Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And others are definite, like the pronouns, the demonstrative, Hind, my son, the boy, and the relative pronoun."
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The Shaykh : As for the definite noun, he said: "And others are definite". "Others" includes what does not accept the article (al) and what accepts the article without it affecting its definiteness, because it is definite by nature. Then he mentioned its categories, saying: "Like the pronouns, the demonstrative, Hind, my son, the boy, and the relative pronoun". The author mentioned them in an unarranged order, may Allah have mercy on him, because the intention is to know the types of definite nouns.
He said: "Like the pronouns". This refers to the pronouns. All pronouns are definite: the first-person, second-person, and third-person pronouns; the nominative, accusative, and genitive pronouns; and the first-person, second-person, and third-person forms for each case. All pronouns are definite.
"And the demonstrative". This is the demonstrative noun. All demonstrative nouns are definite: this, that, these two, those two, and those. All are definite.
"And Hind". This is the proper name. Whether it is for a male or a female, it is one of the categories of the definite noun. Here, the author chose "Hind." Why did he not choose a male name?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, because of the meter. If he had said, for example, "and Zayd" or "and 'Amr," it would require a tanwin, which would disrupt the poetry.
He said: "And Hind, and my son". A noun attached to a definite noun is definite. However, its rank is actually according to what it is attached to. That is, it does not have a specific rank of its own, except for the noun attached to a pronoun, which is in the rank of a proper name. The arrangement will come later, if Allah wills.
What is "the boy"? It is the noun with the article (al).
"And the relative pronoun". This is the relative pronoun. So, all together, there are six types. All together, there are six types.
The pronouns, the demonstrative noun, the proper name, the noun attached to a definite noun, the noun with the article (al), and the relative pronoun in all its forms: singular, dual, and plural. The singular is like "who" (dhī) and "who" (dhī) for females. The dual is "the two who" (alladhān) and "the two who" (allatān). The plural is "those who" (alladhīna) and "those who" (allallatī).
Regarding the arrangement of these definite nouns, the author mentioned them in a general, unarranged way. But when detailing them, he arranged them. He started with the pronouns, then the proper name, then the demonstrative, then the relative pronoun, then the noun with the article (al). He did not mention the attached noun because the attached noun does not have a specific rank, as it is according to what it is attached to, except for the noun attached to a pronoun, which is like a proper name. The most definite of the definite nouns are the pronouns. This is because they are the most specific of the definite nouns. The entire concept of definiteness is based on what? On specification and particularization. Because the indefinite noun, as we said, is absolute. But the more specific it is, the more definite it is. The most specific definite nouns are undoubtedly the pronouns. If I say "I," it cannot refer to anyone but myself. If you say "you," it cannot refer to anyone but the person being addressed. Therefore, they are the most definite. But "Zayd" is a proper name. Yes, it can refer to the Zayd in front of me or the Zayd behind me. But the "I" in "he favored me" cannot refer to anyone but the speaker. "I struck" cannot refer to anyone but the speaker. So, the most definite nouns are the pronouns.
Second, after the pronouns, is the proper name. Because it specifies its referent without a context, unlike the demonstrative and unlike the relative pronoun. The proper name specifies its referent without a context, so it is the most specific, except for the pronouns. However, they excluded the specific names of Allah, as they are more definite than the pronouns. More definite than the pronouns, because they are not valid for anyone but Allah alone, Mighty and Majestic. What are they? For example: Allah. "Allah" is the most definite noun because it cannot refer to anyone but the Lord, Mighty and Majestic. But "I stood" can be a pronoun, as I am Muhammad, and "I stood" can be used by another man speaking about himself. But "Allah" has no ambiguity. The pronouns have ambiguity, even though they specify their referent, but there is ambiguity in them. As for the specific name of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, it does not extend to anyone else. Therefore, they said that the pronouns are the most definite nouns, except for what? The specific names of Allah, which are the most definite nouns.
After that is the demonstrative noun. The demonstrative noun comes after the proper name. Why is it after the proper name? Because the proper name specifies its referent without a context, absolutely. The demonstrative noun specifies its referent, but with a context. I say: "This." Is this present or not present? Present. So it specifies its referent with the context of presence. Therefore, it is of a lower rank than the proper name.
The relative pronoun comes after the demonstrative because it specifies its referent through the relative clause. It can be for the present or for the absent. The demonstrative noun is originally for the present. Therefore, it is more definite than the relative pronoun. For example, you say: "I honored the one who honors me." "The one who honors me" is a definite noun, and it became definite through the relative clause. So it is specified for its referent through it, which is the relative clause. The fourth.
The student: The fifth.
The Shaykh : The fifth: the noun with the article (al). The noun with the article (al) is also of a lower rank than what preceded it, because its definiteness was not originally in its meaning, unlike the relative pronoun. The relative pronoun cannot be valid without its relative clause, but the noun with the article (al) is valid without the article (al). Therefore, it is of a lower rank than the relative pronoun.
And the sixth: the noun attached to a definite noun. It is in the position of what it is attached to, except for the noun attached to a pronoun. They said that it is like a proper name. If I say: "This is my book," "my book" is a definite noun. Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is attached to a pronoun. "My book" is attached to a pronoun. And when it is attached to a pronoun, it becomes a definite noun. Everything attached to a definite noun is a definite noun. Okay, this is a pen. This is a pen. Is this a definite noun or an indefinite noun? It is a definite noun. Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : To what? To the demonstrative noun. So it becomes a definite noun. Okay, this is a boy who is in the market. Come, Khalid. Is "boy" a definite noun or not?
The student: It is a definite noun.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And it is a relative pronoun. But if I said: "This is a boy" only, "boy" would be an indefinite noun. Okay, this is the book of the student 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Dawud. What do you say about "the book of the student"?
The student: It is a definite noun.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: Because it is attached to the noun with the article (al).
The Shaykh : It is attached to the noun with the article (al). So, the definite nouns are therefore six types. First: the proper name. Yes, okay. First: the pronoun, then.
The student: Knowledge.
The Shaykh : Then.
The student: The demonstrative noun.
The Shaykh : Then.
The student: The relative pronoun.
The Shaykh : Then
The student: The noun with the article (al).
The Shaykh : The noun with the article (al) or the noun with the article (al) means the same thing. Okay, and what is attached to one of them is in its position or its rank, except for the noun attached to a pronoun, which is like a proper name. Some did not make an exception, saying that even the noun attached to a pronoun is in the position of the pronoun. But the well-known view is the exception. Then the author, may Allah have mercy on him, began to explain the definition of each of these six categories.
He said: "Like the pronouns". This refers to the pronouns. All pronouns are definite: the first-person, second-person, and third-person pronouns; the nominative, accusative, and genitive pronouns; and the first-person, second-person, and third-person forms for each case. All pronouns are definite.
"And the demonstrative". This is the demonstrative noun. All demonstrative nouns are definite: this, that, these two, those two, and those. All are definite.
"And Hind". This is the proper name. Whether it is for a male or a female, it is one of the categories of the definite noun. Here, the author chose "Hind." Why did he not choose a male name?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, because of the meter. If he had said, for example, "and Zayd" or "and 'Amr," it would require a tanwin, which would disrupt the poetry.
He said: "And Hind, and my son". A noun attached to a definite noun is definite. However, its rank is actually according to what it is attached to. That is, it does not have a specific rank of its own, except for the noun attached to a pronoun, which is in the rank of a proper name. The arrangement will come later, if Allah wills.
What is "the boy"? It is the noun with the article (al).
"And the relative pronoun". This is the relative pronoun. So, all together, there are six types. All together, there are six types.
The pronouns, the demonstrative noun, the proper name, the noun attached to a definite noun, the noun with the article (al), and the relative pronoun in all its forms: singular, dual, and plural. The singular is like "who" (dhī) and "who" (dhī) for females. The dual is "the two who" (alladhān) and "the two who" (allatān). The plural is "those who" (alladhīna) and "those who" (allallatī).
Regarding the arrangement of these definite nouns, the author mentioned them in a general, unarranged way. But when detailing them, he arranged them. He started with the pronouns, then the proper name, then the demonstrative, then the relative pronoun, then the noun with the article (al). He did not mention the attached noun because the attached noun does not have a specific rank, as it is according to what it is attached to, except for the noun attached to a pronoun, which is like a proper name. The most definite of the definite nouns are the pronouns. This is because they are the most specific of the definite nouns. The entire concept of definiteness is based on what? On specification and particularization. Because the indefinite noun, as we said, is absolute. But the more specific it is, the more definite it is. The most specific definite nouns are undoubtedly the pronouns. If I say "I," it cannot refer to anyone but myself. If you say "you," it cannot refer to anyone but the person being addressed. Therefore, they are the most definite. But "Zayd" is a proper name. Yes, it can refer to the Zayd in front of me or the Zayd behind me. But the "I" in "he favored me" cannot refer to anyone but the speaker. "I struck" cannot refer to anyone but the speaker. So, the most definite nouns are the pronouns.
Second, after the pronouns, is the proper name. Because it specifies its referent without a context, unlike the demonstrative and unlike the relative pronoun. The proper name specifies its referent without a context, so it is the most specific, except for the pronouns. However, they excluded the specific names of Allah, as they are more definite than the pronouns. More definite than the pronouns, because they are not valid for anyone but Allah alone, Mighty and Majestic. What are they? For example: Allah. "Allah" is the most definite noun because it cannot refer to anyone but the Lord, Mighty and Majestic. But "I stood" can be a pronoun, as I am Muhammad, and "I stood" can be used by another man speaking about himself. But "Allah" has no ambiguity. The pronouns have ambiguity, even though they specify their referent, but there is ambiguity in them. As for the specific name of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, it does not extend to anyone else. Therefore, they said that the pronouns are the most definite nouns, except for what? The specific names of Allah, which are the most definite nouns.
After that is the demonstrative noun. The demonstrative noun comes after the proper name. Why is it after the proper name? Because the proper name specifies its referent without a context, absolutely. The demonstrative noun specifies its referent, but with a context. I say: "This." Is this present or not present? Present. So it specifies its referent with the context of presence. Therefore, it is of a lower rank than the proper name.
The relative pronoun comes after the demonstrative because it specifies its referent through the relative clause. It can be for the present or for the absent. The demonstrative noun is originally for the present. Therefore, it is more definite than the relative pronoun. For example, you say: "I honored the one who honors me." "The one who honors me" is a definite noun, and it became definite through the relative clause. So it is specified for its referent through it, which is the relative clause. The fourth.
The student: The fifth.
The Shaykh : The fifth: the noun with the article (al). The noun with the article (al) is also of a lower rank than what preceded it, because its definiteness was not originally in its meaning, unlike the relative pronoun. The relative pronoun cannot be valid without its relative clause, but the noun with the article (al) is valid without the article (al). Therefore, it is of a lower rank than the relative pronoun.
And the sixth: the noun attached to a definite noun. It is in the position of what it is attached to, except for the noun attached to a pronoun. They said that it is like a proper name. If I say: "This is my book," "my book" is a definite noun. Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is attached to a pronoun. "My book" is attached to a pronoun. And when it is attached to a pronoun, it becomes a definite noun. Everything attached to a definite noun is a definite noun. Okay, this is a pen. This is a pen. Is this a definite noun or an indefinite noun? It is a definite noun. Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : To what? To the demonstrative noun. So it becomes a definite noun. Okay, this is a boy who is in the market. Come, Khalid. Is "boy" a definite noun or not?
The student: It is a definite noun.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And it is a relative pronoun. But if I said: "This is a boy" only, "boy" would be an indefinite noun. Okay, this is the book of the student 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Dawud. What do you say about "the book of the student"?
The student: It is a definite noun.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: Because it is attached to the noun with the article (al).
The Shaykh : It is attached to the noun with the article (al). So, the definite nouns are therefore six types. First: the proper name. Yes, okay. First: the pronoun, then.
The student: Knowledge.
The Shaykh : Then.
The student: The demonstrative noun.
The Shaykh : Then.
The student: The relative pronoun.
The Shaykh : Then
The student: The noun with the article (al).
The Shaykh : The noun with the article (al) or the noun with the article (al) means the same thing. Okay, and what is attached to one of them is in its position or its rank, except for the noun attached to a pronoun, which is like a proper name. Some did not make an exception, saying that even the noun attached to a pronoun is in the position of the pronoun. But the well-known view is the exception. Then the author, may Allah have mercy on him, began to explain the definition of each of these six categories.