Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And alif, waw, and nun are for *** what is absent, and its counterpart is like qama and i'lam."
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The Shaykh :"And alif, waw, and nun are for *** what is absent, and its counterpart is like qama and i'lam"
Is the alif from the pronouns of nominative case, or from the attached or detached pronoun? It is the alif.
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : The alif is attached; the waw is attached.
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : And the nun is attached. He says that it is suitable for the absent one and others. We are now investigating whether it is suitable for all grammatical cases or not.
The alif can be in the nominative case, like qama. Can it be in the accusative case? No. Can it be in the genitive case? No. So, it is exclusively for the nominative case. But it can be for the absent one and for the one being addressed. You say: qama, and you say: qumu. What is the first one? It is for the absent one. And the second one: it is for the one being addressed. The one being addressed is present, so it is for the absent one and for the present one. And from the perspective of grammatical case, it is for the nominative case only.
The waw, from the perspective of grammatical case, is for the nominative case only. It does not become for the accusative case. Glory be to Allah. The waw becomes for the nominative case, it becomes for the accusative case, it becomes for the genitive case. No. So, from the perspective of grammatical case, it is for the nominative case only. And it is for what is absent and for the one being addressed. It is for the absent one and for the one being addressed. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:238] This is for the one being addressed. [As-Saffat 37:35] They were for the absent one. So, it is for what is absent and others. The nun.
The student: For the nominative case.
The Shaykh : It is for the nominative case and it is for other than the nominative case.
The student: No, no.
The Shaykh : The nun. It is not. The nun is for the nominative case only and for women.
You say: The women stand. The women stand. With regard to the one being addressed and the absent one, it is for the one being addressed and for the absent one. So you say: The women stand. This is for the absent one. And you address the women, so you say: Stand. This is for the one being addressed.
So, with regard to grammatical case, the alif, the waw, and the nun, with regard to grammatical case, do not become except in one way, which is the nominative case. With regard to presence and absence, it is for the present one and for the absent one.
Then the author gave an example: "Like qama and i'lam". Okay, we have other pronouns remaining. I, this is detached. Okay. The yaa is attached. Does it become for the absent one and others?
The student: No, for the one being addressed.
The Shaykh : It is for the one being addressed. In the case of a woman, it is in the nominative case: You stand. And it is for the speaker in the accusative and genitive cases, and it does not become in the nominative case. It does not become in the nominative case. Also, the yaa in akramani is not the yaa in taqumina, because the yaa in taqumina is in the nominative case, and in akramani it is in the accusative or genitive case.
"And alif, waw, and nun are for *** what is absent, and its counterpart is like qama and i'lam"
And the most important thing for us is that these three pronouns do not become except in the nominative case. As for the issue of whether it is for the present one or for the absent one, that is easy; the context indicates it. Then the author said, and we do not stop at this, because I am afraid I am overloading you a little. Yes.
Is the alif from the pronouns of nominative case, or from the attached or detached pronoun? It is the alif.
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : The alif is attached; the waw is attached.
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : And the nun is attached. He says that it is suitable for the absent one and others. We are now investigating whether it is suitable for all grammatical cases or not.
The alif can be in the nominative case, like qama. Can it be in the accusative case? No. Can it be in the genitive case? No. So, it is exclusively for the nominative case. But it can be for the absent one and for the one being addressed. You say: qama, and you say: qumu. What is the first one? It is for the absent one. And the second one: it is for the one being addressed. The one being addressed is present, so it is for the absent one and for the present one. And from the perspective of grammatical case, it is for the nominative case only.
The waw, from the perspective of grammatical case, is for the nominative case only. It does not become for the accusative case. Glory be to Allah. The waw becomes for the nominative case, it becomes for the accusative case, it becomes for the genitive case. No. So, from the perspective of grammatical case, it is for the nominative case only. And it is for what is absent and for the one being addressed. It is for the absent one and for the one being addressed. Allah the Exalted said:
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers
حافظوا على الصلواتIndeed they, when it was said to them
إنهم كانوا إذا قيل لهمThe student: For the nominative case.
The Shaykh : It is for the nominative case and it is for other than the nominative case.
The student: No, no.
The Shaykh : The nun. It is not. The nun is for the nominative case only and for women.
You say: The women stand. The women stand. With regard to the one being addressed and the absent one, it is for the one being addressed and for the absent one. So you say: The women stand. This is for the absent one. And you address the women, so you say: Stand. This is for the one being addressed.
So, with regard to grammatical case, the alif, the waw, and the nun, with regard to grammatical case, do not become except in one way, which is the nominative case. With regard to presence and absence, it is for the present one and for the absent one.
Then the author gave an example: "Like qama and i'lam". Okay, we have other pronouns remaining. I, this is detached. Okay. The yaa is attached. Does it become for the absent one and others?
The student: No, for the one being addressed.
The Shaykh : It is for the one being addressed. In the case of a woman, it is in the nominative case: You stand. And it is for the speaker in the accusative and genitive cases, and it does not become in the nominative case. It does not become in the nominative case. Also, the yaa in akramani is not the yaa in taqumina, because the yaa in taqumina is in the nominative case, and in akramani it is in the accusative or genitive case.
"And alif, waw, and nun are for *** what is absent, and its counterpart is like qama and i'lam"
And the most important thing for us is that these three pronouns do not become except in the nominative case. As for the issue of whether it is for the present one or for the absent one, that is easy; the context indicates it. Then the author said, and we do not stop at this, because I am afraid I am overloading you a little. Yes.