Continuation of the previous discussion on the first person to invent the science of grammar.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : I say: Learning the Arabic language leads to ease in communicating in it, and communicating in it strengthens a person’s ability to understand the Book and the Sunnah. The science of grammar became necessary for people when the tongue began to differ.
It is said that the first person to invent it was Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali in the time of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). When he entered upon his daughter, she was lying on her bed looking at the sky and at lamps in the darkness. She said: "O father, how beautiful the sky is! How beautiful the sky is!" He answered her: "Its stars, its stars." Was the answer correct? Yes, it was correct, because her saying "How beautiful the sky is" meant "What is beautiful in the sky?" He said: "Its stars." But she did not mean that; she wanted to express her wonder at the beauty of the sky. So she said: "I do not mean that; I want to express my wonder at its beauty." He said: "O father." He said: "O my daughter, open your mouth, open your mouth, and say: 'How beautiful the sky is,' because if she says 'How beautiful the sky is,' it becomes an exclamatory sentence, and that is what is intended." So Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali went to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and informed him of the matter, meaning as if he was saying: "I have noticed that people’s tongues are becoming corrupted." So he established for him some rules and said to him: The science of grammar was named the science of grammar. The science of grammar and the science of morphology are twins that complete each other, but people are in greater need of the science of grammar than of the science of morphology, because the science of grammar is that in which words change frequently. In the science of morphology, the word remains as it is in the language and does not change, whether it is the doer, the receiver, or in the genitive case. But the science of grammar is where change is frequent, and for this reason, people’s need for it is greater than their need for the science of morphology. They are in need of this, and for this reason, but there are degrees for each.
This science was an independent science, and as we know, a thing is weak when it first emerges, then it spread among the scholars and came to have imams, teachers, and followers, and there were many debates and arguments in it. The scholars divided into two groups: the scholars of Kufa, whose leader was al-Kisa'i, and the scholars of Basra, whose leader was Sibawayhi, and each of them had views on the science of grammar.
Most of what the Basrans adhere to is establishing rules and preserving the rules, while the Kufans are easier than them in this regard; they are more lenient. I lean more toward their opinion than toward the opinion of the Basrans. So I say, in my view, there is a rule: "If the Kufans and the Basrans differ on an issue, follow the easier one, for it is easier" ... not by complicating it, because this is not a religious matter established by religious evidence that we must look into and labor over. As long as this is permissible according to a group of scholars who are imams, let us follow it. Following dispensations in this regard is permissible, and there is no blame in it, because following dispensations in this regard is easier. And, if Allah wills, many issues will pass by us where we will find that the Basrans are strict and the Kufans are lenient. If you see that we should read the introduction, for it has benefit, that is good. Yes, read it for us. Read it for us. And I hope your throat does not hurt you. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: Introduction.
The Shaykh : A scientific introduction.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Ah.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : I do not have an introduction. What do you have? How? Just a definition by the poet? No. I have six pages. Come, take it.
It is said that the first person to invent it was Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali in the time of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). When he entered upon his daughter, she was lying on her bed looking at the sky and at lamps in the darkness. She said: "O father, how beautiful the sky is! How beautiful the sky is!" He answered her: "Its stars, its stars." Was the answer correct? Yes, it was correct, because her saying "How beautiful the sky is" meant "What is beautiful in the sky?" He said: "Its stars." But she did not mean that; she wanted to express her wonder at the beauty of the sky. So she said: "I do not mean that; I want to express my wonder at its beauty." He said: "O father." He said: "O my daughter, open your mouth, open your mouth, and say: 'How beautiful the sky is,' because if she says 'How beautiful the sky is,' it becomes an exclamatory sentence, and that is what is intended." So Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali went to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and informed him of the matter, meaning as if he was saying: "I have noticed that people’s tongues are becoming corrupted." So he established for him some rules and said to him:
Take this approach
انح هذا المنحىThis science was an independent science, and as we know, a thing is weak when it first emerges, then it spread among the scholars and came to have imams, teachers, and followers, and there were many debates and arguments in it. The scholars divided into two groups: the scholars of Kufa, whose leader was al-Kisa'i, and the scholars of Basra, whose leader was Sibawayhi, and each of them had views on the science of grammar.
Most of what the Basrans adhere to is establishing rules and preserving the rules, while the Kufans are easier than them in this regard; they are more lenient. I lean more toward their opinion than toward the opinion of the Basrans. So I say, in my view, there is a rule: "If the Kufans and the Basrans differ on an issue, follow the easier one, for it is easier" ... not by complicating it, because this is not a religious matter established by religious evidence that we must look into and labor over. As long as this is permissible according to a group of scholars who are imams, let us follow it. Following dispensations in this regard is permissible, and there is no blame in it, because following dispensations in this regard is easier. And, if Allah wills, many issues will pass by us where we will find that the Basrans are strict and the Kufans are lenient. If you see that we should read the introduction, for it has benefit, that is good. Yes, read it for us. Read it for us. And I hope your throat does not hurt you. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: Introduction.
The Shaykh : A scientific introduction.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Ah.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : I do not have an introduction. What do you have? How? Just a definition by the poet? No. I have six pages. Come, take it.