Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "The plural of *alladhi* is *al-ula* and *alladhina* absolutely *** And some of them pronounce *alladhina* with a waw in the nominative case."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : He said: "The plural of *alladhi* is *al-ula* and *alladhina*". As for *al-ula*, we may parse it as the subject, with *jama'* (plural) as its predicate, or we may parse *jama'* as the subject, with *al-ula* as its predicate. As for his saying *alladhina*, it is coordinated with *al-ula*, but with the omission of the conjunction. The original form is: "The plural of *alladhi* is *al-ula* and *alladhina*". From this, it is derived that the relative pronoun for a group of males has two forms: the first form is *al-ula*, and the second is *alladhina*. As for *al-ula*, it is built on sukun (stillness) because its end is an alif. As for *alladhina*, it is built on fathah (opening) because its end is open. It is attached to the yaa in all cases. You say: "Came *alladhina*," "I saw *alladhina*," "I passed by *alladhina*," "Came *al-ula*," "I passed by *al-ula*," and "I honored *al-ula*." *Al-ula* is built on sukun, and the second, meaning *alladhina*, is built on fathah. So, *alladhina* is built on fathah, and *al-ula* is built on sukun. For example, you say: "I honored the students *al-ula* who excelled." What does *al-ula* mean here?
The student: *Alladhina*.
The Shaykh : *Alladhina*. And you say: "I honored the students *alladhina* who excelled." They are on the same level, meaning if you wish, you say *al-ula*, and if you wish, you say *alladhina*. The poet said:
"Those are trials that have worn out our youth", until he said: "Long ago, trials wear us out, and we do not wear out".
*Al-khutub* (trials) are the vicissitudes of time. "Have worn out our youth" means they have consumed it. "Trials wear us out, and we do not wear out" means trials wear us out, and we do not wear them out. Until he said:
"And it wears out those who don the armor of war, *** You see them on the day of terror like the black-headed kites",
"It wears out those" means it consumes them. And *al-ula* means *alladhina* (those who).
And *yastali'una* means they don the armor of war, meaning the brave ones. "On *al-ula* you see them":
Meaning on the horses that you see them on. "On the day of *al-ra'* (terror)" means the day of fear. "Like *al-hida'"*—*al-hida'* is the plural of *hidadah*, which is a known bird, fond of eating meat. "Al-qubal" means those whose black eyes are inclined. When the black eyes of the *hidadah* incline toward the meat on the ground, it dives down with speed. So he is saying that the trials wear out these brave men who don the armor of war and ride these swift horses, which you see on the day of terror like what? Like the *hidadah* that inclined its gaze to the meat and dove upon it with speed. The evidence is his saying: "It wears out those who don the armor": meaning it wears out those who don the armor. "On *al-ula* you see them": meaning on those whom you see on the day of terror like the black-headed kites. So the relative pronoun for the masculine plural has two forms: the first?
The student: *Al-ula*.
The Shaykh : And the second one?
The student: *Alladhina*.
The Shaykh : *Alladhina*. He said: "The plural of *alladhi* is *al-ula* and *alladhina* absolutely *** And some of them":
"Some of them" means some of the Arabs. "Pronounce *alladhina* with a waw in the nominative case": In which one, in *al-ula*, or in *alladhina*?
The student: *Alladhina*.
The Shaykh : In *alladhina*. Meaning, some of the Arabs pronounce *alladhina* with a waw in the nominative case. So you say: "Came *alladhuna* who returned from the journey," "I honored *alladhuna* who returned from the journey," and "I passed by *alladhuna* who returned from the journey." With this language, it is inflected, because its end changes according to the different grammatical factors. So *alladhina* has two languages among the Arabs: the language of *alladhina* absolutely, as he said: "Alladhina absolutely", and another language where it is with a waw in the nominative case. From this is the saying of the poet:
"We are *alladhuna* who attacked in the morning, *** On the day of the raid, a persistent raid",
We are what? *Alladhuna* who attacked in the morning. If he had followed the other language, he would have said: "We are *alladhina*." As the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
"We are *alladhina* who pledged allegiance to Muhammad, *** To jihad as long as we remain forever".
The student: *Alladhina*.
The Shaykh : *Alladhina*. And you say: "I honored the students *alladhina* who excelled." They are on the same level, meaning if you wish, you say *al-ula*, and if you wish, you say *alladhina*. The poet said:
"Those are trials that have worn out our youth", until he said: "Long ago, trials wear us out, and we do not wear out".
*Al-khutub* (trials) are the vicissitudes of time. "Have worn out our youth" means they have consumed it. "Trials wear us out, and we do not wear out" means trials wear us out, and we do not wear them out. Until he said:
"And it wears out those who don the armor of war, *** You see them on the day of terror like the black-headed kites",
"It wears out those" means it consumes them. And *al-ula* means *alladhina* (those who).
And *yastali'una* means they don the armor of war, meaning the brave ones. "On *al-ula* you see them":
Meaning on the horses that you see them on. "On the day of *al-ra'* (terror)" means the day of fear. "Like *al-hida'"*—*al-hida'* is the plural of *hidadah*, which is a known bird, fond of eating meat. "Al-qubal" means those whose black eyes are inclined. When the black eyes of the *hidadah* incline toward the meat on the ground, it dives down with speed. So he is saying that the trials wear out these brave men who don the armor of war and ride these swift horses, which you see on the day of terror like what? Like the *hidadah* that inclined its gaze to the meat and dove upon it with speed. The evidence is his saying: "It wears out those who don the armor": meaning it wears out those who don the armor. "On *al-ula* you see them": meaning on those whom you see on the day of terror like the black-headed kites. So the relative pronoun for the masculine plural has two forms: the first?
The student: *Al-ula*.
The Shaykh : And the second one?
The student: *Alladhina*.
The Shaykh : *Alladhina*. He said: "The plural of *alladhi* is *al-ula* and *alladhina* absolutely *** And some of them":
"Some of them" means some of the Arabs. "Pronounce *alladhina* with a waw in the nominative case": In which one, in *al-ula*, or in *alladhina*?
The student: *Alladhina*.
The Shaykh : In *alladhina*. Meaning, some of the Arabs pronounce *alladhina* with a waw in the nominative case. So you say: "Came *alladhuna* who returned from the journey," "I honored *alladhuna* who returned from the journey," and "I passed by *alladhuna* who returned from the journey." With this language, it is inflected, because its end changes according to the different grammatical factors. So *alladhina* has two languages among the Arabs: the language of *alladhina* absolutely, as he said: "Alladhina absolutely", and another language where it is with a waw in the nominative case. From this is the saying of the poet:
"We are *alladhuna* who attacked in the morning, *** On the day of the raid, a persistent raid",
We are what? *Alladhuna* who attacked in the morning. If he had followed the other language, he would have said: "We are *alladhina*." As the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
"We are *alladhina* who pledged allegiance to Muhammad, *** To jihad as long as we remain forever".