Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And make them small from a three-lettered verb, derived, capable of excess, complete, not negated."
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The Shaykh :"And make them small" What does the pronoun in "make them small" refer to? It refers to the two forms of the verb of wonder. "From a three-lettered verb" From a three-lettered verb, meaning: from a triliteral verb. They cannot be formed from a quadriliteral, a quintiliteral, or a sextiliteral verb. They are only formed from a triliteral verb, like "Ah-san" (how good), "Ak-rim" (how generous), "Ah-sin" (how good), "Ak-rim" (how generous), "As-mi'" (how loud), and the like. Or not? "As-mi'" is from "sami'a" (to hear), and "Ak-rim" is from "karama" (to be generous). This is one. "Derived" This triliteral verb must be a transitive verb. If it is an intransitive verb, the verb of wonder cannot be formed from it. For example, "Ni'ma" (how good). You cannot say: "Ma an'ama Zaydan" (How good is Zayd). If you said "Ma an'ama Zaydan" meaning "Ni'ma Zayd" (Zayd is good), it would be incorrect. What does "Ma an'ama Zaydan" mean? It means: How great is his blessing. It is from "na'ama" (to bless), not from "ni'ma" (how good). Okay, "Baysa" (how bad) is valid. Can we say: "Ma abaysa Zaydan" (How bad is Zayd)? It is not from "baysa" (how bad). And so is "laysa" (is not). "Laysa Zaydan bi-bakhil" (Zayd is not stingy). If you wanted to express wonder at his generosity, you would say: "Ma alaysa Zaydan" (How not is Zayd). It is not possible. It must be from a transitive verb. "Derived, capable of excess" This is the third condition: capable of excess. This means it must be from a verb whose meaning accepts comparison. Its meaning accepts comparison, meaning one thing is more than another. Does generosity accept comparison?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Generosity?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Does it accept comparison?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is known that some people are very generous, some are moderately generous, and some are stingy. Yes, he is not generous. So it accepts comparison. Okay, what is an example of something that does not accept comparison? Like blindness. Blindness of the sight, not blindness of the heart. Does blindness of the sight accept comparison? No, it is one thing. The blind person is the one who does not see. Even though it is from "a'ma" (to blind), a triliteral verb, you do not say: "Ma a'ma Zaydan" (How blind is Zayd). How "Ma a'ma"? No, no. Let it be a question for wonder. Okay, death. Does death accept comparison?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It does not accept it. It is not valid. You say: "Ma amutaha al-mawt" (How dead is death), meaning physical death, not metaphorical death. He said: "Complete" "Complete." What is this condition?
The student: The fourth.
The Shaykh :"From a three-lettered verb, derived, capable of excess, complete" Meaning: from a complete verb, like "qama" (to stand), "qa'da" (to sit), "akala" (to eat), "shariba" (to drink), and the like. To avoid what?
The student: Incompleteness.
The Shaykh : From an incomplete verb. The verb of wonder cannot be formed from it. If it was an incomplete past verb, is it suitable for me to say: "Ma akunu" (How am I)?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : "Ma akunu qayman" (How am I standing). Is it permissible or not?
The student: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible, because it must be complete. "Not negated" "Not negated" This means it is not negated. Whether this negation is something that necessitates negation or something that does not necessitate it. If it is negated, you cannot form the verb of wonder from it. If you said: "Ma qama Zayd" (Zayd did not stand), and then you said: "Ma aqumu" (How standing is he), the meaning reverses from negation to affirmation. "Ma aqumu." If you said: "Ma a'dama qiyamahu" (How non-standing is his standing), the negation turns into non-existence. "Ma a'dama qiyamahu" is not suitable. But it will come to us, if Allah wills, in the path how it is dealt with.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Generosity?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Does it accept comparison?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is known that some people are very generous, some are moderately generous, and some are stingy. Yes, he is not generous. So it accepts comparison. Okay, what is an example of something that does not accept comparison? Like blindness. Blindness of the sight, not blindness of the heart. Does blindness of the sight accept comparison? No, it is one thing. The blind person is the one who does not see. Even though it is from "a'ma" (to blind), a triliteral verb, you do not say: "Ma a'ma Zaydan" (How blind is Zayd). How "Ma a'ma"? No, no. Let it be a question for wonder. Okay, death. Does death accept comparison?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It does not accept it. It is not valid. You say: "Ma amutaha al-mawt" (How dead is death), meaning physical death, not metaphorical death. He said: "Complete" "Complete." What is this condition?
The student: The fourth.
The Shaykh :"From a three-lettered verb, derived, capable of excess, complete" Meaning: from a complete verb, like "qama" (to stand), "qa'da" (to sit), "akala" (to eat), "shariba" (to drink), and the like. To avoid what?
The student: Incompleteness.
The Shaykh : From an incomplete verb. The verb of wonder cannot be formed from it. If it was an incomplete past verb, is it suitable for me to say: "Ma akunu" (How am I)?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : "Ma akunu qayman" (How am I standing). Is it permissible or not?
The student: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible, because it must be complete. "Not negated" "Not negated" This means it is not negated. Whether this negation is something that necessitates negation or something that does not necessitate it. If it is negated, you cannot form the verb of wonder from it. If you said: "Ma qama Zayd" (Zayd did not stand), and then you said: "Ma aqumu" (How standing is he), the meaning reverses from negation to affirmation. "Ma aqumu." If you said: "Ma a'dama qiyamahu" (How non-standing is his standing), the negation turns into non-existence. "Ma a'dama qiyamahu" is not suitable. But it will come to us, if Allah wills, in the path how it is dealt with.