Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "In the distance, or say 'thumma fuh' or 'huna' *** or say 'hunalaika' or 'huna'."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :"Or with thumma fuh":
Fuh: This means to say "thumma fuh," meaning to speak to the distant one. It is said: "Sit thumma," meaning in a distant place. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:[Al-Insan 76:20]. And a common error among people is to make the tha of thumma a dammah, saying "wa min thumma" (and from then) such and such happened. This is an error, a clear error, because if they say "wa min thumma," it becomes a conjunction, whereas the adverb of place is to be said as "thumma." "Or with thumma fuh": Fuh: What is its present tense?
The student: Yafu.
The Shaykh : Yafu. What is its past tense?
The student: Faha.
The Shaykh : Faha, meaning: to speak.
"Or huna": This means or say, when indicating a distant place: "huna". What is the difference between huna and huna? The difference is that huna has more letters than huna, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : How many more?
The student: One letter.
The Shaykh : One letter, and it is the doubling of the nun. The scholars said: "An increase in the structure indicates an increase in the meaning". And this is generally the case; generally, an increase in the structure indicates an increase in the meaning. And our saying "generally," as for what is not the general case: shajarah (tree) and shajar (trees), which is more in structure? More in structure!
The student: Shajarah.
The Shaykh : Shajarah, and more in meaning?
The student: Shajar.
The Shaykh : Shajar. Good. "Or with hunalaika, speak". Hunalaika: This is in place of huna, and it contains the lam and the kaf.
"Or hina": With a kasrah on the haa. So hina has two dialects: the fathah and the kasrah, and both are for indicating a distant place. And Allah knows best. Yes?
Fuh: This means to say "thumma fuh," meaning to speak to the distant one. It is said: "Sit thumma," meaning in a distant place. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion.
وإذا رأيت ثمَّ رأيت نعيمًا وملكًا كبيرًاThe student: Yafu.
The Shaykh : Yafu. What is its past tense?
The student: Faha.
The Shaykh : Faha, meaning: to speak.
"Or huna": This means or say, when indicating a distant place: "huna". What is the difference between huna and huna? The difference is that huna has more letters than huna, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : How many more?
The student: One letter.
The Shaykh : One letter, and it is the doubling of the nun. The scholars said: "An increase in the structure indicates an increase in the meaning". And this is generally the case; generally, an increase in the structure indicates an increase in the meaning. And our saying "generally," as for what is not the general case: shajarah (tree) and shajar (trees), which is more in structure? More in structure!
The student: Shajarah.
The Shaykh : Shajarah, and more in meaning?
The student: Shajar.
The Shaykh : Shajar. Good. "Or with hunalaika, speak". Hunalaika: This is in place of huna, and it contains the lam and the kaf.
"Or hina": With a kasrah on the haa. So hina has two dialects: the fathah and the kasrah, and both are for indicating a distant place. And Allah knows best. Yes?