Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And place the more specific in connection *** And place what you wish in separation."
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The Shaykh : He said, may Allah have mercy on him:
"And place the more specific in connection *** And place what you wish in separation"
We have learned about the connected pronoun and the separated pronoun. If two pronouns come together, which one is placed first? The author says: In the case of connection, place the more specific one first; and in the case of separation, place whichever you wish, whether the more specific or the less specific. And thus we need to know which is the more specific and which is not. The most specific of the pronouns is the pronoun of the speaker, without doubt, because it does not allow for anyone else. "I": it does not allow for anyone other than me. "He honored me" (the yaa): it does not allow for anyone other than me, so it is the most specific. The most specific of the pronouns is the pronoun of the speaker, and after it comes the pronoun of the addressee, because the addressee may be one person or multiple people, so it is broader than the pronoun of the speaker, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Good, and following it is the pronoun of the absent person. There are three ranks, the most specific of which is the speaker, then the addressee, then the absent person. The absent person is the most general. If the pronouns are of the same type, meaning in the same rank, the author's words will come to us later. But if they are of different ranks, it is obligatory that we place the more specific one first. It is obligatory that we place the more specific one first. He said: "And place the more specific in connection". An example of this is if you say: "I gave it to him" (al-dirham a'taytanihi). "I gave it to him": we now have two pronouns, both are objects. Where are they?
The student: The yaa and the haa.
The Shaykh : The yaa and the haa. So it is not permissible for you to say: "I gave it to him and me" (a'taytahu wa-ya). It is not permissible. Rather, you say: "I gave it to him" (a'taytanihi). Why? Because the yaa of the speaker is more specific than the pronoun of the absent person, so it is obligatory to place the more specific one first in connection. The reason for the obligation is apparent, because saying "I gave it to him and me" is heavy speech, and "I gave it to him" is light speech. And the lighter the speech is on the tongue, the more preferable it is. He says: "And place..."
Good, and similarly: "I gave it to you" (a'taytuka). "I gave it to you" (a'taytuka-hu). Which is more specific?
The student: The kaa.
The Shaykh : The kaa, the pronoun of the addressee, is more specific than the haa, which is the pronoun of the absent person. So it is obligatory to say: "I gave it to you" (a'taytuka). And it is not permissible to say: "I gave it to him and you" (a'taytahu wa-ka). This is not permissible, because if you said "I gave it to him and you," you would have placed the less specific before the more specific in the case of connection. As for in the case of separation, he says: "And place what you wish in separation". If the pronoun is separated, place whichever you wish, the more specific or the less specific. So "I gave it to him" (a'taytanihi), separate the yaa pronoun: "I gave it to him" (a'taytani iyyahu). "I gave it to him" (a'taytani iyyahu). So if you separate the more specific pronoun and say: "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya), it is permissible. Why? Because the more specific one was a separated pronoun, so it is light on the tongue. And without doubt, if you say "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya), it is light on the tongue. So the result now is: "If the pronoun is connected, it is obligatory to place the more specific one first, and if it is separated, it is permissible to delay it, even if it is the more specific one". "And place what you wish in separation".
The student: With a damma on the taa, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: With a damma on the taa, "I gave it to him" (a'taytanihi)?
The Shaykh : What?
The student: With a damma on the taa?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is known.
The student: And the yaa!
The Shaykh : How?
The student: The yaa of the speaker now, suppose
The Shaykh : "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya), in the last example: "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya).
"And place the more specific in connection *** And place what you wish in separation"
We have learned about the connected pronoun and the separated pronoun. If two pronouns come together, which one is placed first? The author says: In the case of connection, place the more specific one first; and in the case of separation, place whichever you wish, whether the more specific or the less specific. And thus we need to know which is the more specific and which is not. The most specific of the pronouns is the pronoun of the speaker, without doubt, because it does not allow for anyone else. "I": it does not allow for anyone other than me. "He honored me" (the yaa): it does not allow for anyone other than me, so it is the most specific. The most specific of the pronouns is the pronoun of the speaker, and after it comes the pronoun of the addressee, because the addressee may be one person or multiple people, so it is broader than the pronoun of the speaker, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Good, and following it is the pronoun of the absent person. There are three ranks, the most specific of which is the speaker, then the addressee, then the absent person. The absent person is the most general. If the pronouns are of the same type, meaning in the same rank, the author's words will come to us later. But if they are of different ranks, it is obligatory that we place the more specific one first. It is obligatory that we place the more specific one first. He said: "And place the more specific in connection". An example of this is if you say: "I gave it to him" (al-dirham a'taytanihi). "I gave it to him": we now have two pronouns, both are objects. Where are they?
The student: The yaa and the haa.
The Shaykh : The yaa and the haa. So it is not permissible for you to say: "I gave it to him and me" (a'taytahu wa-ya). It is not permissible. Rather, you say: "I gave it to him" (a'taytanihi). Why? Because the yaa of the speaker is more specific than the pronoun of the absent person, so it is obligatory to place the more specific one first in connection. The reason for the obligation is apparent, because saying "I gave it to him and me" is heavy speech, and "I gave it to him" is light speech. And the lighter the speech is on the tongue, the more preferable it is. He says: "And place..."
Good, and similarly: "I gave it to you" (a'taytuka). "I gave it to you" (a'taytuka-hu). Which is more specific?
The student: The kaa.
The Shaykh : The kaa, the pronoun of the addressee, is more specific than the haa, which is the pronoun of the absent person. So it is obligatory to say: "I gave it to you" (a'taytuka). And it is not permissible to say: "I gave it to him and you" (a'taytahu wa-ka). This is not permissible, because if you said "I gave it to him and you," you would have placed the less specific before the more specific in the case of connection. As for in the case of separation, he says: "And place what you wish in separation". If the pronoun is separated, place whichever you wish, the more specific or the less specific. So "I gave it to him" (a'taytanihi), separate the yaa pronoun: "I gave it to him" (a'taytani iyyahu). "I gave it to him" (a'taytani iyyahu). So if you separate the more specific pronoun and say: "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya), it is permissible. Why? Because the more specific one was a separated pronoun, so it is light on the tongue. And without doubt, if you say "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya), it is light on the tongue. So the result now is: "If the pronoun is connected, it is obligatory to place the more specific one first, and if it is separated, it is permissible to delay it, even if it is the more specific one". "And place what you wish in separation".
The student: With a damma on the taa, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: With a damma on the taa, "I gave it to him" (a'taytanihi)?
The Shaykh : What?
The student: With a damma on the taa?
The Shaykh : Yes, that is known.
The student: And the yaa!
The Shaykh : How?
The student: The yaa of the speaker now, suppose
The Shaykh : "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya), in the last example: "I gave it to me" (a'taytahu iyyaya).