Explanation of the author's (may Allah have mercy on him) statement: "… Chapter on Description …"
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Chapter on Description". Description means characterization; you say "na'tahu," meaning "his description." For this reason, some grammarians call it "al-wasf" (description); the chapter is called the Chapter on Description. Thus, al-wasf (description), al-sifah (characteristic), and al-na't (description) all mean the same thing. Al-na't is a description that characterizes what came before it; it is a description that characterizes what preceded it. Therefore, the description does not come before the described. One may describe with criticism or with praise. If you say, "Zayd the knowledgeable came," you have described him with praise. If you say, "Zayd the ignorant came," you have described him with criticism. If you say, "Zayd the forbearing came,"
The student: Praise.
The Shaykh : "Zayd the foolish came,"
The student: With criticism.
The Shaykh : With criticism. Good. In terms of meaning, the description is a characterization of the described, and it must come after it; it must come after it. As for its grammatical case,
The student: Praise.
The Shaykh : "Zayd the foolish came,"
The student: With criticism.
The Shaykh : With criticism. Good. In terms of meaning, the description is a characterization of the described, and it must come after it; it must come after it. As for its grammatical case,