Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** from what it informs about, clearly."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it", and this is the second location:
"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** from what it informs about, clearly": "Likewise, if it returns to it," to what?
The student: The predicate.
The Shaykh : If it returns to it?
The student: Yes, the predicate.
Another student: To the subject.
The Shaykh : Fine, to the predicate! Because the discussion is about the predicate now; the subject and the predicate preceding it.
"Likewise, if it returns to it": meaning to the predicate.
"Hidden": meaning a pronoun.
"From what": meaning from the subject.
"With it": meaning with the predicate.
"About it": meaning about the subject.
"Clearly informs": this is a scattering of pronouns, which can be more than what we have passed through before.
The student: In a verse like it.
The Shaykh : Yes? There is a verse like it.
The student: This is more than it.
The Shaykh : This is more than it; the important thing is that we understand the meaning. If there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, if there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, then it is not permissible for it to precede. This is the rule, meaning the rule for this. And for this reason, some of them said in a verse better than this:
"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** from a subject, and it has no precedence"
So he combined the two verses into one verse with clarity.
The student: If you allow, shall I repeat it?
The Shaykh :"Likewise, if it returns to it": meaning to the predicate.
"Hidden": from the subject, meaning a pronoun from the subject.
"And it has no precedence": meaning it has no priority, so its delay is prohibited as will come. The summary of the verse, after we understand it—if Allah wills—understanding, we can analyze this complexity in it: If there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, then it is obligatory to precede the predicate, "If there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, then it is necessary to precede the predicate", this is the rule. The example: "In the house is its owner." Where is the subject?
The student: Owner.
The Shaykh : Owner, the pronoun is the "ha" (he/it): does it return to the house, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, "in the house" which we preceded is the predicate. "In the house" which we preceded is the predicate; it is necessary that we precede it, because if you said: "Its owner is in the house," the pronoun would return to something that is later in wording and rank, and this is not permissible. A pronoun does not return to something that is later in wording and rank; it must have a preceding referent. If its referent is later in wording and rank, its precedence is prohibited. Is the speech reasonable?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, "In the house is its owner": we say: "Owner" is the subject, and "in the house" is a preceding predicate, and the predicate here is necessary to be preceded, and its delay is prohibited. Why? Because there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate. If you precede it, the pronoun returns to something that is later in wording and rank, and this is not permissible. Is the concept clear now?
The student: It is clear.
The Shaykh : Fine, so the verse we mentioned as a substitute for Ibn Malik's verse is clearer, and it is:
"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** " What? "From a subject".
The student: And it has no precedence.
The Shaykh : Leave it: "And it has no precedence" later.
"From a subject", the speech is finished instead of the complexity.
"And it has no precedence": this is the second issue, and the discussion on it will come—if Allah wills. We return now to analyzing Ibn Malik's verse!
The student: The time is up.
The Shaykh : Yes, I know it is finished.
"Likewise, if it returns to it": to what?
The student: To the predicate.
The Shaykh : To the predicate, "Hidden": meaning a pronoun.
"From what with it"?
The student: The predicate.
Another student: What is it?
The Shaykh : The pronoun in: "with it."
The student: On the predicate.
The Shaykh : On the predicate.
"About it": about the subject.
"Clearly informs": meaning from what it informs about with it, from what it informs about with it. And what is informed about with it? The subject. Fine—(may Allah have mercy on him)—and this is strange from Ibn Malik that in one chapter he brings two verses with extreme complexity. Yes, what did we say about the first verse?
The student: "And make it explicit absolutely where it follows *** what its meaning is not established for it".
The Shaykh : Yes.
"And make it explicit absolutely where it follows *** what its meaning is not established for it"
And we said what he said in the *Kafiyyah* is better than it. What is it?
"And if it follows other than what they are connected *** to, then make the pronoun explicit absolutely
In the Kufi school, the condition for that is that *** no ambiguity is feared, and their opinion is good",
We mentioned these two verses, or they flew away with time, because between you and them, apparently, is a long time.
The student: The verse from the one he mentioned?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: The verse?
The Shaykh : This verse, al-Khudri mentioned it in his marginal notes, I do not know, yes?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The important thing is that the mentioned verse is better than Ibn Malik's verse, without doubt, and clearer.
"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** from what it informs about, clearly": "Likewise, if it returns to it," to what?
The student: The predicate.
The Shaykh : If it returns to it?
The student: Yes, the predicate.
Another student: To the subject.
The Shaykh : Fine, to the predicate! Because the discussion is about the predicate now; the subject and the predicate preceding it.
"Likewise, if it returns to it": meaning to the predicate.
"Hidden": meaning a pronoun.
"From what": meaning from the subject.
"With it": meaning with the predicate.
"About it": meaning about the subject.
"Clearly informs": this is a scattering of pronouns, which can be more than what we have passed through before.
The student: In a verse like it.
The Shaykh : Yes? There is a verse like it.
The student: This is more than it.
The Shaykh : This is more than it; the important thing is that we understand the meaning. If there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, if there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, then it is not permissible for it to precede. This is the rule, meaning the rule for this. And for this reason, some of them said in a verse better than this:
"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** from a subject, and it has no precedence"
So he combined the two verses into one verse with clarity.
The student: If you allow, shall I repeat it?
The Shaykh :"Likewise, if it returns to it": meaning to the predicate.
"Hidden": from the subject, meaning a pronoun from the subject.
"And it has no precedence": meaning it has no priority, so its delay is prohibited as will come. The summary of the verse, after we understand it—if Allah wills—understanding, we can analyze this complexity in it: If there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, then it is obligatory to precede the predicate, "If there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate, then it is necessary to precede the predicate", this is the rule. The example: "In the house is its owner." Where is the subject?
The student: Owner.
The Shaykh : Owner, the pronoun is the "ha" (he/it): does it return to the house, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, "in the house" which we preceded is the predicate. "In the house" which we preceded is the predicate; it is necessary that we precede it, because if you said: "Its owner is in the house," the pronoun would return to something that is later in wording and rank, and this is not permissible. A pronoun does not return to something that is later in wording and rank; it must have a preceding referent. If its referent is later in wording and rank, its precedence is prohibited. Is the speech reasonable?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, "In the house is its owner": we say: "Owner" is the subject, and "in the house" is a preceding predicate, and the predicate here is necessary to be preceded, and its delay is prohibited. Why? Because there is a pronoun in the subject that returns to the predicate. If you precede it, the pronoun returns to something that is later in wording and rank, and this is not permissible. Is the concept clear now?
The student: It is clear.
The Shaykh : Fine, so the verse we mentioned as a substitute for Ibn Malik's verse is clearer, and it is:
"Likewise, if a hidden pronoun returns to it *** " What? "From a subject".
The student: And it has no precedence.
The Shaykh : Leave it: "And it has no precedence" later.
"From a subject", the speech is finished instead of the complexity.
"And it has no precedence": this is the second issue, and the discussion on it will come—if Allah wills. We return now to analyzing Ibn Malik's verse!
The student: The time is up.
The Shaykh : Yes, I know it is finished.
"Likewise, if it returns to it": to what?
The student: To the predicate.
The Shaykh : To the predicate, "Hidden": meaning a pronoun.
"From what with it"?
The student: The predicate.
Another student: What is it?
The Shaykh : The pronoun in: "with it."
The student: On the predicate.
The Shaykh : On the predicate.
"About it": about the subject.
"Clearly informs": meaning from what it informs about with it, from what it informs about with it. And what is informed about with it? The subject. Fine—(may Allah have mercy on him)—and this is strange from Ibn Malik that in one chapter he brings two verses with extreme complexity. Yes, what did we say about the first verse?
The student: "And make it explicit absolutely where it follows *** what its meaning is not established for it".
The Shaykh : Yes.
"And make it explicit absolutely where it follows *** what its meaning is not established for it"
And we said what he said in the *Kafiyyah* is better than it. What is it?
"And if it follows other than what they are connected *** to, then make the pronoun explicit absolutely
In the Kufi school, the condition for that is that *** no ambiguity is feared, and their opinion is good",
We mentioned these two verses, or they flew away with time, because between you and them, apparently, is a long time.
The student: The verse from the one he mentioned?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: The verse?
The Shaykh : This verse, al-Khudri mentioned it in his marginal notes, I do not know, yes?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The important thing is that the mentioned verse is better than Ibn Malik's verse, without doubt, and clearer.