Review of Ibn Malik's statement: "Walaytani fasha wa layti nadra *** wa ma' la'all a'khas wa kan mukhyira."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : That is all. I think the time is up?
The student: No, there is still time.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the Alfiyyah: "Walaytani fasha wa layti nadra", meaning: it is rare, "fasha" meaning: it is common. In the language of the Arabs, they say: "Laytani qaim" (I wish I were standing), which is the most common, and they sometimes say "Layti, layti," but that is rare. "Wa ma' la'all a'khas": meaning, with "la'alla" you reverse it and delete the protective nun. This is the common usage, and the rare usage is keeping the protective nun. "La'ali" is the most common, and "la'allani" is the least common. "Wa kan mukhyira fi al-baqiyat", "kan" meaning: you, O addressee, "mukhyira fi al-baqiyat", meaning: use them with the deletion of the protective nun and with the keeping of the protective nun. "Wa al-baqiyat", someone might say: Ibn Malik's statement is not clear because we do not know what "al-baqiyat" (the rest) are. It is said: No, it is clear, because "layt" and "la'alla" are from the original known particles that put the subject in the accusative case and put the predicate in the nominative case. Ibn Malik divided these particles into three categories: a category in which the protective nun is common, which is "layt"; a category in which its deletion is common, which is "la'alla"; and the rest are optional, meaning the two matters are equal: keeping it and deleting it. So we start with "inna":[Al-Hijr 15:89], is this keeping or deletion?
The student: Deletion.
The Shaykh : Deletion. Does Allah the Mighty and Majestic say this:?
The student: An affirmation.
The Shaykh : Keeping. "Anna" (that I):[As-Saf 61:5]!
The student: Deletion.
The Shaykh : Deletion. "Annani" (that I): Do you know that I am understanding?
The student: An affirmation.
The Shaykh : This is keeping. "Inna" and "anna," "kanna" and "lakinna." You say: "Kannani fahim" (I seem to be understanding), "Kannani fahim" (I seem to be understanding).
The student: An affirmation.
The Shaykh : Keeping. "Kani fahim" (I seem to be understanding)?
The student: Deletion.
The Shaykh : Deletion. But? "Lakini qaim" (but I am standing), or "Lakinna qaim" (but I am standing). Is that clear? "Kanna" is for comparison if it enters a derived word. If its predicate is a derived word, it is for suspicion. If it enters a derived word, it is for suspicion, and if it enters a static word, it is for comparison. So you say: "Kannaka asad" (You are like a lion). Is this?
The student: Comparison.
The Shaykh : Comparison. "Kannaka fahim" (You seem to be understanding) is for suspicion, meaning: I think you are understanding. "Kannaka fahim ma aqul" (You seem to be understanding what I am saying), meaning: I think. Okay.
The student: No, there is still time.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the Alfiyyah: "Walaytani fasha wa layti nadra", meaning: it is rare, "fasha" meaning: it is common. In the language of the Arabs, they say: "Laytani qaim" (I wish I were standing), which is the most common, and they sometimes say "Layti, layti," but that is rare. "Wa ma' la'all a'khas": meaning, with "la'alla" you reverse it and delete the protective nun. This is the common usage, and the rare usage is keeping the protective nun. "La'ali" is the most common, and "la'allani" is the least common. "Wa kan mukhyira fi al-baqiyat", "kan" meaning: you, O addressee, "mukhyira fi al-baqiyat", meaning: use them with the deletion of the protective nun and with the keeping of the protective nun. "Wa al-baqiyat", someone might say: Ibn Malik's statement is not clear because we do not know what "al-baqiyat" (the rest) are. It is said: No, it is clear, because "layt" and "la'alla" are from the original known particles that put the subject in the accusative case and put the predicate in the nominative case. Ibn Malik divided these particles into three categories: a category in which the protective nun is common, which is "layt"; a category in which its deletion is common, which is "la'alla"; and the rest are optional, meaning the two matters are equal: keeping it and deleting it. So we start with "inna":
And say, "Indeed, I am the clear warner" -
وقلْ إنّي أنا النذير المبينThe student: Deletion.
The Shaykh : Deletion. Does Allah the Mighty and Majestic say this:
Indeed, I am Allah, there is no deity except Me
إنني أنا الله لا إله إلا أناThe student: An affirmation.
The Shaykh : Keeping. "Anna" (that I):
while you certainly know that I am the messenger of Allah to you
وقد تعلمون أني رسول الله إليكمThe student: Deletion.
The Shaykh : Deletion. "Annani" (that I): Do you know that I am understanding?
The student: An affirmation.
The Shaykh : This is keeping. "Inna" and "anna," "kanna" and "lakinna." You say: "Kannani fahim" (I seem to be understanding), "Kannani fahim" (I seem to be understanding).
The student: An affirmation.
The Shaykh : Keeping. "Kani fahim" (I seem to be understanding)?
The student: Deletion.
The Shaykh : Deletion. But? "Lakini qaim" (but I am standing), or "Lakinna qaim" (but I am standing). Is that clear? "Kanna" is for comparison if it enters a derived word. If its predicate is a derived word, it is for suspicion. If it enters a derived word, it is for suspicion, and if it enters a static word, it is for comparison. So you say: "Kannaka asad" (You are like a lion). Is this?
The student: Comparison.
The Shaykh : Comparison. "Kannaka fahim" (You seem to be understanding) is for suspicion, meaning: I think you are understanding. "Kannaka fahim ma aqul" (You seem to be understanding what I am saying), meaning: I think. Okay.