Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And it may become a proper name by prevalence *** A compound or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah."
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The Shaykh : Then he said:
"And it may become a proper name by prevalence *** A compound or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah":
Yes, it may become a proper name by prevalence: a compound or one accompanied by the article. In reality, one might say: isn't it better that this be mentioned in the chapter of...?
The student: The compound.
The Shaykh : No.
The student: Knowledge.
The Shaykh : In the chapter of proper names, in the chapter of proper names. But it seems he digressed because he mentioned the article that enters proper names for emphasis, so he mentioned something else that is also used, which is the compound. A compound may be a proper name by prevalence, meaning that only this man is known by it, even though it is suitable for him and others. An example of that is Ibn 'Umar. When it is said: "And from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)", Ibn 'Umar has now become a proper name by prevalence, not by original naming. A proper name for which Ibn 'Umar?
The student: 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar.
The Shaykh : For 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar. Ibn 'Abbas: for whom?
The student: For 'Abd Allah.
The Shaykh : For 'Abd Allah. But was 'Abd Allah named Ibn 'Abbas and this name assigned to him, or is it by prevalence?
The student: By prevalence.
The Shaykh : By prevalence, meaning: the prevalent understanding is that when it is said "Ibn 'Abbas," it is 'Abd Allah; when it is said "Ibn 'Umar," it is 'Abd Allah; when it is said "Ibn al-Zubayr," it is 'Abd Allah, and so on. So the meaning of the statement is: a word may become a proper name not by its original assignment as a proper name for a person, but by prevalence. A compound, this is the compound.
"Or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah":
Al-'Aqabah: the name for every pass in a mountain that requires climbing, but it became a proper name by prevalence for the pass of Mina. That is why it is said: "The Pillar of al-'Aqabah". The Pillar of al-'Aqabah, does one go and think that it is a pass in al-Huda near Ta'if? No, al-'Aqabah means the pass of Mina. So the word al-'Aqabah is now the name for a specific pass, not by naming, but by prevalence, because al-'Aqabah is suitable for it and others. But by prevalence, "al-Madinah": al-Madinah! This is a proper name. For what? For the city of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) by prevalence?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, by prevalence, otherwise it is suitable for every city:, it is not the city of the Messenger, but al-Madinah became a proper name for the Prophet's city by prevalence. So whenever you read in Islamic books: al-Madinah, your mind turns to what?
The student: To the city of the Messenger.
The Shaykh : To the Prophet's city. And on this occasion, one should describe it as the Prophet's city (al-Madinah al-Nabawiyyah), rather than the Radiant City (al-Madinah al-Munawwarah), because we do not know a basis for the latter. But the Prophet's city is a clear reference to the Prophet. One might say: the Radiant City has a basis, which is the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3618Hasan (Darussalam). Yes, it may have a basis, but despite that, the Companions did not name it the Radiant City, and the earlier scholars call it al-Madinah, what? The Prophet's city, or they say: al-Madinah and stop. Yes, and likewise al-Makkah al-Mukarramah (the Honorable Makkah), we did not know it described with this description in the past. The point now: it may be a proper name by prevalence, the compound, and the second: one accompanied by the article, accompanied by the article. An example of the compound: Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn al-Zubayr. An example of one accompanied by the article: al-'Aqabah, al-Madinah, al-Kitab (the Book). Among grammarians, when it is said "al-Kitab," what is meant? The Book of Sibawayh, even though "al-Kitab" is suitable for every book. Okay, can we say that even His saying, the Exalted: [Ad-Dukhan 44:1-3], can we say: "The Clear Book" means the Qur'an, and it is a proper name by prevalence? Possible, yes.
"A compound or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah".
"And it may become a proper name by prevalence *** A compound or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah":
Yes, it may become a proper name by prevalence: a compound or one accompanied by the article. In reality, one might say: isn't it better that this be mentioned in the chapter of...?
The student: The compound.
The Shaykh : No.
The student: Knowledge.
The Shaykh : In the chapter of proper names, in the chapter of proper names. But it seems he digressed because he mentioned the article that enters proper names for emphasis, so he mentioned something else that is also used, which is the compound. A compound may be a proper name by prevalence, meaning that only this man is known by it, even though it is suitable for him and others. An example of that is Ibn 'Umar. When it is said: "And from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)", Ibn 'Umar has now become a proper name by prevalence, not by original naming. A proper name for which Ibn 'Umar?
The student: 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar.
The Shaykh : For 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar. Ibn 'Abbas: for whom?
The student: For 'Abd Allah.
The Shaykh : For 'Abd Allah. But was 'Abd Allah named Ibn 'Abbas and this name assigned to him, or is it by prevalence?
The student: By prevalence.
The Shaykh : By prevalence, meaning: the prevalent understanding is that when it is said "Ibn 'Abbas," it is 'Abd Allah; when it is said "Ibn 'Umar," it is 'Abd Allah; when it is said "Ibn al-Zubayr," it is 'Abd Allah, and so on. So the meaning of the statement is: a word may become a proper name not by its original assignment as a proper name for a person, but by prevalence. A compound, this is the compound.
"Or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah":
Al-'Aqabah: the name for every pass in a mountain that requires climbing, but it became a proper name by prevalence for the pass of Mina. That is why it is said: "The Pillar of al-'Aqabah". The Pillar of al-'Aqabah, does one go and think that it is a pass in al-Huda near Ta'if? No, al-'Aqabah means the pass of Mina. So the word al-'Aqabah is now the name for a specific pass, not by naming, but by prevalence, because al-'Aqabah is suitable for it and others. But by prevalence, "al-Madinah": al-Madinah! This is a proper name. For what? For the city of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) by prevalence?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, by prevalence, otherwise it is suitable for every city:
And there came a man from the farthest end of the city, striving [for the truth]
وجاء رجل من أقصى المدينة يسعىThe student: To the city of the Messenger.
The Shaykh : To the Prophet's city. And on this occasion, one should describe it as the Prophet's city (al-Madinah al-Nabawiyyah), rather than the Radiant City (al-Madinah al-Munawwarah), because we do not know a basis for the latter. But the Prophet's city is a clear reference to the Prophet. One might say: the Radiant City has a basis, which is the hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
On the day in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered Al-Madinah, everything in it was illuminated. Then, on the day in which he died, everything in it was dark.
قدم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم المدينة فاستنار منها كل شيء ، فلما مات أظلم منها كل شيء(1) Ha, Meem. (2) By the clear Book, (3) Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night.
حم والكتاب المبين إنا أنزلناه في ليلة مباركة"A compound or one accompanied by the article, like al-'Aqabah".