Explanation of the saying of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "And be a guarantor by prevention for every plural resembling maf'ala *** or mafā'il, with prevention as your guarantor."
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The Shaykh : Be a guarantor by prevention for every plural resembling maf'ala or mafā'il. He did not say "every plural on the pattern of maf'ala"; he said "resembling maf'ala or mafā'il." This is because maf'ala contains an extra mim, and mafā'il also contains an extra mim. It is not a condition that it must contain an extra mim; the condition is that the plural be on this pattern, on the pattern of maf'ala or mafā'il. That is to say, its first and second letters are mobile, with an alif between them, and after the alif there is a letter with a kasrah, whether it has a ya or not. For example: masājid, like maf'ala; masābīh, is that right?
The student: Mafa'il.
The Shaykh : Like mafā'il, mafātīh? Is that right?
The student: Maf'ala.
The Shaykh : Like maf'ala, and mafātīh?
The student: Mafa'il.
The Shaykh : Mafā'il, qawālib? Qawālib?
The student: Maf'ala.
The Shaykh : No, it is not maf'ala; it is on the pattern resembling maf'ala, because he says:
"Be for a plural resembling"
It is on the pattern resembling maf'ala, not on the pattern of maf'ala itself. It resembles it, and its pattern is fā'īl, the pattern of qawālib is fā'īl. Okay, zahālif? Is that right? Zahālif?
The student: Maf'ala.
The Shaykh : On the pattern of maf'ala? Is that right? It is on the pattern resembling maf'ala. And what is the pattern of zahālif?
The student: Fa'alal.
The Shaykh : Fa'alal. It is not fā'īl like ṣawā'iq, but zahālif is on the pattern of fa'alal. Yes, okay, ṣawārikh?
The student: Fa'ā'il.
The Shaykh : Is that right? On the pattern of mafā'il...
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Fawā'il, yes, fawā'il, is that right? Because ṣawārikh is derived from ṣarakh. What are the original letters in it? The original letters in it are ṣād, rā, and khā. The wāw is extra, ṣawā, the wāw is extra, and the yā?
The student: It is extra.
The Shaykh : Is it extra, and the alif?
The student: It is extra.
The Shaykh : So, the extra letter in the word is brought by its form in the pattern. This is the rule: the extra letter in the word is brought by its form in the pattern. And qawārir?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Is that right? Qawārir, look, the wāw is extra and it came by its form, the alif is extra and it came by its form, the yā is extra and it came by its form. The ṣād, rā, and khā are original and they came in the fā', 'ayn, and lām. Fawā'il. Is qawārir on the pattern of maf'ala?
The student: Mafa'il.
The Shaykh : On the pattern of mafā'il?
The student: Resembling.
The Shaykh : Yes, well done. It is on the pattern resembling mafā'il, because what is the pattern of qawārir?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Fawā'il, fawā'il. And like it is mawā'in. I think mawā'in is on the pattern of mafā'il. Is mawā'in on the pattern of mafā'il or resembling it?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : But is the mim original or not?
The student: Original.
The Shaykh : Is it from ma'na or from 'āna? We have to look at it now. I do not know if it is from this or that. But mawā'in, it appears that the mim is original because what is the pattern of mawā'in?
The student: Fa'ūl.
The Shaykh : Fa'ūl. And on this basis, the pattern of mawā'in would be fawā'il. Okay, so anything that resembles maf'ala or mafā'il is prevented from inflection for one reason or two reasons?
The student: For one reason.
The Shaykh : For one reason. One reason is sufficient. And on this basis, there is no difference between it being a noun or an adjective, masculine or feminine, as long as it is on this pattern, it is prevented from inflection. They call this pattern the "form of the end of plurals," the form of the end of plurals. Yes? Okay.
"And be for a plural resembling mafā'il *** or the mafā'il, with prevention as your guarantor"
So, whoever is on this pattern is not inflected. What prevents it from inflection? Is that right?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The form?
The student: The end of plurals.
The Shaykh : Okay. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] The qalā'id are of this type, is that right? Yes. [Al-Hajj 22:32].
The student: Mafa'il.
The Shaykh : Like mafā'il, mafātīh? Is that right?
The student: Maf'ala.
The Shaykh : Like maf'ala, and mafātīh?
The student: Mafa'il.
The Shaykh : Mafā'il, qawālib? Qawālib?
The student: Maf'ala.
The Shaykh : No, it is not maf'ala; it is on the pattern resembling maf'ala, because he says:
"Be for a plural resembling"
It is on the pattern resembling maf'ala, not on the pattern of maf'ala itself. It resembles it, and its pattern is fā'īl, the pattern of qawālib is fā'īl. Okay, zahālif? Is that right? Zahālif?
The student: Maf'ala.
The Shaykh : On the pattern of maf'ala? Is that right? It is on the pattern resembling maf'ala. And what is the pattern of zahālif?
The student: Fa'alal.
The Shaykh : Fa'alal. It is not fā'īl like ṣawā'iq, but zahālif is on the pattern of fa'alal. Yes, okay, ṣawārikh?
The student: Fa'ā'il.
The Shaykh : Is that right? On the pattern of mafā'il...
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Fawā'il, yes, fawā'il, is that right? Because ṣawārikh is derived from ṣarakh. What are the original letters in it? The original letters in it are ṣād, rā, and khā. The wāw is extra, ṣawā, the wāw is extra, and the yā?
The student: It is extra.
The Shaykh : Is it extra, and the alif?
The student: It is extra.
The Shaykh : So, the extra letter in the word is brought by its form in the pattern. This is the rule: the extra letter in the word is brought by its form in the pattern. And qawārir?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Is that right? Qawārir, look, the wāw is extra and it came by its form, the alif is extra and it came by its form, the yā is extra and it came by its form. The ṣād, rā, and khā are original and they came in the fā', 'ayn, and lām. Fawā'il. Is qawārir on the pattern of maf'ala?
The student: Mafa'il.
The Shaykh : On the pattern of mafā'il?
The student: Resembling.
The Shaykh : Yes, well done. It is on the pattern resembling mafā'il, because what is the pattern of qawārir?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Fawā'il, fawā'il. And like it is mawā'in. I think mawā'in is on the pattern of mafā'il. Is mawā'in on the pattern of mafā'il or resembling it?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : But is the mim original or not?
The student: Original.
The Shaykh : Is it from ma'na or from 'āna? We have to look at it now. I do not know if it is from this or that. But mawā'in, it appears that the mim is original because what is the pattern of mawā'in?
The student: Fa'ūl.
The Shaykh : Fa'ūl. And on this basis, the pattern of mawā'in would be fawā'il. Okay, so anything that resembles maf'ala or mafā'il is prevented from inflection for one reason or two reasons?
The student: For one reason.
The Shaykh : For one reason. One reason is sufficient. And on this basis, there is no difference between it being a noun or an adjective, masculine or feminine, as long as it is on this pattern, it is prevented from inflection. They call this pattern the "form of the end of plurals," the form of the end of plurals. Yes? Okay.
"And be for a plural resembling mafā'il *** or the mafā'il, with prevention as your guarantor"
So, whoever is on this pattern is not inflected. What prevents it from inflection? Is that right?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The form?
The student: The end of plurals.
The Shaykh : Okay. Allah the Exalted said: