The Benefits of the Science of Grammar and the Identification of Its First Founder
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The Shaykh : And may peace and blessings be upon him and all his Companions. As for what follows, the science of grammar is among the best of the sciences that serve as a means to others, for it involves correcting the tongue and correcting the speech of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and indeed correcting the speech of Allah for those who have not read the mushaf with diacritical marks. It also aids in understanding the Book of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). How many verses have had their meanings clarified, and how many hadiths have had their meanings clarified, through the knowledge of grammar. It also helps one to listen attentively to the speaker, for if the speaker makes grammatical errors in his speech, especially in the presence of one who knows pure Arabic, his speech becomes tedious and heavy to hear. As for one who does not know Arabic, he does not care about this and does not recognize it. Thus, it has great benefits. For this reason, they say: "Grammar in speech is like salt in food", meaning that it beautifies and refines it. However, it is more essential than salt in food, for it is necessary for every person who wishes to regulate his tongue in accordance with the speech of Allah and the speech of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
It is said that the first to initiate grammar was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), and that he ordered Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali to write something of the chapters of grammar. He wrote in it from the chapters of addition (idafah), from the chapters of the predicate (khabar), and from the chapters of the state (hal). And Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali, his daughter said to him one day: "O my father, how beautiful the sky is." He said to her: "Its stars." Because "what is beautiful" (ma ahsana) is the subject (mubtada') in the interrogative, and "beautiful" (ahsan) is the predicate of the subject, meaning: what is the most beautiful thing in the sky? He said: "Its stars." This was his answer. He answered her according to the Arabic language. She said: "O my father, I am not asking about the most beautiful thing in it, but I am marveling at its beauty." He said: "Say: How beautiful the sky is", open your mouth: How beautiful the sky is. Yes, and this word or this sentence, it is permissible to say "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject) and it is permissible to say "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as object) and it is permissible to say "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject in a different construction). Yes. All of them are permissible, and each one has a meaning.
"How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject) is an inquiry about the most beautiful thing in it.
"How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as object) is an expression of marvel at its beauty.
And "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject) means how it was not beautiful, or how it did not enter into beauty, or how it did not do well, based on the metaphor that it did not rain, for example. The result is that look, the meaning differed with the difference in grammatical case. It is said that Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali established the chapter of marvel (ta'ajjub) based on the words of his daughter, her answer.
It is said that the first to initiate grammar was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), and that he ordered Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali to write something of the chapters of grammar. He wrote in it from the chapters of addition (idafah), from the chapters of the predicate (khabar), and from the chapters of the state (hal). And Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali, his daughter said to him one day: "O my father, how beautiful the sky is." He said to her: "Its stars." Because "what is beautiful" (ma ahsana) is the subject (mubtada') in the interrogative, and "beautiful" (ahsan) is the predicate of the subject, meaning: what is the most beautiful thing in the sky? He said: "Its stars." This was his answer. He answered her according to the Arabic language. She said: "O my father, I am not asking about the most beautiful thing in it, but I am marveling at its beauty." He said: "Say: How beautiful the sky is", open your mouth: How beautiful the sky is. Yes, and this word or this sentence, it is permissible to say "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject) and it is permissible to say "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as object) and it is permissible to say "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject in a different construction). Yes. All of them are permissible, and each one has a meaning.
"How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject) is an inquiry about the most beautiful thing in it.
"How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as object) is an expression of marvel at its beauty.
And "How beautiful the sky is" (with the sky as subject) means how it was not beautiful, or how it did not enter into beauty, or how it did not do well, based on the metaphor that it did not rain, for example. The result is that look, the meaning differed with the difference in grammatical case. It is said that Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali established the chapter of marvel (ta'ajjub) based on the words of his daughter, her answer.