Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And what is seen as a circumstantial and non-circumstantial *** that is the one with variation in usage."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : All right, he says, the author now moves on to another matter, which is that some circumstantials are variable and some are non-variable. So what is the criterion? He said:
"And what is seen as a circumstantial and non-circumstantial *** that is the one with variation in usage"
But it appears that the time is up, it is two o'clock... in usage, it is the non-variation that is obligatory. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) has benefited us in these verses by stating that the circumstantial is divided into two categories: variable and non-variable, variable and non-variable. So what is the variable one? He said:
"What is seen as a circumstantial and non-circumstantial *** that is the one with variation"
If a word sometimes comes as a circumstantial and sometimes as a non-circumstantial, then this is called a variable circumstantial. Variable means: sometimes it is like this and sometimes it is like this. This is the variation, or not? Meaning: it shifts sometimes here and sometimes there. For example, the word "day." The word "day" is a circumstantial.[Ibrahim 14:41] "Day" is a circumstantial... because it is in the accusative case on the assumption of "in," meaning: on the day the reckoning is established. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Hajj 22:47]. Is "day" now a circumstantial? Hmm?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : All right,[An-Naba 78:17] is it a circumstantial?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It is not a circumstantial, it is not a circumstantial. So we call the word "day" one of the variable circumstantials, one of the variable circumstantials. All right, likewise place, the word "place." You say: I sat in your place. "In your place" is a circumstantial, or not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it is on the assumption of "in," meaning: I sat in your place. And you say, for example: This place is comfortable. This place is comfortable. Is it not a circumstantial now? Hmm?
The student: It is not a circumstantial.
The Shaykh : It is not a circumstantial. So we say: the word "place" is one of the variable circumstantials. Now, the circumstantial is divided into two categories, whether it is spatial or temporal: variable and non-variable. So what comes as a non-circumstantial? The answer to that?
The student: Then it is variable.
The Shaykh : Then it is variable.
"And what is seen as a circumstantial and non-circumstantial *** that is the one with variation in usage"
But it appears that the time is up, it is two o'clock... in usage, it is the non-variation that is obligatory. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) has benefited us in these verses by stating that the circumstantial is divided into two categories: variable and non-variable, variable and non-variable. So what is the variable one? He said:
"What is seen as a circumstantial and non-circumstantial *** that is the one with variation"
If a word sometimes comes as a circumstantial and sometimes as a non-circumstantial, then this is called a variable circumstantial. Variable means: sometimes it is like this and sometimes it is like this. This is the variation, or not? Meaning: it shifts sometimes here and sometimes there. For example, the word "day." The word "day" is a circumstantial.
Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established."
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُAnd indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of those which you count.
وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَThe student: No.
The Shaykh : All right,
Indeed, the Day of Judgement is an appointed time -
إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ كَانَ مِيقَاتًاThe student: No.
The Shaykh : It is not a circumstantial, it is not a circumstantial. So we call the word "day" one of the variable circumstantials, one of the variable circumstantials. All right, likewise place, the word "place." You say: I sat in your place. "In your place" is a circumstantial, or not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Because it is on the assumption of "in," meaning: I sat in your place. And you say, for example: This place is comfortable. This place is comfortable. Is it not a circumstantial now? Hmm?
The student: It is not a circumstantial.
The Shaykh : It is not a circumstantial. So we say: the word "place" is one of the variable circumstantials. Now, the circumstantial is divided into two categories, whether it is spatial or temporal: variable and non-variable. So what comes as a non-circumstantial? The answer to that?
The student: Then it is variable.
The Shaykh : Then it is variable.