Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "Like al-Fadl, al-Harith, and al-Nu'man *** Mentioning it and omitting it are the same."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : All right, for example: "al-Fadl": Do you know anyone named al-Fadl?
The student: Yes, al-Fadl ibn Abbas.
The Shaykh : Yes, al-Fadl ibn Abbas. If you remove the "al" and say "Fadl," the speech is correct, and we do not need the "al." Why?
The student: Because it is a proper name.
The Shaykh : Because it is a proper name, its definiteness is achieved by its status as a proper name, so there is no need for the "al." Therefore, the "al" is superfluous. But why did they add it? They said: to hint at the original form, which is the verbal noun (masdar). Because "Fadl" is a verbal noun: "fudila yafdal fadlan." So that when the listener hears "al-Fadl," where does his mind go?
The student: To the verbal noun.
The Shaykh : To the verbal noun, which is the meaning that is desired. So it is an auspicious sign that the man named al-Fadl will possess excellence and honor.
Second: "al-Harith": al-Harith is called Harith, and it is called al-Harith. In "al-Harith," the "al" is superfluous. The reason for its addition is that it is not needed to make the word it precedes definite, because the word it precedes is already definite because it is what?
The student: A proper name.
The Shaykh : A proper name. So why was it added? To hint at the original form, which is "al-Harith": the active participle of "harth" (tilling). The active participle of "harth." It is as if the one who gave this name intended an auspicious sign that the one named will grow up and become a harith, a worker, as it came in the hadith:Sunan Abi Dawud 4950, All right,
"and al-Nu'man": al-Nu'man is one of the names for blood, and blood is red. So a person names his son al-Nu'man as an auspicious sign that he will appear red. And generally, redness indicates health and vitality. This is why it is said to a person if his face is seen to be yellow: "There is nothing wrong with you, perhaps you are not sick." But redness is cited as an example of strength and vitality. So he names his son al-Nu'man to hint at what?
The student: The original rule.
The Shaykh : The original form, which is the redness in the blood. All right, this "al" in these examples is superfluous. What is the reason? Because of the sufficiency of the preceding proper-name status. So it is attached to a proper name. He said:
"Like al-Fadl, al-Harith, and al-Nu'man *** Mentioning it and omitting it are the same":
Mentioning it and omitting it are the same in terms of definiteness. As for the meaning, it differs, because the one who places the "al" to hint at the original form is not like the one who does not place it. But in terms of it being definite, mentioning it and omitting it are the same.
The student: Yes, al-Fadl ibn Abbas.
The Shaykh : Yes, al-Fadl ibn Abbas. If you remove the "al" and say "Fadl," the speech is correct, and we do not need the "al." Why?
The student: Because it is a proper name.
The Shaykh : Because it is a proper name, its definiteness is achieved by its status as a proper name, so there is no need for the "al." Therefore, the "al" is superfluous. But why did they add it? They said: to hint at the original form, which is the verbal noun (masdar). Because "Fadl" is a verbal noun: "fudila yafdal fadlan." So that when the listener hears "al-Fadl," where does his mind go?
The student: To the verbal noun.
The Shaykh : To the verbal noun, which is the meaning that is desired. So it is an auspicious sign that the man named al-Fadl will possess excellence and honor.
Second: "al-Harith": al-Harith is called Harith, and it is called al-Harith. In "al-Harith," the "al" is superfluous. The reason for its addition is that it is not needed to make the word it precedes definite, because the word it precedes is already definite because it is what?
The student: A proper name.
The Shaykh : A proper name. So why was it added? To hint at the original form, which is "al-Harith": the active participle of "harth" (tilling). The active participle of "harth." It is as if the one who gave this name intended an auspicious sign that the one named will grow up and become a harith, a worker, as it came in the hadith:
The names dearest to Allah are Abdullah and AbdurRahman, the truest are Harith and Hammam
أحب الأسماء إلى الله عبدالله وعبدالرحمن ، وأصدقها حارث وهمام"and al-Nu'man": al-Nu'man is one of the names for blood, and blood is red. So a person names his son al-Nu'man as an auspicious sign that he will appear red. And generally, redness indicates health and vitality. This is why it is said to a person if his face is seen to be yellow: "There is nothing wrong with you, perhaps you are not sick." But redness is cited as an example of strength and vitality. So he names his son al-Nu'man to hint at what?
The student: The original rule.
The Shaykh : The original form, which is the redness in the blood. All right, this "al" in these examples is superfluous. What is the reason? Because of the sufficiency of the preceding proper-name status. So it is attached to a proper name. He said:
"Like al-Fadl, al-Harith, and al-Nu'man *** Mentioning it and omitting it are the same":
Mentioning it and omitting it are the same in terms of definiteness. As for the meaning, it differs, because the one who places the "al" to hint at the original form is not like the one who does not place it. But in terms of it being definite, mentioning it and omitting it are the same.