Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite if *** it does not lag behind, or is specified, or is built."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Then he said:
"And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite if *** it does not lag behind, or is specified, or is built
after a negation or its equivalent"
His statement: "And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite"
The possessor of the ḥāl is not made indefinite. "Dhu" means "possessor." The indefinite is the opposite of the definite. The possessor of the ḥāl is the one described by the ḥāl. For example, "The man came riding." Where is the possessor of the ḥāl?
The student: The man.
The Shaykh : The man. This is the possessor of the ḥāl. The possessor of the ḥāl is definite. Where did we take from that it is definite? From his statement: "And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite". It is only definite, meaning: it is a condition for the possessor of the ḥāl that it be definite. It is a condition that it be definite. Is this condition obligatory or usual?
The student: Usual.
The Shaykh : The author said: "Usually". "Usually" means: it may occur otherwise. If I said, "A man came riding," is this from the usual or from the other?
The student: The other.
The Shaykh : From the other than the usual. The usual is in such cases.
"And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite if *** it does not lag behind, or is specified, or is built
after a negation or its equivalent"
His statement: "And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite"
The possessor of the ḥāl is not made indefinite. "Dhu" means "possessor." The indefinite is the opposite of the definite. The possessor of the ḥāl is the one described by the ḥāl. For example, "The man came riding." Where is the possessor of the ḥāl?
The student: The man.
The Shaykh : The man. This is the possessor of the ḥāl. The possessor of the ḥāl is definite. Where did we take from that it is definite? From his statement: "And the possessor of the ḥāl is not usually made indefinite". It is only definite, meaning: it is a condition for the possessor of the ḥāl that it be definite. It is a condition that it be definite. Is this condition obligatory or usual?
The student: Usual.
The Shaykh : The author said: "Usually". "Usually" means: it may occur otherwise. If I said, "A man came riding," is this from the usual or from the other?
The student: The other.
The Shaykh : From the other than the usual. The usual is in such cases.