Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And construct the singular with an open ending, both of them *** around 'no power' and 'no strength,' and make the second one so."
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The Shaykh :"And construct the singular with an open ending" By "singular" here is meant what is not attached to a preposition and not similar to what is attached to a preposition. By this, we know that the grammarians have a technical term for every chapter according to its context. So, what is the singular in the chapter of inflection? It is what is not dual or plural. The singular in the chapter of the subject and predicate is what is not a sentence or similar to a sentence. The singular here is what is not attached to a preposition and not similar to what is attached to a preposition.
He says: "And construct the singular with an open ending"
We first analyze "construct the singular" grammatically.
"Construct" is a verb of command.
And "the singular" is the object of "construct."
And "with an open ending" is a state describing the doer of "construct," meaning in the state of you being one who opens it.
"Both of them, 'no power' and 'no strength'" means like this example. And for this reason, we analyze this sentence and say:
The kaf is a preposition.
"No power and no strength": The noun is in the genitive case due to the kasrah, because the intended meaning of his saying "no power and no strength" is like this example; the intended meaning is its wording. Then he said: "And make the second one so" Leave it for the next lesson, if Allah wills.
He said: "And construct the singular with an open ending" Construct it with what? With "la" (no), just as you construct ten with the number before it, saying "three ten" (thirty) and saying "no man." So the two words are constructed with each other, just as the tens number is constructed with the odd number, like fourteen. How do you pronounce it and how do you analyze it? You say "no man in the house." "La" is a negator of the genus, and "man" is its noun, built on the fathah in the position of the accusative. Do not say it is in the accusative case due to it; say: its noun is built on the fathah in the position of the accusative. And is it permissible to say "no man (accusative) in the house"?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, because it must be built on the fathah, because he says: "And construct the singular with an open ending, both of them, 'no power' and 'no strength.'" Where is the predicate? The estimated meaning is "except by Allah." And let us limit ourselves to the first example: "No power except by Allah." We say:
"La" is a negator of the genus.
"Power": What is its noun? It is built on the fathah in the position of the accusative due to it.
"Except by Allah": "Except" is a tool of restriction.
And "by Allah": A preposition and its object, connected to a deleted predicate. What is the predicate of? The predicate of "la." And is its predicate built like its noun? No, its predicate is not built but is inflected. And for this reason, you say: "No man standing" and you do not say: "No man standing (nominative)" but you add the tanwin because it is inflected.
Fine, then he said: "And make the second one so" "No power and no strength, and make the second one so" This is his saying "and make the second one so."
"The second": An object placed before "make."
And the alif in his saying "make" is permissible to be for generalization, and it is permissible to be a substitute for the nūn of emphasis. If it is for generalization, there is no problem, but in reality, it is a substitute, but in reality, it is a substitute for the light nūn of emphasis. The evidence for this is that the verb with it is built on the fathah. "Make" is a verb of command built on the fathah. So it is established that the alif here is a substitute for the light nūn of emphasis, because the light nūn of emphasis is permissible to be substituted with an alif, as in His saying, the Exalted: when you stand you say "we will pull," fine. And as Ibn Malik said in the Alfiyyah: "Just as you say in 'Qafa, Qafa'" Fine.
He says: "And construct the singular with an open ending"
We first analyze "construct the singular" grammatically.
"Construct" is a verb of command.
And "the singular" is the object of "construct."
And "with an open ending" is a state describing the doer of "construct," meaning in the state of you being one who opens it.
"Both of them, 'no power' and 'no strength'" means like this example. And for this reason, we analyze this sentence and say:
The kaf is a preposition.
"No power and no strength": The noun is in the genitive case due to the kasrah, because the intended meaning of his saying "no power and no strength" is like this example; the intended meaning is its wording. Then he said: "And make the second one so" Leave it for the next lesson, if Allah wills.
He said: "And construct the singular with an open ending" Construct it with what? With "la" (no), just as you construct ten with the number before it, saying "three ten" (thirty) and saying "no man." So the two words are constructed with each other, just as the tens number is constructed with the odd number, like fourteen. How do you pronounce it and how do you analyze it? You say "no man in the house." "La" is a negator of the genus, and "man" is its noun, built on the fathah in the position of the accusative. Do not say it is in the accusative case due to it; say: its noun is built on the fathah in the position of the accusative. And is it permissible to say "no man (accusative) in the house"?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, because it must be built on the fathah, because he says: "And construct the singular with an open ending, both of them, 'no power' and 'no strength.'" Where is the predicate? The estimated meaning is "except by Allah." And let us limit ourselves to the first example: "No power except by Allah." We say:
"La" is a negator of the genus.
"Power": What is its noun? It is built on the fathah in the position of the accusative due to it.
"Except by Allah": "Except" is a tool of restriction.
And "by Allah": A preposition and its object, connected to a deleted predicate. What is the predicate of? The predicate of "la." And is its predicate built like its noun? No, its predicate is not built but is inflected. And for this reason, you say: "No man standing" and you do not say: "No man standing (nominative)" but you add the tanwin because it is inflected.
Fine, then he said: "And make the second one so" "No power and no strength, and make the second one so" This is his saying "and make the second one so."
"The second": An object placed before "make."
And the alif in his saying "make" is permissible to be for generalization, and it is permissible to be a substitute for the nūn of emphasis. If it is for generalization, there is no problem, but in reality, it is a substitute, but in reality, it is a substitute for the light nūn of emphasis. The evidence for this is that the verb with it is built on the fathah. "Make" is a verb of command built on the fathah. So it is established that the alif here is a substitute for the light nūn of emphasis, because the light nūn of emphasis is permissible to be substituted with an alif, as in His saying, the Exalted: