Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And do not attach to a singular definite noun *** any, even if you repeat it, then attach."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The author says:
"And do not attach to a singular definite noun *** any"
That is: it is known that it is attached; it is attached, and it may not be attached. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Isra 17:110] Is this attached or not attached?
The student: Not attached.
The Shaykh : No, not attached. And you say: "Which man came, so honor him."
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : Attached, meaning it is used both attached and not attached. But to what is it attached? He says: Do not attach "any" to a singular definite noun. Yes, do not attach "any" to a singular definite noun. And from his word "singular," it is known that it is attached to the plural and to the dual. So you say: "Which of the two men stood up," and you say: "Which of the men stood up," and there is no harm. Here we attached it to a definite dual and a definite plural. But you say: "Which man" is not correct. "Which man" is not correct if it is a conditional "if." For this reason he said: "And do not attach to a singular". "Which man" is correct because it is not definite. "Which Zayd stood up"—ah, it is not correct. "Which Zayd stood up" is not correct because it is a singular definite noun, except in three cases. He said:
"And if you repeat it, then attach, or make the parts indefinite"
Yes, if you repeat it, then attach. What kind? How is the repetition? How do you say it?
The student: Which man and which woman.
The Shaykh : "Which man" is not for a singular definite noun.
The student: Which man.
The Shaykh : No, "And do not attach to a singular definite noun any". A singular definite noun. A singular indefinite noun is the opposite. A singular definite noun "any," and if you repeat it, then attach. If you repeat "any," then attach.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, for example, you say: "Which of the two Zayds and which of the two 'Umars stood up?" Or is this not correct? This is a dual, so is it correct? Let us look at the explanation, because I have forgotten it.
The student: It is clear. "Which of the truth and which of the falsehood is better."
The Shaykh : Look, look at the explanation.
The student: Except if it is repeated. And from this is his saying:
"Do you not ask the people, which of us and which of you *** on the day we met was better and more honorable?"
The Shaykh : Okay, but?
The student: But.
The Shaykh : "Which of us" and "which of you" here are attached to a singular definite noun, but they were repeated. And similar to this is "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better." Even if this construction has issues, it is correct to say "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better," "Which of us and which of you is better." Yes, it was attached to a singular definite noun. But someone might say: "Which of us" is correct, a singular definite noun, but is "which of you" a singular definite noun or a plural?
The student: Plural.
The Shaykh : A singular plural. So the matching example is: "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better," "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better." It was attached to a singular definite noun in both places.
"And do not attach to a singular definite noun *** any"
That is: it is known that it is attached; it is attached, and it may not be attached. Allah the Exalted said:
Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names.
أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىThe student: Not attached.
The Shaykh : No, not attached. And you say: "Which man came, so honor him."
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : Attached, meaning it is used both attached and not attached. But to what is it attached? He says: Do not attach "any" to a singular definite noun. Yes, do not attach "any" to a singular definite noun. And from his word "singular," it is known that it is attached to the plural and to the dual. So you say: "Which of the two men stood up," and you say: "Which of the men stood up," and there is no harm. Here we attached it to a definite dual and a definite plural. But you say: "Which man" is not correct. "Which man" is not correct if it is a conditional "if." For this reason he said: "And do not attach to a singular". "Which man" is correct because it is not definite. "Which Zayd stood up"—ah, it is not correct. "Which Zayd stood up" is not correct because it is a singular definite noun, except in three cases. He said:
"And if you repeat it, then attach, or make the parts indefinite"
Yes, if you repeat it, then attach. What kind? How is the repetition? How do you say it?
The student: Which man and which woman.
The Shaykh : "Which man" is not for a singular definite noun.
The student: Which man.
The Shaykh : No, "And do not attach to a singular definite noun any". A singular definite noun. A singular indefinite noun is the opposite. A singular definite noun "any," and if you repeat it, then attach. If you repeat "any," then attach.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, for example, you say: "Which of the two Zayds and which of the two 'Umars stood up?" Or is this not correct? This is a dual, so is it correct? Let us look at the explanation, because I have forgotten it.
The student: It is clear. "Which of the truth and which of the falsehood is better."
The Shaykh : Look, look at the explanation.
The student: Except if it is repeated. And from this is his saying:
"Do you not ask the people, which of us and which of you *** on the day we met was better and more honorable?"
The Shaykh : Okay, but?
The student: But.
The Shaykh : "Which of us" and "which of you" here are attached to a singular definite noun, but they were repeated. And similar to this is "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better." Even if this construction has issues, it is correct to say "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better," "Which of us and which of you is better." Yes, it was attached to a singular definite noun. But someone might say: "Which of us" is correct, a singular definite noun, but is "which of you" a singular definite noun or a plural?
The student: Plural.
The Shaykh : A singular plural. So the matching example is: "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better," "Which Zayd and which 'Amr is better." It was attached to a singular definite noun in both places.