Explanation of the author's (may Allah have mercy on him) statement: " . . .
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The Shaykh : We read the chapter on I'rab.
The author said: "Chapter on I'rab: I'rab is the change of the ends of words due to the difference of the factors that affect them, whether in expression or in estimation". I'rab means to make something clear, in the sense of expressing it eloquently. You say, "I expressed what is in my heart," meaning I made it clear. So, in the language, I'rab means making something clear. You say, "I expressed what is in my heart," meaning, yes, I made it clear. But in technical terminology, listen: "the change of the ends of words". There must be a change, a change from dammah to fathah to kasrah to sukun. "the ends of words". "Awa'ir" is the plural of "akhir" (end). So, I'rab concerns the ends of words, not their beginnings or middles. Look at the letters of words now; their movements (harakat) are in the beginning, the middle, and the end. What is specific to I'rab? The end, the end of the word. As for the beginning and the middle, that is for the specialists in morphology (sarf), not for the specialists in grammar (nahw). For morphology, not for grammar. For example, opening the nun, do we know that from morphology or from grammar? From morphology. The sukun of the sad, from morphology. Moving the ra', that is from grammar, and it is what changes. As for the beginning and the end of the word, they remain as they are, they do not change. That is why you say "nasran" (victory, accusative), "nasrun" (victory, nominative), and "nasrin" (victory, genitive). What changed? The end. That is why the scholars of grammar focus on the ends of words. The proof of the change, the author said: "the change of the ends of words". From where to where? The change of the ends of words, from where to where?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : From dammah to fathah to kasrah to sukun. This is the change of the ends of words. By saying "change of the ends," we exclude the change of their beginnings and middles, which has no place in grammar or I'rab. He said: "due to the difference of the factors that affect them". The preposition and the genitive are connected to the change, meaning it changes due to the difference of the factors. Pay attention to this, because the change of the ends of words may not be due to the difference of factors; it may be due to the difference of the languages of the Arabs. For example: "hithu" (where), some Arabs say "hithu," and some Arabs say "hithu," and some Arabs say "hitha," and some Arabs say "hithu." The difference in the tha' now, is it due to the difference of factors? No, but due to the difference of languages. So, the criterion is the difference of the ends of words for the sake of the difference of what? The factors. What are the factors? Do you think the factors are a hammer and a chisel? No. The factors are words, and the ends of words change because of their change. You say: "Zayd came" (jā'a Zaydun), the last letter of Zayd, the dal, is now with a dammah. And you say: "I saw Zayd" (ra'aytu Zaydan), look, now it became with a fathah. Why? Because the first factor is different from the second factor. The factors differed. "I passed by Zayd" (marrtu bi-Zaydin), yes, we put it in the genitive. Why? Due to the difference of the factors. So, the ends differ according to the difference of the factors that affect the word. If a factor of nominative case affects it, we put it in the nominative; if a factor of accusative case affects it, we put it in the accusative; if a factor of genitive case affects it, we put it in the genitive. Good. The author said: "in expression or in estimation". "In expression" is connected to the change as well, meaning that the change is sometimes in expression and sometimes in estimation. Sometimes in expression and sometimes in estimation. If the last letter is a sound letter (sahih), the change is in expression. If it is a weak letter (mu'atal), the change is in estimation. It changes in estimation. Are you still with us or not? Good, we say: The change of the ends of words is either in expression or in estimation. When is it in expression? If the last letter of the word is a sound letter. It is in estimation if the last letter of the word is a weak letter. Like this. Good.
The weak letters are three: alif, waw, and ya. These are the weak letters. And everything else is a sound letter. How many letters are there that make up the speech of the Arabs? 28. Take three of them as weak letters, and you are left with twenty-five letters, all of which are sound letters. Good. Is the ra' a weak letter?
The student: No, it is sound.
The Shaykh : Sound. Good. The ba'.
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : The jim.
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : Sound. Like this. The kaf.
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : The lam. Good. So, twenty-five letters change according to the difference of the factors because they are sound letters. Three letters do not change because they are weak letters. Look now: "Ali and Isa came" (jā'a 'Aliyyun wa-Isa). "Ali" is with a dammah because its last letter is a sound letter. "Isa" is not with a dammah; it is with a sukun. Alif is a weak letter. Good. "I saw Ali and Isa" (ra'aytu 'Aliyyan wa-Isa). "Ali" with a fathah, is it a sound letter? Did it change or not?
The student: It changed.
The Shaykh : It changed. It was originally in the nominative case, "Ali" (Aliyyun). Now it is in the accusative case, "Ali" (Aliyyan). "Isa" did not change, it did not change because its last letter is a weak letter. A weak letter does not change. The movements are prevented from appearing on it, or it does not change. Good. "I passed by Ali and Isa" (marrtu bi-'Aliyyin wa-Isa). "Ali," did it change or not?
The student: It changed.
The Shaykh : To the genitive case. We put a kasrah on it now. "Isa" did not change. Good. So, "Ali" is declined (mu'rab). "Ali" is declined because its end changed due to the difference of the factors. Is "Isa" declined or not?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No. "Isa" is declined because its end changes in estimation. That is why the author said: "in expression or in estimation". In expression, when? If its last letter is a sound letter, and there are twenty-five of them. In estimation, if its last letter is a weak letter. Then the change is in estimation and not apparent, because it is not possible to change it. You cannot put "Isa" in the accusative case by putting a fathah on its end, or in the genitive case by putting a kasrah, or in the nominative case by putting a dammah. It is not possible. It is as it is.
Good. So, I return to the question: What is I'rab? The change of the ends of words. By saying "change," we exclude what does not change at its end, not because of a weak letter, but because of being built (mabni). And I do not like to speak about the built (mabni) because it confuses us regarding the ends of words. "Ends" excludes...
The student: Their beginnings.
The Shaykh : Their beginnings and their middles. So, there is no discussion of it in the science of grammar; it is only discussed in the science of morphology. Good. "due to the difference of the factors". By this, we exclude the case where the end of the word changes due to the difference of languages. This is not considered I'rab. For example, "hithu" is built on the dammah, but some Arabs build it on the kasrah and say: "hitha." Some of them say: "hithi," building it on the kasrah. But the change of the end here is not due to the difference of factors, but due to the difference of languages. Good. "in expression or in estimation". This means that the change may be in expression and may be in estimation. When is it in expression? If the last letter of the word is a sound letter. And it is in estimation if its last letter is a weak letter. Give an example of I'rab: "Muhammad stood up" (qāma Muhammadun).
"Qāma": past tense verb.
And "Muhammad": subject (fa'il) in the nominative case, and the sign of its nominative case is a visible dammah on its end, because its last letter is a sound letter.
"Isa stood up" (qāma Isa). "Qāma": past tense verb. "Isa": subject in the nominative case, and the sign of its nominative case is a dammah estimated on the waw.
The student: On the alif.
The Shaykh : How?
The student: On the alif.
The Shaykh : Yes, a dammah estimated on the alif. "Isa" is prevented from its appearance...
The student: By impossibility.
The Shaykh : By impossibility.
The author said: "Chapter on I'rab: I'rab is the change of the ends of words due to the difference of the factors that affect them, whether in expression or in estimation". I'rab means to make something clear, in the sense of expressing it eloquently. You say, "I expressed what is in my heart," meaning I made it clear. So, in the language, I'rab means making something clear. You say, "I expressed what is in my heart," meaning, yes, I made it clear. But in technical terminology, listen: "the change of the ends of words". There must be a change, a change from dammah to fathah to kasrah to sukun. "the ends of words". "Awa'ir" is the plural of "akhir" (end). So, I'rab concerns the ends of words, not their beginnings or middles. Look at the letters of words now; their movements (harakat) are in the beginning, the middle, and the end. What is specific to I'rab? The end, the end of the word. As for the beginning and the middle, that is for the specialists in morphology (sarf), not for the specialists in grammar (nahw). For morphology, not for grammar. For example, opening the nun, do we know that from morphology or from grammar? From morphology. The sukun of the sad, from morphology. Moving the ra', that is from grammar, and it is what changes. As for the beginning and the end of the word, they remain as they are, they do not change. That is why you say "nasran" (victory, accusative), "nasrun" (victory, nominative), and "nasrin" (victory, genitive). What changed? The end. That is why the scholars of grammar focus on the ends of words. The proof of the change, the author said: "the change of the ends of words". From where to where? The change of the ends of words, from where to where?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : From dammah to fathah to kasrah to sukun. This is the change of the ends of words. By saying "change of the ends," we exclude the change of their beginnings and middles, which has no place in grammar or I'rab. He said: "due to the difference of the factors that affect them". The preposition and the genitive are connected to the change, meaning it changes due to the difference of the factors. Pay attention to this, because the change of the ends of words may not be due to the difference of factors; it may be due to the difference of the languages of the Arabs. For example: "hithu" (where), some Arabs say "hithu," and some Arabs say "hithu," and some Arabs say "hitha," and some Arabs say "hithu." The difference in the tha' now, is it due to the difference of factors? No, but due to the difference of languages. So, the criterion is the difference of the ends of words for the sake of the difference of what? The factors. What are the factors? Do you think the factors are a hammer and a chisel? No. The factors are words, and the ends of words change because of their change. You say: "Zayd came" (jā'a Zaydun), the last letter of Zayd, the dal, is now with a dammah. And you say: "I saw Zayd" (ra'aytu Zaydan), look, now it became with a fathah. Why? Because the first factor is different from the second factor. The factors differed. "I passed by Zayd" (marrtu bi-Zaydin), yes, we put it in the genitive. Why? Due to the difference of the factors. So, the ends differ according to the difference of the factors that affect the word. If a factor of nominative case affects it, we put it in the nominative; if a factor of accusative case affects it, we put it in the accusative; if a factor of genitive case affects it, we put it in the genitive. Good. The author said: "in expression or in estimation". "In expression" is connected to the change as well, meaning that the change is sometimes in expression and sometimes in estimation. Sometimes in expression and sometimes in estimation. If the last letter is a sound letter (sahih), the change is in expression. If it is a weak letter (mu'atal), the change is in estimation. It changes in estimation. Are you still with us or not? Good, we say: The change of the ends of words is either in expression or in estimation. When is it in expression? If the last letter of the word is a sound letter. It is in estimation if the last letter of the word is a weak letter. Like this. Good.
The weak letters are three: alif, waw, and ya. These are the weak letters. And everything else is a sound letter. How many letters are there that make up the speech of the Arabs? 28. Take three of them as weak letters, and you are left with twenty-five letters, all of which are sound letters. Good. Is the ra' a weak letter?
The student: No, it is sound.
The Shaykh : Sound. Good. The ba'.
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : The jim.
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : Sound. Like this. The kaf.
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : The lam. Good. So, twenty-five letters change according to the difference of the factors because they are sound letters. Three letters do not change because they are weak letters. Look now: "Ali and Isa came" (jā'a 'Aliyyun wa-Isa). "Ali" is with a dammah because its last letter is a sound letter. "Isa" is not with a dammah; it is with a sukun. Alif is a weak letter. Good. "I saw Ali and Isa" (ra'aytu 'Aliyyan wa-Isa). "Ali" with a fathah, is it a sound letter? Did it change or not?
The student: It changed.
The Shaykh : It changed. It was originally in the nominative case, "Ali" (Aliyyun). Now it is in the accusative case, "Ali" (Aliyyan). "Isa" did not change, it did not change because its last letter is a weak letter. A weak letter does not change. The movements are prevented from appearing on it, or it does not change. Good. "I passed by Ali and Isa" (marrtu bi-'Aliyyin wa-Isa). "Ali," did it change or not?
The student: It changed.
The Shaykh : To the genitive case. We put a kasrah on it now. "Isa" did not change. Good. So, "Ali" is declined (mu'rab). "Ali" is declined because its end changed due to the difference of the factors. Is "Isa" declined or not?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No. "Isa" is declined because its end changes in estimation. That is why the author said: "in expression or in estimation". In expression, when? If its last letter is a sound letter, and there are twenty-five of them. In estimation, if its last letter is a weak letter. Then the change is in estimation and not apparent, because it is not possible to change it. You cannot put "Isa" in the accusative case by putting a fathah on its end, or in the genitive case by putting a kasrah, or in the nominative case by putting a dammah. It is not possible. It is as it is.
Good. So, I return to the question: What is I'rab? The change of the ends of words. By saying "change," we exclude what does not change at its end, not because of a weak letter, but because of being built (mabni). And I do not like to speak about the built (mabni) because it confuses us regarding the ends of words. "Ends" excludes...
The student: Their beginnings.
The Shaykh : Their beginnings and their middles. So, there is no discussion of it in the science of grammar; it is only discussed in the science of morphology. Good. "due to the difference of the factors". By this, we exclude the case where the end of the word changes due to the difference of languages. This is not considered I'rab. For example, "hithu" is built on the dammah, but some Arabs build it on the kasrah and say: "hitha." Some of them say: "hithi," building it on the kasrah. But the change of the end here is not due to the difference of factors, but due to the difference of languages. Good. "in expression or in estimation". This means that the change may be in expression and may be in estimation. When is it in expression? If the last letter of the word is a sound letter. And it is in estimation if its last letter is a weak letter. Give an example of I'rab: "Muhammad stood up" (qāma Muhammadun).
"Qāma": past tense verb.
And "Muhammad": subject (fa'il) in the nominative case, and the sign of its nominative case is a visible dammah on its end, because its last letter is a sound letter.
"Isa stood up" (qāma Isa). "Qāma": past tense verb. "Isa": subject in the nominative case, and the sign of its nominative case is a dammah estimated on the waw.
The student: On the alif.
The Shaykh : How?
The student: On the alif.
The Shaykh : Yes, a dammah estimated on the alif. "Isa" is prevented from its appearance...
The student: By impossibility.
The Shaykh : By impossibility.