Explanation of Ibn Malik's (may Allah have mercy on him) saying: "A single word is kalimah, and al-qawl is comprehensive *** And a word may be intended as kalam."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh :"A single word is kalimah" means a single instance of kalim, which is divided into three categories: kalimah. On this basis, it is a collective generic noun, or a collective noun for a generic noun. A collective generic noun is one that is distinguished from its singular form by the addition of a taa or a yaa. With a taa, for example, shajarah (tree) and shajar (trees); with a yaa, for example, Rumi (a Roman) and Rum (Romans), and ins (a human) and insi (a human being). Good.
"A single word is kalimah, and al-qawl is comprehensive". Al-qawl is comprehensive; kalimah is comprehensive. It can be interpreted as a past tense verb, meaning that al-qawl encompasses kalam and kalimah. It can be interpreted as a superlative noun, meaning that al-qawl is more comprehensive, i.e., more comprehensive than kalimah and more comprehensive than kalim. It can be interpreted as an active participle with the alif omitted for ease of pronunciation, the intended meaning being "and al-qawl is general." However, the best interpretation is to treat it as a past tense verb, because if we make it a past tense verb, we do not need to assume anything was omitted. If we say it is a superlative noun, it means something was omitted from it; what was omitted? The hamza. And if we make it an active participle, something was omitted from it, namely the alif. If we make it a past tense verb, nothing was omitted from it, and the intended meaning is achieved. Thus, al-qawl encompasses what? It encompasses kalam and kalimah. So kalam, which is a meaningful expression, is called qawl, and kalimah is called qawl. Do you understand? Good.
If we say "Muhammad stood up," we call it kalam, yes, and we call it qawl, and we call it kalimah, no. And if we say only "Muhammad," we call it kalimah and we call it qawl, but we do not call it kalam. Thus, al-qawl encompasses both kalimah and kalam.
Good. "And a word may be intended as kalam". "May be intended" means it is aimed at; that is, kalam may be intended by kalimah. Kalam may be intended by kalimah. And what is kalam, O Hajjaj? Yes.
The student: A meaningful expression.
The Shaykh : It is a meaningful expression. That is, kalam may be intended by kalimah, which is a single qawl. Kalam may be intended by it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "And this is what is intended by it in the Qur'an and the Sunnah". What is intended by kalimah in the Qur'an and the Sunnah is kalam. That means, whenever you find the word kalimah in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah, what is intended by it is kalam, not a single qawl. Good. And among this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Mu'minun 23:99-100]
What does the word here mean?[Al-Mu'minun 23:99-100] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 6147 What did the poet say? Kalam or kalimah? What is it? Sahih Muslim 2256c Thus, regarding Ibn Malik's saying: "may be intended", we say that "qad" here is for realization and not for diminution. It is permissible to make it for diminution according to the convention of the grammarians. Lower the quantity, everyone. It is permissible to make it for diminution according to what? The convention of the grammarians, because the grammarians do not intend kalam by kalimah; they intend a single qawl by kalimah. So they take, for example, "Muhammad stood up" and make it how many words? Two words: qama (stood) and Muhammad. This is the convention of the grammarians.
On this basis, we say that "qad" in Ibn Malik's statement is either for realization or for diminution. It is for realization according to the Arabic language, because the Arabic language means kalam by kalimah, even if it is a speech composed of three pages; in the Arabic language, it is a kalimah. Or it is for diminution based on what? Based on the convention of the grammarians, because in the convention of the grammarians, kalam must be composed of two words or more. The time is up. The important thing is that, if Allah wills, we have covered four, four verses. Yes.
The student: Nine.
The Shaykh : How does it fit? No, let's start from the beginning, okay. The next lesson includes the recitation. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Ah.
"A single word is kalimah, and al-qawl is comprehensive". Al-qawl is comprehensive; kalimah is comprehensive. It can be interpreted as a past tense verb, meaning that al-qawl encompasses kalam and kalimah. It can be interpreted as a superlative noun, meaning that al-qawl is more comprehensive, i.e., more comprehensive than kalimah and more comprehensive than kalim. It can be interpreted as an active participle with the alif omitted for ease of pronunciation, the intended meaning being "and al-qawl is general." However, the best interpretation is to treat it as a past tense verb, because if we make it a past tense verb, we do not need to assume anything was omitted. If we say it is a superlative noun, it means something was omitted from it; what was omitted? The hamza. And if we make it an active participle, something was omitted from it, namely the alif. If we make it a past tense verb, nothing was omitted from it, and the intended meaning is achieved. Thus, al-qawl encompasses what? It encompasses kalam and kalimah. So kalam, which is a meaningful expression, is called qawl, and kalimah is called qawl. Do you understand? Good.
If we say "Muhammad stood up," we call it kalam, yes, and we call it qawl, and we call it kalimah, no. And if we say only "Muhammad," we call it kalimah and we call it qawl, but we do not call it kalam. Thus, al-qawl encompasses both kalimah and kalam.
Good. "And a word may be intended as kalam". "May be intended" means it is aimed at; that is, kalam may be intended by kalimah. Kalam may be intended by kalimah. And what is kalam, O Hajjaj? Yes.
The student: A meaningful expression.
The Shaykh : It is a meaningful expression. That is, kalam may be intended by kalimah, which is a single qawl. Kalam may be intended by it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "And this is what is intended by it in the Qur'an and the Sunnah". What is intended by kalimah in the Qur'an and the Sunnah is kalam. That means, whenever you find the word kalimah in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah, what is intended by it is kalam, not a single qawl. Good. And among this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back (100) That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَاWhat does the word here mean?
"My Lord, send me back (100) That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."
رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُThe most true words said by a poet were the words of Labid. He said, i.e. 'Verily, everything except Allah is perishable
أصدق كلمة قالها الشاعر كلمة لبيد : ألا كل شيء ما خلا الله باطل"Behold! apart from Allah everything is vain,"
ألا كل شيء ما خلا الله باطلOn this basis, we say that "qad" in Ibn Malik's statement is either for realization or for diminution. It is for realization according to the Arabic language, because the Arabic language means kalam by kalimah, even if it is a speech composed of three pages; in the Arabic language, it is a kalimah. Or it is for diminution based on what? Based on the convention of the grammarians, because in the convention of the grammarians, kalam must be composed of two words or more. The time is up. The important thing is that, if Allah wills, we have covered four, four verses. Yes.
The student: Nine.
The Shaykh : How does it fit? No, let's start from the beginning, okay. The next lesson includes the recitation. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Ah.