The Review: The statement of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And it is not permissible to begin with an indefinite noun *** unless it conveys a benefit, like 'a cat at Zayd's.'"
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
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 peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions:
It has been mentioned previously that Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), like others, said: "It is not permissible to begin with an indefinite noun." We explained the reason for this, which is that the subject (mubtada') is the one about whom a judgment is made. If it is an indefinite noun, there is no benefit in making a judgment about an indefinite noun that is not known, since the judgment is contingent upon knowing who the one being judged is. So you say, "A man is standing." Good, and what did we gain from that?! We mentioned that their phrase "unless it conveys a benefit" means: any benefit that is additional to the absolute reality and essence. For example, the indefinite noun "man" indicates the absolute reality and essence. If there is an addition to this benefit, then it has conveyed a benefit, whether by generality, specificity, action, or anything else. Do you understand or not?
Good, and we mentioned examples, or rather, Ibn Malik mentioned examples. The first example is when the predicate (khabar) precedes it, and it is a circumstantial phrase or a preposition with its noun, such as: "like 'a cat at Zayd's'". The "nammara" is a type of garment. So if you say, "A cat is at Zayd's," then "cat" is an indefinite noun, and it is permissible to begin with it because it occurred in a delayed position, so it conveyed a benefit by specifying Zayd. "like 'a cat at Zayd's'". Good, if he said, "A cat is at a man's," do we gain anything or not? We do not gain anything. "A cat is at a man's!" For this reason, the commentators said that Ibn Malik said: "like 'at Zayd's'", so the predicate must be a definite noun, in order for us to know who this cat is with. It is not with just any person, but specifically with Zayd. Likewise, if a question or negation precedes it. An example of a question is: "Is there a young man among you?" And an example of negation is: "We have not left for you". And likewise, if the indefinite noun is described, such as: "A man from the noble ones is with us", for it was described and specified the man as a type of people, namely the noble ones. Good, if I said, "A man from the people is with us?"
The student: There is no benefit.
The Shaykh : Do we gain anything?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Because merely by saying "a man," we gain that he is from the people. Good, and "A man from Tamim is with us?"
The student: It is correct.
The Shaykh : Is it correct?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it specified: "and a man from the noble ones is with us". The third is: if it has an action, then it is permissible for it to be a subject, because its action specifies it. And this is the beginning of tonight's lesson with his statement:
"And a desire for good":
The student: After that, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: It is the fourth.
The Shaykh : Which one?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the fourth.
The student: The third.
The Shaykh : It is the fourth.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : A cat at Zayd's, Is there a young man among you, We have not left for you, A man from the noble ones is with us, the fourth, yes, the fifth.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions:
It has been mentioned previously that Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), like others, said: "It is not permissible to begin with an indefinite noun." We explained the reason for this, which is that the subject (mubtada') is the one about whom a judgment is made. If it is an indefinite noun, there is no benefit in making a judgment about an indefinite noun that is not known, since the judgment is contingent upon knowing who the one being judged is. So you say, "A man is standing." Good, and what did we gain from that?! We mentioned that their phrase "unless it conveys a benefit" means: any benefit that is additional to the absolute reality and essence. For example, the indefinite noun "man" indicates the absolute reality and essence. If there is an addition to this benefit, then it has conveyed a benefit, whether by generality, specificity, action, or anything else. Do you understand or not?
Good, and we mentioned examples, or rather, Ibn Malik mentioned examples. The first example is when the predicate (khabar) precedes it, and it is a circumstantial phrase or a preposition with its noun, such as: "like 'a cat at Zayd's'". The "nammara" is a type of garment. So if you say, "A cat is at Zayd's," then "cat" is an indefinite noun, and it is permissible to begin with it because it occurred in a delayed position, so it conveyed a benefit by specifying Zayd. "like 'a cat at Zayd's'". Good, if he said, "A cat is at a man's," do we gain anything or not? We do not gain anything. "A cat is at a man's!" For this reason, the commentators said that Ibn Malik said: "like 'at Zayd's'", so the predicate must be a definite noun, in order for us to know who this cat is with. It is not with just any person, but specifically with Zayd. Likewise, if a question or negation precedes it. An example of a question is: "Is there a young man among you?" And an example of negation is: "We have not left for you". And likewise, if the indefinite noun is described, such as: "A man from the noble ones is with us", for it was described and specified the man as a type of people, namely the noble ones. Good, if I said, "A man from the people is with us?"
The student: There is no benefit.
The Shaykh : Do we gain anything?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Because merely by saying "a man," we gain that he is from the people. Good, and "A man from Tamim is with us?"
The student: It is correct.
The Shaykh : Is it correct?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it specified: "and a man from the noble ones is with us". The third is: if it has an action, then it is permissible for it to be a subject, because its action specifies it. And this is the beginning of tonight's lesson with his statement:
"And a desire for good":
The student: After that, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: It is the fourth.
The Shaykh : Which one?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the fourth.
The student: The third.
The Shaykh : It is the fourth.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : A cat at Zayd's, Is there a young man among you, We have not left for you, A man from the noble ones is with us, the fourth, yes, the fifth.