Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "Those accompanying the definite article, or those attached to what accompanied them, like *ni'ma* following the noble end."
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The Shaykh :"Those accompanying the definite article"
And what does "those accompanying the definite article" mean? It means that their subject cannot be anything other than a noun made definite by the article, for example: Where is the subject?
The student: The Master.
The Shaykh : The Master, is it accompanied by the article or not?
The student: It is accompanied.
The Shaykh : It is accompanied by the article, and *ni'ma al-nasir* (what a good supporter), *al-nasir* is also a subject accompanied by the article. If I said: *ni'ma mawla* (what a good master) and *ni'ma nasir* (what a good supporter), is that permissible or not?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible; their subject must be accompanied by the article. And so is His saying, the Exalted: *bi'sa al-masir* (what an evil destination) is a subject; it is not acceptable for it to be without the article; it must be adorned with the article. Now, "Those accompanying the definite article, or those attached to what accompanied them" What does "those attached to what accompanied them" mean? It means that their subject is attached to something containing the article; that their subject is attached to something containing the article. Its example is: [An-Nahl 16:30] [An-Nahl 16:30] Does *dar* (dwelling) contain the article?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : But it is attached to something containing the article. So, the subject must either be accompanied by the article or attached to something containing the article. The poet said: "What a good reward for the righteous is Paradise"
"What a good reward for the righteous is Paradise *** The abode of hopes, desires, and grace"
Is the subject adorned with the article or attached to something containing the article?
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : Attached to something containing the article. Yes, now. It is also permissible to attach it to something that is attached to something containing the article. That is, the subject can be attached to something that is attached to something containing the article. Yes, you say: *Ni'ma dar karim al-qawm* (What a good dwelling is the dwelling of the noble people). *Dar* is a subject attached to *karim* (noble). *Karim* does not contain the article, but it is attached to something containing the article. So, if the attachment is removed, is it acceptable?
The student: It is valid.
The Shaykh : It is acceptable. Its subject is either attached and adorned with the article, or attached to something containing the article, or attached to something attached to something containing the article, or attached to something attached to something attached to something containing the article, and so on. Even if the chain is long, the important thing is that the article must appear. Now, he says:
"Those accompanying the definite article, or those attached to what *** accompanied them, like *ni'ma* following the noble end"
Look, this *ni'ma* has a subject adorned with the article.
The student: It is not adorned.
The Shaykh : *Ni'ma 'uqba* (what a good end)?
The student: It is not adorned.
The Shaykh : It is not adorned, but it is attached to something containing the article. *Ni'ma 'uqba al-kurma* (What a good end is the noble end). Know that *ni'ma* and *bi'sa* require a subject and a specified object other than the subject. The specified object of praise or blame is required, and it functions as a subject (mubtada'). For example, in His saying, the Exalted: We said that *al-mawla* (the Master) is the subject. Where is the specified object? Allah. *Ni'ma al-mawla Allah* (What a good Master is Allah) and *ni'ma al-nasir Allah* (What a good Supporter is Allah). [An-Nahl 16:30] Where is the specified object?
The student: Paradise.
The Shaykh : Paradise. Paradise, meaning the thing upon which the praise falls, is omitted and parsed as a delayed subject (mubtada' mu'akhkhar), and the sentence of *ni'ma* and its subject is a preceding predicate (khabar muqaddam). *Ni'ma al-mawla Allah*. In its parsing: *Ni'ma* is a past tense verb, and *al-mawla* is a subject raised by a hidden dammah on its end, prevented from appearing by what?
The student: The impossibility.
The Shaykh : Difficulty (ta'addur). And the specified object is omitted, its estimation being Allah. It is a subject, and its predicate is the sentence before it, which is: Where is the specified object? It is omitted, its estimation being the Fire. So we say in the parsing: *Bi'sa* is a past tense verb for blame, not for praise?
The student: For blame.
The Shaykh : For blame. And *al-masir* (the destination) is a subject raised by a visible dammah. And the specified object is omitted, its estimation being the Fire. It is a subject, and its predicate is the sentence *bi'sa al-masir*. And Allah knows best.
The student: The verse before that, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: The second hemistich.
The Shaykh :"What a good reward for the righteous is Paradise *** The abode of hopes, desires, and grace".
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Which one?
The student: ... If a person prays the greeting of the mosque, is that sufficient?
The Shaykh : What do you think?
The student: He does not pray.
And what does "those accompanying the definite article" mean? It means that their subject cannot be anything other than a noun made definite by the article, for example:
What a good Master is He and what a good Supporter is He
نِعم المولى ونعم النصيرُThe student: The Master.
The Shaykh : The Master, is it accompanied by the article or not?
The student: It is accompanied.
The Shaykh : It is accompanied by the article, and *ni'ma al-nasir* (what a good supporter), *al-nasir* is also a subject accompanied by the article. If I said: *ni'ma mawla* (what a good master) and *ni'ma nasir* (what a good supporter), is that permissible or not?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible; their subject must be accompanied by the article. And so is His saying, the Exalted:
And what an evil destination is it
وبئس المصيرُAnd how excellent is the home of the righteous -
وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِينَAnd how excellent is the home of the righteous -
وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِينَThe student: No.
The Shaykh : But it is attached to something containing the article. So, the subject must either be accompanied by the article or attached to something containing the article. The poet said: "What a good reward for the righteous is Paradise"
"What a good reward for the righteous is Paradise *** The abode of hopes, desires, and grace"
Is the subject adorned with the article or attached to something containing the article?
The student: Attached.
The Shaykh : Attached to something containing the article. Yes, now. It is also permissible to attach it to something that is attached to something containing the article. That is, the subject can be attached to something that is attached to something containing the article. Yes, you say: *Ni'ma dar karim al-qawm* (What a good dwelling is the dwelling of the noble people). *Dar* is a subject attached to *karim* (noble). *Karim* does not contain the article, but it is attached to something containing the article. So, if the attachment is removed, is it acceptable?
The student: It is valid.
The Shaykh : It is acceptable. Its subject is either attached and adorned with the article, or attached to something containing the article, or attached to something attached to something containing the article, or attached to something attached to something attached to something containing the article, and so on. Even if the chain is long, the important thing is that the article must appear. Now, he says:
"Those accompanying the definite article, or those attached to what *** accompanied them, like *ni'ma* following the noble end"
Look, this *ni'ma* has a subject adorned with the article.
The student: It is not adorned.
The Shaykh : *Ni'ma 'uqba* (what a good end)?
The student: It is not adorned.
The Shaykh : It is not adorned, but it is attached to something containing the article. *Ni'ma 'uqba al-kurma* (What a good end is the noble end). Know that *ni'ma* and *bi'sa* require a subject and a specified object other than the subject. The specified object of praise or blame is required, and it functions as a subject (mubtada'). For example, in His saying, the Exalted:
What a good Master and what a good Helper.
نعم المولى ونعم النصيرAnd how excellent is the home of the righteous -
نعم دار المتقينThe student: Paradise.
The Shaykh : Paradise. Paradise, meaning the thing upon which the praise falls, is omitted and parsed as a delayed subject (mubtada' mu'akhkhar), and the sentence of *ni'ma* and its subject is a preceding predicate (khabar muqaddam). *Ni'ma al-mawla Allah*. In its parsing: *Ni'ma* is a past tense verb, and *al-mawla* is a subject raised by a hidden dammah on its end, prevented from appearing by what?
The student: The impossibility.
The Shaykh : Difficulty (ta'addur). And the specified object is omitted, its estimation being Allah. It is a subject, and its predicate is the sentence before it, which is:
What a good Master is He
نعم المولىWhat an evil destination is it
بئس المصيرThe student: For blame.
The Shaykh : For blame. And *al-masir* (the destination) is a subject raised by a visible dammah. And the specified object is omitted, its estimation being the Fire. It is a subject, and its predicate is the sentence *bi'sa al-masir*. And Allah knows best.
The student: The verse before that, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: The second hemistich.
The Shaykh :"What a good reward for the righteous is Paradise *** The abode of hopes, desires, and grace".
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Which one?
The student: ... If a person prays the greeting of the mosque, is that sufficient?
The Shaykh : What do you think?
The student: He does not pray.