Explanation of the saying of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And following Al, it is like the described, and what is added to a definite noun has two faces regarding the one who is definite."

The Shaykh :"And following Al, it is like the described":
What is the meaning of: "And following Al, it is like the described"? It means that the noun with Al must agree with the described noun, or the one about whom the statement is made. So you say: Zayd is the best, Hind is the best, clear? The two Zayds are, right?
The student: The two best, no no, the two best.

The Shaykh : No, the two best, they are the two best, and the two Hinds—this is from Ibn Ajrum's book—and the two Hinds are the two best.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : Right? No, Shaykh, they are the two best. And you say: Hind, right?
The student: She is the best.

The Shaykh : She is the best, Hind is the best, okay, and you say: These women are?
The student: The best ones.

The Shaykh : The best ones, they are the best ones. So, what is the ruling on the superlative noun with Al?
The student: It agrees with the described noun.

The Shaykh : It agrees with the described noun, whether it is a predicate or an attribute, it agrees with the described noun in all cases, whether masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Then he said:
"And what is added to a definite noun *** has two faces regarding the one who is definite":
What is added to a definite noun has two faces. What does "two faces" mean? It means that agreement is permissible, and non-agreement is permissible. So you say: Hind is the best of women, Hind is the best of women, and Hind is the best of women. The first one?
The student: It is attached.

The Shaykh : All of it is added. The first one is agreeing, and the second one, right?
The student: Not agreeing.

The Shaykh : Not agreeing.
The student: We reversed it!

The Shaykh : No, we did not reverse it. Hind is the best of women, and Hind is the best of women: not agreeing, yes. And likewise you say: The two Zayds are the best of men!
The student: Not agreeing.

The Shaykh : Agreeing or not agreeing?
The student: Not agreeing.

The Shaykh : Not agreeing. The two Zayds are the best of men?!
The student: Agreeing.

The Shaykh : Agreeing, like that. So, if it is added to a definite noun, both faces are permissible, and they are: agreement and non-agreement. What is non-agreement? Singularity and masculinity. This is non-agreement, singularity and masculinity. So now the superlative noun does not escape the following states: First: that it is bare of Al and addition. What is obligatory in it?
The student: Singularity and masculinity are obligatory.

The Shaykh : Singularity and masculinity are obligatory. Second: that it is added—yes, there is no god but Allah—second: that it is with Al, right?
The student: Agreement is obligatory in it.

The Shaykh : Agreement is obligatory in it. If it is with Al, agreement is obligatory in it. Third: that it is added to a definite noun, or fourth? Fourth. Fourth: both faces are permissible in it.
The student: We mentioned this with the first one.

The Shaykh : We mentioned it with the first one. So now we say to him there are four states: that it is singular and bare, that it is added to an indefinite noun, that it is added to a definite noun, that it is with Al. How many states?!
The student: Four states.

The Shaykh : Four states. If it is bare or added to an indefinite noun, what is obligatory in it?
The student: Singularity and masculinity.

The Shaykh : Singularity and masculinity. And if it is with Al, what is obligatory in it?
The student: Agreement.

The Shaykh : Agreement. And if it is added to a definite noun, both faces are permissible in it. And Allah knows best.
The student: Shaykh, the Dhuha prayer!

The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: The Dhuha prayer, two by two or four?

The Shaykh : Yes, two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs.
The student: Shaykh, the house... this is also?

The Shaykh : Yes, yes, yes, this is restricted to what came before.
The student: If you repeat the explanation, Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: And Al is like!

The Shaykh : Yes, it does not contradict. "And Al is like": What is the meaning of "like"? It means agreeing with its described noun, or what was the statement about. You say, for example: This man is the best, and this woman is the best, and these two men are the two best, and these two women are the two best. And you say: These men are the best, and these women are the best. The important thing is that what has Al in it is like in all cases.
"And what is added to a definite noun *** has two faces regarding the one who is definite":
"And what is added to a definite noun": What is its opposite? What is added to an indefinite noun, and the speech on it has preceded, and that masculinity and singularity are obligatory.
He said: "And what is added to a definite noun *** has two faces regarding the one who is definite":
The superlative noun added to a definite noun has two faces permissible in it: one is agreement, and the second is bareness, meaning non-agreement. The second is non-agreement, which is singularity. An example of that is you say: Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, is the best of the prophets, like that? Added to what?
The student: ...

The Shaykh : Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, is the best of the prophets. And you say: Fatima is the best of the women of the worlds in lineage, Fatima and her sisters, of course, the best of the women of the worlds in lineage, or not?!
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : The best of the women. Okay, and you say: The two Zayds, right, the best?
The student: The two best, for agreement.

The Shaykh : If you wish, agree, and if you wish, do not agree. The best of men, or the two best of men, the two best.
And the students of knowledge, right? The best of men, or: the best of men, meaning its meaning is agreement and non-agreement.