنَّكَ لَتُلَقَّى الْقُرْآنَ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ عَلِيمٍ ، سورة النمل: 6

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالْخُنَّسِ ، الْجَوَارِ الْكُنَّسِ ، وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا عَسْعَسَ ، وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ ، إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ، ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ ، مُطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ ، سورة التكوير: 15 – 21

فَلا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ ، وَمَا لا تُبْصِرُونَ ، إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ، وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ قَلِيلاً مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ ، وَلا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ قَلِيلاً مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ، تَنزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ، سورة الحاقة: 38 – 43

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، سورة القدر: 1

حم ، وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ ، إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ، فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ ، أَمْرًا مِّنْ عِندِنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ، رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ، الدخان: 1 – 6

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ، سورة البقرة: 185

وَهَـذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُّصَدِّقُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ، سورة الأنعام‏: 92

وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ قُرْآناً عَرَبِيّاً لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَرِيقٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِي السَّعِيرِ ، سورة ‏الشورى‏: 7
‏
وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا ، وَقُرْآناً فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلاً ، سورة الإسراء: 105 - 106

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا ، سورة الفرقان: 32

الر، كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ، سورة إبراهيم: 14

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ ، سورة ص: 29

هُوَ الَّذِيَ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ في قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاء الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاء تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلاَّ أُوْلُواْ الألْبَابِ ، رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ ، سورة آل عمران: 7 – 8

حم ، تَنزِيلٌ مِنْ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ، كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآناً عَرَبِيّاً لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ، بَشِيراً وَنَذِيراً فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُونَ ، وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ وَفِي آذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِنْ بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَامِلُونَ ، سورة فصلت: 1 – 5

وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا وَلَّى مُسْتَكْبِراً كَأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا كَأَنَّ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ وَقْراً فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ، سورة لقمان: 7

وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ حِجَاباً مَسْتُوراً ، وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْراً وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُوراً ، نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهِ إِذْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَى إِذْ يَقُولُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَسْحُوراً ، انظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا لَكَ الأَمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا فَلا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلاً ، وَقَالُوا أَئِذَا كُنَّا عِظَاماً وَرُفَاتاً أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ خَلْقاً جَدِيداً ، قُلْ كُونُوا حِجَارَةً أَوْ حَدِيداً ، أَوْ خَلْقاً مِمَّا يَكْبُرُ فِي صُدُورِكُمْ فَسَيَقُولُونَ مَنْ يُعِيدُنَا قُلْ الَّذِي فَطَرَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَسَيُنْغِضُونَ إِلَيْكَ رُءُوسَهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ قُلْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ قَرِيباً ، يَوْمَ يَدْعُوكُمْ فَتَسْتَجِيبُونَ بِحَمْدِهِ وَتَظُنُّونَ إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ، سورة الإسراء: 45 – 52

Deadlier than the Sting of a Wasp and the Sting of a Scorpion: If you live by Nahw you die by Nahw ...?

2007-10-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

The famous Sibawayh - to whom all Arabic grammarians after him are indebted - died at a very young age in approximately 180 AH. Some give his age as young as 33 years. However, he did not leave this world before he wrote al-Kitab which became known as the قرآن النحاة (Qur'an of the Grammarians). If that does not say it all then listen to what Abu 'Uthman al-Mazini had to say about "al-Kitab":
(من أراد أن يعمل كبيرا في النحو بعد كتاب سيبويه فلْيستحي) (Whosoever wishes to produce something great in Nahw after the Book of Sibawayh, let him be ashamed of himself). Another testimony to the high esteem in which al-Kitab was held is no other than the testimony of one of the great sons of Arabic grammar and literature, Abu al-Abbas al-Mubarrid who, if anyone indicated to him the desire to want to read Kitab Sibawayh, would simply say: "Have you ever travelled the sea?" meaning thereby that Kitab Sibawayh is not for the faint-hearted and students run the risk of drowning in its sheer depths. Such then is the calibre of scholar that we are dealing with here.

Nahw is what Sibawayh lived by and it was also Nahw that brought about his premature demise (may Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah for the great service that he rendered for the language of the Qur'an). That Sibawayh lived by Nahw is borne out by the fact that he started out his career as a student of hadith, reading hadith to the likes of Hammad ibn Salamah. It was here that a very young but highly sensitive Sibawayh erred in the reading of a hadith and was subsequently corrected by Hammad ibn Salamah. Instead or reading أبا الدرداء Sibawayh read أبو الدرداء in the following hadith: "ليس من أصحابي أحد إلا ولو شئت لأخذت عليه ليس أبا الدرداء…" . This was Hammad's response: لحنتَ وأخطأتَ يا سيبويه، ليس هذا حيث ذهبتَ، إنما ليس ها هنا استثناء (You have made a grammatical error, O Sibawayh. It is not as you said it, rather ليس is used here as (particle of) exception). Sibawayh responded by saying: لا جرم سأطلب علمًا لا تُلَحِّنني فيه (No problem, I will seek a type of knowledge that you will not fault me in), and this is how he ended up learning Nahw.
In another report narrated by Hammad himself Sibawayh came with a group of students to Hammad and Sibawayh was the one recording and noting down the ahadith dictated by Hammad, and erred, on one occasion, in the spelling of the word (الصفا) - one of the famous hills in Makkah that pilgrims ascend during the Hajj to which Hammad remarked: يا فارسيّ لا تقل الصفاء لأن الصفا مقصور [O Persian, don't say الصفاء (with a hamzah at the end) because الصفا is without a hamzah]. When Sibawayh had finished and left the majlis he (apparently) broke his pen, and said: لا أكتب شيئاً حتى أُحْكِم العربية (I'm not going to write anything down until I get my Arabic / grammar straight and sorted out). These two events as well as others prompted Sibawayh to take up the study of Nahw under the famous al-Khalil ibn Ahmad (the author of the first Arabic dictionary "Kitab al-'Ayn" and the founder of the Science of Arabic Poetic Meter - Prosody). It was concerning Sibawayh that al-Khalil used to remark whenever he came for a Nahw session: مرحباً بزائرٍ لا يمَلّ (Welcome to a visitor that never tires) and he would only use it for Sibawayh as an expression of endearment.

Incidentally, something similar happended to the famous Abu al-Fath Ibn Jinni with his lifelong teacher, Abu 'Ali al-Farisi, who when the latter first met the former, the former (i.e. Ibn Jinni) was conducting a class on Sarf (morphology), and he (Abu 'Ali) asked him a question to which he (Ibn Jinni) was unable to provide an answer, and Abu 'Ali al-Farisi said: زبَّبت قبل أن تُحَصْرِمَ (you want to dry the grapes and turn them into raisins before you have even given them time to harden and become compact), that is, "you want to embark on something before you are even ready and ripe for it". After this Ibn Jinni took to accompanying Abu 'Ali as his closest student until he eventually became successor to the Chair of Nahw and Sarf up until then held by his teacher, Abu 'Ali al-Farisi, in Baghdad.

Anyhow, to come back to the main theme of the post, Sibawayh then became a master, nay, the master of Arabic grammar. Shortly, before his death Sibawayh made a trip to Baghdad which was then under the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid and ministry of Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmakiy. It was this same Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmakiy that was to organise and set up a debate between the then leaders of the two major schools of Arabic grammar: Sibawayh of the Basran school and al-Kisa-iy (also one of the Seven Qur'anic Readers) from the Kufan school. When the two leaders finally met for the debate, it was Al-Kisa-iy who asked Sibawayh: Should I ask you or are you going to ask me?' to which Sibawayh responded: 'You ask me'. It was then that al-Kisa-iy asked Sibawayh the famous المسألة الزنبورية (the Wasp Question) which goes as follows:

قالت العرب: قد كُنْتُ أَظُنُّ أنَّ الْعَقْرَبَ أَشَدُّ لَسْعَةَ من الزُّنْبُوْرِ فَإِذَا هُوَ هِيَ أو فَإِذَا هُوَ إِيَاهَا

[The Arabs say: I used to think that the scorpion was more severe in its sting than the wasp / hornet, and then I found him (i.e. the wasp) to be just like her (i.e. the scorpion)]

The question that al-Kisa-iy wanted Sibawayh to answer was: are both فَإذَا هُوَ هِيَ and فَإِذَا هُوَ إِيّاهَا valid or is it just the first that is valid, that is, فَإِذَا هُوَ هِيَ ? Sibawayh responded by saying that only the first one is correct for which he then adduced certain textual proofs. Al-Kisa-iy begged to differ with him and said: العرب ترفع ذلك وتنصبه [the Arabs make it both marfu' (nom.) and mansub (acc.)]. Yahya, the organiser, then said: قد اختلفتما وأنتما رئيسا بلديكما، فمن يحكم بينكما؟ (the two of you have disagreed, and you are both the heads of your respective schools, who will judge between you? Al-Kisa-iy indicated to a group of Arabs standing at the door, from whom both cities have transmitted and derived their grammars from, and asked for them to be brought and asked the same question. Here, there have been numerous contradictory reports, some of which said that the native Arabs could not pronounce the Nasb (or accusative) version and were forced to just side with al-Kisa-iy. The point of consensus of these reports seems to be that the end result was that the Arabs (whether though coercion or not) concurred with al-Kisa-iy, and Sibawayh came out of the debate the lesser of the two.

The mas'alah has since been debated at length with views supporting both Sibawayh and al-Kisa-iy. Defeated (or cheated) in a city in which he was a stranger, Sibawayh returned to Basra never to return to Baghdad. Shortly, after his arrival in Basra, the world's greatest grammarian passed away - it was said out of sadness at the young age of 33 (or somewhere in that region). However, his great masterpiece lived on up to today. Out of respect for Sibawayh, al-Kisa-iy used to teach his students from al-Kitab. Some of Sibawayh's staunchers adversaries were found to have hidden al-Kitab under their pillows which only became known after they had already passed away. Despite what happened, the greatness of Sibawayh lives on and will continue to live on in both the lands of the العرب (Arabs) and the العجم (non-Arabs). Michael Carter, non-Arab, has dedicated an entire website to the study of al-Kitab called "the Sibawayhi Project", and is the author of a book entitled "Sibawayhi" in the "Makers of Islamic Civilization" series. May Allah reward Sibawayh the best of rewards, for certainly without him, Arabic would not have flourished as it did. Sibawayh has become a legend. Sibawayh is Nahw, and Nahw is Sibawayh - the two cannot be separated. Long live Sibawayh in our hearts, and long live al-Kitab in our midst:

ألا صلى المليك صلاة صدق* على عمرو بن عثمان بن قنبر
فإن كتابه لـم يغن عـنـه * بـنـو قـلـم ولا أبناء منبر

The Arabic Grammar Giants On Whose Shoulders We Now Stand

2007-10-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Below are the names of the most popular Arabic Grammarians listed chronologically acc. to date of death (Hijri & Gregorian) . The parts marked in red are what they are popularly known by in the Arabic literature. I might from time to time add more names so as to make the list more complete. These new names will be written in green, insha Allah. Not every scholar that has written a grammar book or commentary on a famous grammar text is necessarily regarded as a (professional) grammarian. All the grammarians listed here have been taken from Sh. Muhammad al-Tantawi's "Nash-ah al-Nahw wa Ta'rikh Ash-har al-Nuhah" (The Development of Arabic Grammar, and the History of the Most Famous of the Arabic Grammarians). You might recognise some of the names, and see where they have been placed historically. What the list does not show, is how these grammarians have geographically and historically grouped, nor does it show how student -teacher relationships. It might be that a student passed away before his teacher and is therefore placed before his teacher in the list. This is not very often the case. Insha Allah, I hope to point out sometime in the future some intesresting relationships (student-teacher, son-father, fellow-students, adversaries, etc.)between the grammarians as well as group them according certain standard categories. I might later on, insha Allah, also write out some of the names in English, the parts that the grammarians are popularly known by, and maybe choose some of the more famous and more interesting from the list and provide brief write-ups of some interesting and inspiring events that happened in their lives.

مشاهير النحاة

أبو الأسود الدؤلي ظالم بن عمرو (69 هـ - 688 م)

نصر بن عاصم الليثي (89 هـ - 707 م)
عنبسة الفيل بن معدان المَهْري (بُعَيد 100 هـ - 718 م)
عبد الرحمن بن هرمز أبو داود الأعرج (117 هـ - 735 م )
ابن أبي إسحاق أبو بحر عبد الله بن أبي إسحاق الحضرمي البصري (117 هـ - 735 م )
يحيى بن يَعْمَر العَدْواني أبو سليمان (129 هـ - 746 م )
عيسى بن عمر الثقفي أبو عمر (149 هـ - 766 م )
أبو عمرو بن العلاء زبان بن العلاء بن عمار المازني التميمي (154 هـ - 770 م )
الأخفش الأكبر أبو الخطاب عبد الحميد بن عبد المجيد (172 هـ - 788 م )

الخليل بن أحمد أبو عبد الرحمن الفراهيدي الأزدي (172 هـ - 788 م)
الرؤاسي أبو جعفر محمد بن الحسن (175 هـ - 791 م )
سيبويه أبو بشر عمرو بن عثمان بن قنبر (180 هـ - 796 م )
يونس بن حبيب أبو عبد الرحمن الضبي (182 هـ - 798 م )
معاذ الهراء ابن مسلم بن أبي سارة الكوفي (187 هـ - 802 م)
الكسائي أبو الحسن علي بن حمزة (189 هـ - 804 م )
الأحمر أبو الحسن علي بن المبارك (194 هـ - 809 م )
جودي ابن عثمان النحوي المغربي (197 هـ - 812 م )
حمدون محمد بن إسماعيل المغربي (200 هـ - 815 م )
اليزيدي يحيى بن المبارك بن المغيرة اليزيدي (202 هـ - 817 م )
قطرب أبو علي محمد بن المستنير البصري (206 هـ - 821 م)
الفراء أبو زكريا يحيى بن زياد بن عبد الله بن مروان الديلمي (207 هـ - 822 م )
الأخفش الأوسط أبو الحسن سعيد بن مسعدة (211 هـ -826 م )
أبو زيد سعيد بن أوس بن ثابت الأنصاري الخزرجي (215 هـ - 830 م )
الأصمعي أبو سعيد عبد الملك بن قريب بن أصمع بن علي بن أصمع الباهلي (216 هـ - 831 م )
اللِّحياني أبو الحسن علي بن المبارك بن حازم اللحياني (220 هـ - 835 م )
الجرمي أبو عمر صالح بن إسحاق البصري (225 هـ - 839 م )
ابن سعدان أبو جعفر محمد بن سعدان الضرير الكوفي (231 هـ - 845 م )
التَّوَّزي أبو محمد عبد الله بن محمد (237 هـ - 851 م )
المازني أبو عثمان بكر بن محمد (242 هـ - 856 م )
الطُّوال أبو جعفر أحمد بن عبد الله بن قادم (242 هـ - 856 م )
ابن السكيت أبو يوسف يعقوب بن إسحاق السكيت (244 هـ - 858 م)
أبو حاتم السجستاني سهل بن محمد بن عثمان بن القاسم (250 هـ - 864 م )
الرياشي أبو الفضل العباس بن الفرج (257 هـ - 870 م )
ولاَّد الوليد بن محمد التميمي (263 هـ - 876 م )
ابن قُتيبة أبو محمد عبد الله بن مسلم بن قتيبة الدينوري (267 هـ - 880 م )
المبرّد أبو العباس محمد بن يزيد بن عبد الأكبر الأزدي البصري (285 هـ - 898 م )
ثعْلب أحمد بن يحيى النحوي بن زيد (291 هـ - 903 م )
ابن ولاَّد أبو الحسين محمد بن الوليد التميمي السابق (298 هـ - 910 م )
ابن كَيْسان أبو الحسن محمد بن أحمد بن كيسان (299 هـ - 911 م )
أبو موسى الحامض سليمان بن محمد (305 هـ - 916 م )
الأفُشْنِيْق محمد بن موسى الأندلسي (307 هـ - 919 )
الزجاج أبو إسحاق إبراهيم بن السري بن سهل (311 هـ - 923 م )
الأخفش الصغير أبو الحسن علي بن سليمان بن الفضل (315 هـ - 927 م )
ابن السراج أبو بكر محمد بن السري (316 هـ - 928 م )
ابن شُقَيْر أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن الحسين البغدادي (317 هـ - 929 م )
ابن الخَيَّاط أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد (320 هـ - 932 م )
نِفْطَويه أبو عبد الله إبراهيم بن محمد المهلبي (323 هـ - 934 م )
ابن الأنباري أبو بكر محمد بن القاسم بن محمد بن بشار بن الحسين (327 هـ - 938 م )
ابن ولاَّد أبو العباس أحمد بن محمد بن الوليد الميمي (332 هـ - 943 م )
النحَّاس أبو جعفر أحمد بن المصري (337 هـ - 948 م )
الزجاجي أبو القاسم عبد الرحمن بن إسحاق الزجاجي (339 هـ - 950 م )
مَبْرَمان أبو بكر محمد بن علي العسكري (345 هـ - 956 م )
ابن دَرَسْتَويه أبو محمد أبو عبد الله بن جعفر بن درستويه الفارسي (347 هـ - 958 م )
محمد بن يحيى الرَّباحي الأندلسي (358 هـ - 968 م )
السيرافي أبو سعيد الحسن بن عبد الله بن المرزبان (368 هـ - 978 م )
ابن خالويه أبو عبد الله الحسين بن أحمد بن خالويه بن حمدان الهمداني (370 هـ - 980 م )
الفارسي أبو علي الحسن بن أحمد بن عبد الغفار (377 هـ - 987 م )
الزُّبَيدي أبو بكر محمد بن الحسن (379 هـ - 989 م )
الرمّاني أبو الحسن علي بن علي (384 هـ - 994 م )

ابن السيرافي يوسف بن الحسن بن عبد الله (385 هـ - 995 م)
ابن جني أبو الفتح عثمان بن جنيْ (392 هـ -1001 م )

الصيمري أبو محمد عبد الله بن علي بن إسحاق (من وفيات أواخر القرن الرابع أو أواخر القرن الخامس)
الرَّبَعيّ أبو الحسن علي بن عيسى (420 هـ - 1029 م )
الحوفي أبو الحسن علي بن إبراهيم (430 هـ - 1038 م )

الأسود الغندجاني الحسن بن إحمد بن محمد (كام موجودا سنة 430 هـ - 1038 م)

الحريري البصري أبو محمد القاسم بن علي (446 هـ - 1054 م )
ابن بَرهان أبو القاسم الواحد بن علي العكبري (456 هـ - 1063 م )
ابن بابشاذ أبو الحسن طاهر بن أحمد المصري (469 هـ - 1076 م )

عبد القاهر الجرجاني أبو بكر عبد القاهر بن عبد الرحمن بن محمد (471 هـ - 1078 م )
الأعلم أبو الحجاج يوسف بن سليمان الشنتمري (476 هـ - 1083 م )
ابن السَّيِّد البَطَلْيَوْسِيّ أبو محمد عبد الله بن محمد بن السيد (521 هـ - 1127 م )

ابن الطراوة سليمان بن محمد المالقي (528 هـ - 1133 م)
ابن الباذش أبو الحسن علي بن أحمد (538 هـ - 1143 م )
ملك النحاة أبو نزار الحسن بن صافي (538 هـ - 1143 م )
الزمخشري أبو القاسم جار الله محمود بن عمر بن محمد بن أحمد الزمخشري (538 هـ - 1143 م )
ابن الشجري أبو السعادات هبة الله بن علي الشريف البغدادي (542 هـ - 1147م )
ابن الخشَّاب أبو محمد عبد الله بن أحمد البغدادي (567 هـ -1171 م )
ابن الدهان أبو محمد ناصح الدين سعيد بن المبارك البغدادي (569 هـ - 1173 م )
اللَّخْمي أبو عبد الله محمد بن أحمد بن هشام اللخمي (570 هـ - 1174 م )
أبو البركات كمال الدين الأنباري عبد الرحمن بن محمد (577 هـ - 1181 م )
ابن طاهر الخِدَب أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن طاهر (580 هـ - 1184 م )
ابن بَرِّي أبو محمد عبد الله بن بري المصري (582 هـ - 1186 م )
السُّهيلي أبو القاسم أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله (583 هـ - 1187 م )
ابن مضاء أحمد بن عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن سعد بن حريث بن عاصم بن مضاء اللخمي (592 هـ - 1195 م )
الجَزولي أبو موسى عيسى بن يَلَلْبَخْت (605 هـ -1208 م )
المُطَرَّزيّ أبو الفتح ناصر الدين صدر الأفاضل بن أبي المكارم عبد السيد الخوارزمي (610 هـ - 1213 م )
ابن خروف أبو الحسن علي بن محمد بن علي بن محمد نظام الدين (610 هـ - 1213 م )
الكندي أبو اليَمَن زيد تاج الدين بن الحسن (613 هـ - 1216 م )
أبو البقاء العكبري عبد الله بن الحسين بن عبد الله بن الحسين الإمام محب الدين (616 هـ - 1219 م )
ابن معط أبو الحسين يحيى بن معط بن عبد النور زين الدين الزواوي المغربي الحنفي (628 هـ - 1230 م )
ابن الخبَّاز أحمد الضرير بن الحسين (637 هـ - 1239 م )
السخاوي أبو الحسن علي بن علم الدين بن محمد الإشبيلي (643 هـ - 1245 م )
الشَّلَوبين الكبير أبو علي عمر بن محمد (645 هـ - 1247 م )
ابن يعيش يعيش بن علي بن يعيش بن محمد بن أبي السرايا محمد بن علي بن المفضل بن عبد الكريم (646 هـ - 1248 م )
ابن الحاجب أبو عمرعثمان بن عمر بن أبي بكر بن يونس جمال الدين الكردي (646 هـ - 1248 م )
ابن هشام الخضراوي أبو عبد الله محمد بن يحيى الخزرجي (646 هـ - 1248 م )
ابن الحاج أبو العباس أحمد بن محمد (647 هـ -1249 م )

الخفاف أبو بكر بن يحيى الجذامي المالقي (657 هـ - 1258 م )

الشلوبين الصغير أبو عبد الله محمد بن علي (660 هـ - 1261 م)
الأندلسي أبو محمد القاسم علم الدين اللُّورقي بن أحمد (661 هـ - 1262 م )
ابن عصفور أبو الحسن علي بن مؤمن بن محمد بن علي بن عصفور الحضرمي الإشبيلي (663 هـ - 1264 م )
ابن مالك أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الله بن مالك جمال الدين الطائي الجياني (672 هـ - 1273 م )
ابن الضائع أبو الحسن علي بن محمد الإشبيلي الكتامي (680 هـ - 1281 م )
ابن إياز أبو محمد الحسين جمال الدين بن بدر (681 هـ - 1282 م )
ابن الناظم بدر الدين محمد بن محمد بن عبد الله بن مالك النحوي بن النحوي (686 هـ - 1287 م )
الرضي / رضي الدين محمد بن الحسن نجم الملة والدين الأستراباذي (686 هـ - 1287 م )
ابن أبي الربيع أبو الحسين عبيد الله بن أحمد الإشبيلي 688 هـ - 1289 م )
ابن النحاس أبو عبد الله محمد بهاء الدين بن إبراهيم الحلبي (698 هـ - 1298 م )
ابن آجروم أبو عبد الله محمد بن محمد بن داود الصنهاجي (723 هـ - 1323 م )
أبو حيان محمد بن يوسف بن علي بن يوسف بن حيان أثير الدين الأندلسي الغرناطي (745 هـ - 1344 م )
المرادي الحسن بن قاسم المصري (749 هـ - 1348 م )

محمد بن علي بن الفخار الجذامي المالقي (754 هـ - 1353 م )
ابن هشام أبو محمد جمال الدين عبد الله بن يوسف بن أحمد بن عبد الله بن هشام الأنصاري (761 هـ - 1359 م )
ابن عقيل أبو عبد الرحمن عبد الله بهاء الدين بن عبد الرحمن الحلبي (769 هـ - 1367 م )
ابن الصائغ محمد شمس الدين بن عبد الرحمن (776 هـ - 1374 م )
ناظر الجيش محمد محب الدين بن يوسف (778 هـ - 1376 م )
الشاطبي أبو إسحاق إبراهيم بن موسى بن محمد اللخمي الغرناطي (790 هـ - 1388 م )
ابن جماعة محمد عز الدين بن أبي بكر بن عبد العزيز (819 هـ - 1416 م )
الدماميني محمد بدر الدين بن أبي بكر بن عمر المخزومي (827 هـ - 1423 م )
الشمني أبو العباس أحمد تقي الدين بن محمد بن محمد (872 هـ -1467 م )
الكافيجي أبو عبد الله محمد بن سليمان (879 هـ - 1474 م )
الجامي أبو ضياء الدين عبد الرحمن نور الدين بن أحمد نظام الدين (898 هـ - 1492 م )
الشيخ خالد الأزهري خالد زين الدين بن عبد الله (905 هـ - 1499 م )
السيوطي أبو الفضل عبد الرحمن جلال الدين بن أبي بكر (911 هـ - 1505 م )
الأشموني أبو الحسن علي نور الدين بن محمد بن عيسى (929 هـ - 1522 م )
ابن قاسم العبَّادي أحمد شهاب الدين الصباغ (994 هـ - 1585 م )
الشنواني أبو بكر شهاب الدين (1019 هـ - 1610 م )
الدنوشري عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن (1025 هـ - 1616 م )
يس بن زين الدين (1061 هـ - 1650 م )
الحفني يوسف بن سالم (1178 هـ - 1764 م )
الصبان أبو العرفان محمد بن علي (1206 هـ - 1791 م )
الخضري محمد بن مصطفى بن حسن (1287 هـ - 1870 م )

May Allah reward them all for the great services that they have rendered in order to preserve the Language of the Qur'an and safeguard it from corruption and extinction, and keep it alive and strong throughout the ages - at a time when other languages suffered severe and often fatal blows, Ameen!

It is now our responsibilty to continue where they have left off, and do what is required from us by virtue of the age in which we now live, so that the torch that has been passed on to us from past generations be passed on to future generations whilst burning and shining with the same intensity and vigour that it always has and always will until the Day Allah will inherit the earth and all those inhabiting it.

A Student of His Students: A Story of Courage and Hope

2007-10-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Assalamu 'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

What of the most fascinating and inspiring Arabic personalities that I've come accross in my readings on Arabic grammar is a grammarian, as well as Hambali jurist, by the name of Abu al-Baqa' al-'Ukbari (b. 538 - d. 616) who, like many of the classical Muslim scholars, was versatile and schooled in a number of Arabic and Islamic disciplines. He was born in Baghdad which is basically where he lived all his life until he passed away (may Allah reward him for his services to the Arabic language). However, he is generally referred to as "al-'Ukbari" rather than "al-Baghdadi" the former referring to "'Ukbara", a village or town situated on the Tigris, between Baghdad and Samurra', and was known for its abundant fruit and good quality grapes.

Anyhow the most outstanding feature about Abu al-Baqa' al-'Ukbari was that he became blind due to contracting smallpox while still a child. This handicap, however, did not prevent him from acquiring knowledge in a number of fields but particularly in the field of Arabic studies. What is always fascinating to me about blind scholars is that we know for a fact that when they speak or write they have no recourse to books or visual aids at the time of doing so and can be said to solely depend on their own memories and other mental abilities. This is especially the case with scholars who did not enjoy the benefits of a technologically and scientifically advanced society. For one, I don't think Brail was available back then. In fact, al-'Ukbari was known to have committed tons of information to memory, and pre-occupied himself day and night with acquiring knowledge. This became possible for al-'Ukbari because he was blessed with dedicated and loyal students who read to him during the day, and a faithful wife who would read to him during the night. It is for this reason that al-'Ukbari received the title of تلميذ تلاميذه (the student of his students).

It is said that if he wanted to compose something, he would call for certain books to be read to him after which he would asked for them to be closed and paper and a stylus be brought so that he could start dictating and have the information written. Hence, it is not a strange that we find one of his best masterpieces going with the tile of إملاء ما منّ به الرحمن من وجوه الإعراب والقراءات في جميع القرآن (The Dictation of what has been bestowed (onto the author) by the al-Rahman as regards the various possibilities of I'rab and the Variant Readings in the Whole of the Qur'an). Here al-'Ukbari has brought together in a single volume what modern scholars could not do in 10 or 20 volumes, which is an I'rab of the entire Qur'an - an I'rab that does not only cover one Qur'anic reading but all the possible Qur'anic readings including those readings which have failed the test of a rigorously authenticated Qur'anic reading, known as the "al-Qira-at al-Shadh-dhah". So popular is al-'Ukbari's al-Imla' that it is oft-quoted as an important primary source in many of the subsequent Arabic grammatical works. It is not incorrect to say that al-'Ukbari's al-Imla' represents the quintessence of his knowledge on the Arabic sciences such as Lughah, Nahw, Sarf, Qira-at, and fruits of his wide and extensive readings of the works of his predecessors.

Some of al-'Ukbari's other works that have also enjoyed the attention of many scholars both past and present are:

(1) إعراب الحديث النبوي (I'rab of Prophetic Hadith)

(2) إعراب القراءات الشواذ (I'rab of the "Non-Standard" Variant Readings)

(3) اللباب في علل البناء والإعراب (the Essence of the Linguistic Causes of Indeclinability and Declinability), a masterpiece of 1st and 2nd order explanations of Arabic grammatical phenomena

(4) مسائل خلافية في النحو (Contentious Issues in Arabic Grammar)

5) A Commentary and I'rab of the famous pre-Islamic poem by al-Shanfara entitled لامية العرب (A Poem Rhyming in the Letter "Lam" about Arab Chivalry)

(6) A Commentary on al-Mutanabbi's Diwan

These are just to mention some of the works of a man who was not priviledged with one of the most important of our physical senses, namely, the sense of sight or vision, but then Allah opened up for him a much keener and sharper vision, namely, the vision of the intellect and the mind's eye, and now see the great intellectual legacy that this great mind has left behind. This is truly a case of someone who managed to turn a potential threat into an opportunity - an opportunity that not only benefitted him but countless of generations that came after him. His is indeed a story of courage and hope.

May Allah grant us the courage of the likes of Abu al-Baqa' al-'Ukbari to overcome our own shortcomings and human failings to achieve our goals and realise our dreams.