Explanation of the author's (may Allah have mercy on him) statement: " . . .
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :" As for the dammah, it is the sign of the nominative case in four places: in the singular noun, the broken plural, the sound feminine plural, and the present tense verb to which nothing is attached at its end " The dammah is the sign of the nominative case in four matters, meaning that four things are raised by the dammah. The things that are raised by the dammah are four things:
The singular noun. By "singular" here, he means what indicates one male or one female. This singular is what indicates one male or one female, such as when you say: "rajul" (a man), yes, a singular noun indicating one. "Zayd" is a singular noun because it indicates one. "Hind" is a singular noun because it indicates one. "shajarah" (a tree) is a singular noun because it indicates one. So, every singular noun is raised by the dammah, and this is necessary. If you said "qama Muhammad" (Muhammad stood up), yes, is it correct or not? It is correct. You raised it with the dammah because it is a singular noun. If you said "qama Muhammad" without the dammah, it is not correct, because you did not raise it with the dammah, and it must be raised with the dammah. All right. "Dar" (house), how is it raised?
The student: With the dammah.
The Shaykh : "Dar" with the dammah. Why? It is a singular noun. "Bab" (door).
The student: ...
The Shaykh : All right. "Daraj" (step).
The student: With the dammah.
The Shaykh : With the dammah. Why?
The student: It is a singular noun.
The Shaykh : It is a singular noun. How about "marwahah" (fan)?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : With the dammah, because it is a singular noun. "Kitab" (book).
The student: ...
The Shaykh : With the dammah, because it is a singular noun. All right.
Likewise, in the broken plural. The broken plural. The broken plural is what indicates three or more, accompanied by a change in the structure of the singular. This is the broken plural: what indicates three or more with a change in the structure of the singular. Are you with me? All right. An example of this: "al-rijal" (men) indicates three or more with a change in the structure of the singular. The singular of "al-rijal" is "rajul" (a man). If you say "rijal," the structure of the singular has changed. The singular is "rajul" with an open ra' and a dammah on the jim. The plural is "rijal" with a kasrah on the ra' and an open jim, and there is an alif between the jim and the lam, whereas in "rajul" there is no alif between the jim and the lam. So, the structure of the singular has changed, yes or no?
The student: The structure of the singular has changed.
The Shaykh : The structure of the singular has changed. That is why we call it a broken plural, because we broke the singular, shattered it, and brought a new form. All right. If I say "a'rab" (Bedouins), "a'rab" is the plural of what? "A'rabi" (a Bedouin). "Al-a'rab" is a broken plural. Why? Because the structure of the singular has changed. Did it increase over the singular or decrease? It decreased. Look, sometimes it increases, like "al-rijal," it increased. Sometimes it decreases. "A'rab" is less than "a'rabi," right or not? It is less. So we call this a broken plural. "Bayt" (house) is singular. "Buyut" (houses) is a broken plural. Did the singular change, yes or no?
The student: It changed.
The Shaykh : It changed. "Abi'at" (poems), yes, a broken plural, because when "bayt" is pluralized as "abi'at," it changes, so it is a broken plural. "Abi'ar" (camels).
The student: A broken plural.
The Shaykh : A broken plural, because its singular is "ba'ir" (a camel), so the singular changed. Therefore, the broken plural is what indicates three or more, what? With a change in the structure of the singular. With a change in the structure of the singular, we call this a broken plural.
Likewise, the third is the sound feminine plural. The sound feminine plural. The sound feminine plural is what indicates three or more, accompanied by the preservation of the structure of the singular. It is called the sound feminine plural. It is also said: what is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. What is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. An example: "Hind." Pluralize it as a sound feminine plural. "Hindat." "Hindat." Look, the singular did not change, so we called it a sound plural. "A'ishah," "A'ishat." "Khadijah," "Khadijat." "Fatimah," "Fatimat," and so on. So, what indicates three or more, or if you wish, say what is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. All right. "Abi'at," "abi'at." Why do we not call it a sound feminine plural?
The student: The singular changed.
The Shaykh : Yes, because the singular changed. Also, the ta in "abi'at" is original, whereas in the sound feminine plural, the ta must be added. All right. "Qudat" (judges), is it a broken plural or a sound feminine plural?
The student: Broken.
The Shaykh : Broken, because the structure of the singular changed in it, and because the alif in it is original. The alif in "qudat" is original, because the original form of "qudat" is "qudayat." This is its original form, so the ya' was changed to an alif for a grammatical reason, which is not the place to mention here.
So, the sound feminine plural is what indicates three or more, accompanied by the preservation of the structure of the singular. This is the sound feminine plural. And if you wish, say what is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. This is raised by the dammah. You say "jā'at al-muslimat" (the Muslim women came). "Jā'at al-muslimat." You raise it with the dammah because it is a sound feminine plural. "Al-muslimat." All right. "Al-mu'minat" (the believing women)? Likewise, a sound feminine plural. "Al-sadiqat" (the truthful women), a sound feminine plural. "Al-ghafilat" (the heedless women), a sound feminine plural. How about "al-raki'at" (the bowing women) and "al-sājidat" (the prostrating women)? The same. So, the sound feminine plural is raised by what? By the dammah.
The singular noun. By "singular" here, he means what indicates one male or one female. This singular is what indicates one male or one female, such as when you say: "rajul" (a man), yes, a singular noun indicating one. "Zayd" is a singular noun because it indicates one. "Hind" is a singular noun because it indicates one. "shajarah" (a tree) is a singular noun because it indicates one. So, every singular noun is raised by the dammah, and this is necessary. If you said "qama Muhammad" (Muhammad stood up), yes, is it correct or not? It is correct. You raised it with the dammah because it is a singular noun. If you said "qama Muhammad" without the dammah, it is not correct, because you did not raise it with the dammah, and it must be raised with the dammah. All right. "Dar" (house), how is it raised?
The student: With the dammah.
The Shaykh : "Dar" with the dammah. Why? It is a singular noun. "Bab" (door).
The student: ...
The Shaykh : All right. "Daraj" (step).
The student: With the dammah.
The Shaykh : With the dammah. Why?
The student: It is a singular noun.
The Shaykh : It is a singular noun. How about "marwahah" (fan)?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : With the dammah, because it is a singular noun. "Kitab" (book).
The student: ...
The Shaykh : With the dammah, because it is a singular noun. All right.
Likewise, in the broken plural. The broken plural. The broken plural is what indicates three or more, accompanied by a change in the structure of the singular. This is the broken plural: what indicates three or more with a change in the structure of the singular. Are you with me? All right. An example of this: "al-rijal" (men) indicates three or more with a change in the structure of the singular. The singular of "al-rijal" is "rajul" (a man). If you say "rijal," the structure of the singular has changed. The singular is "rajul" with an open ra' and a dammah on the jim. The plural is "rijal" with a kasrah on the ra' and an open jim, and there is an alif between the jim and the lam, whereas in "rajul" there is no alif between the jim and the lam. So, the structure of the singular has changed, yes or no?
The student: The structure of the singular has changed.
The Shaykh : The structure of the singular has changed. That is why we call it a broken plural, because we broke the singular, shattered it, and brought a new form. All right. If I say "a'rab" (Bedouins), "a'rab" is the plural of what? "A'rabi" (a Bedouin). "Al-a'rab" is a broken plural. Why? Because the structure of the singular has changed. Did it increase over the singular or decrease? It decreased. Look, sometimes it increases, like "al-rijal," it increased. Sometimes it decreases. "A'rab" is less than "a'rabi," right or not? It is less. So we call this a broken plural. "Bayt" (house) is singular. "Buyut" (houses) is a broken plural. Did the singular change, yes or no?
The student: It changed.
The Shaykh : It changed. "Abi'at" (poems), yes, a broken plural, because when "bayt" is pluralized as "abi'at," it changes, so it is a broken plural. "Abi'ar" (camels).
The student: A broken plural.
The Shaykh : A broken plural, because its singular is "ba'ir" (a camel), so the singular changed. Therefore, the broken plural is what indicates three or more, what? With a change in the structure of the singular. With a change in the structure of the singular, we call this a broken plural.
Likewise, the third is the sound feminine plural. The sound feminine plural. The sound feminine plural is what indicates three or more, accompanied by the preservation of the structure of the singular. It is called the sound feminine plural. It is also said: what is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. What is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. An example: "Hind." Pluralize it as a sound feminine plural. "Hindat." "Hindat." Look, the singular did not change, so we called it a sound plural. "A'ishah," "A'ishat." "Khadijah," "Khadijat." "Fatimah," "Fatimat," and so on. So, what indicates three or more, or if you wish, say what is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. All right. "Abi'at," "abi'at." Why do we not call it a sound feminine plural?
The student: The singular changed.
The Shaykh : Yes, because the singular changed. Also, the ta in "abi'at" is original, whereas in the sound feminine plural, the ta must be added. All right. "Qudat" (judges), is it a broken plural or a sound feminine plural?
The student: Broken.
The Shaykh : Broken, because the structure of the singular changed in it, and because the alif in it is original. The alif in "qudat" is original, because the original form of "qudat" is "qudayat." This is its original form, so the ya' was changed to an alif for a grammatical reason, which is not the place to mention here.
So, the sound feminine plural is what indicates three or more, accompanied by the preservation of the structure of the singular. This is the sound feminine plural. And if you wish, say what is pluralized by adding an alif and a ta to its singular. This is raised by the dammah. You say "jā'at al-muslimat" (the Muslim women came). "Jā'at al-muslimat." You raise it with the dammah because it is a sound feminine plural. "Al-muslimat." All right. "Al-mu'minat" (the believing women)? Likewise, a sound feminine plural. "Al-sadiqat" (the truthful women), a sound feminine plural. "Al-ghafilat" (the heedless women), a sound feminine plural. How about "al-raki'at" (the bowing women) and "al-sājidat" (the prostrating women)? The same. So, the sound feminine plural is raised by what? By the dammah.