Explanation of the words of Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him): "What is not with the ta, this is seen as confusion *** like shajr, baqar, and khams."
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The Shaykh : His statement:
"What is not with the ta, this is seen as confusion *** like shajr, baqar, and khams"
If a feminine tri-literal noun ends with a ta, it becomes confused with the plural or something else, so it is obligatory that it not end with a ta. For example: shajr, shajr. If we said shujayrah, if we said shujayrah, it would be confused in the diminutive of shajarah, meaning: a feminine shajarah accompanied by a ta, and it is tri-literal. What is its diminutive?
The student: Shujayrah.
The Shaykh : Shujayrah. Is shajr a tri-literal noun free from the ta or not? If we said that its feminization with the ta is obligatory, what would we say in the diminutive of shajr? Shujayrah. And in that case, the plural becomes confused with the singular for us. How do we make the diminutive of shajr?
The student: Shujayr.
The Shaykh : Shujayr only, and we do not say shujayrah, even though it is a feminine tri-literal noun. But because its feminization necessitates confusion and ambiguity, the confusion of the singular with the plural, it is forbidden to associate it with the ta. Likewise: baqar. Is baqar a feminine tri-literal noun? Huh?
The student: Tri-literal.
The Shaykh : The requirement of the rule is that in the diminutive, the ta of feminization is brought to it, so it is said for baqar, huh? Buqayrah. But if you say buqayrah, it becomes confused with the diminutive of the singular, because the diminutive of the singular baqarah is what?
The student: Buqayrah.
The Shaykh : It is buqayrah, and in that case, the plural becomes confused with the singular, so the presence of the ta is forbidden. Is that clear, everyone?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Okay, ward?
The student: Wurayd.
The Shaykh : Wurayd only? It is a feminine tri-literal noun, but if we brought the ta, it would become confused with the diminutive of the singular, which is wardah, where it is said? Wuraydah. And likewise khams. When we make the diminutive of khams, khams is feminine because it is a name for a number. Is it free from the ta or not?
The student: Free.
The Shaykh : Free from the ta. The requirement of the rule, since it is a tri-literal noun free from the ta, is that we bring the ta and say for khams: khumaysah. But because it becomes confused in the diminutive of khamsah, it is forbidden. If we said khumaysah in the diminutive of khams, it would become confused with its singular, what? Khamsah, the singular. And for this reason, it is forbidden. And the result is that this rule indicates that every tri-literal noun free from the ta, when made diminutive, the ta is obligatory in it. Okay, and every tri-literal noun accompanied by the ta, when made diminutive?
The student: It remains.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: The ta remains. We do not attribute another ta to it, as we mentioned in the form of wardah and baqarah. Okay, 'unbah?
The student: 'Unaybah.
The Shaykh : 'Unaybah, and 'unb?
The student: 'Unayb.
The Shaykh : 'Unayb only? Why? Because if I said 'unaybah, the plural becomes confused?
The student: With the singular.
The Shaykh : With the singular.
"What is not with the ta, this is seen as confusion *** like shajr, baqar, and khams"
If a feminine tri-literal noun ends with a ta, it becomes confused with the plural or something else, so it is obligatory that it not end with a ta. For example: shajr, shajr. If we said shujayrah, if we said shujayrah, it would be confused in the diminutive of shajarah, meaning: a feminine shajarah accompanied by a ta, and it is tri-literal. What is its diminutive?
The student: Shujayrah.
The Shaykh : Shujayrah. Is shajr a tri-literal noun free from the ta or not? If we said that its feminization with the ta is obligatory, what would we say in the diminutive of shajr? Shujayrah. And in that case, the plural becomes confused with the singular for us. How do we make the diminutive of shajr?
The student: Shujayr.
The Shaykh : Shujayr only, and we do not say shujayrah, even though it is a feminine tri-literal noun. But because its feminization necessitates confusion and ambiguity, the confusion of the singular with the plural, it is forbidden to associate it with the ta. Likewise: baqar. Is baqar a feminine tri-literal noun? Huh?
The student: Tri-literal.
The Shaykh : The requirement of the rule is that in the diminutive, the ta of feminization is brought to it, so it is said for baqar, huh? Buqayrah. But if you say buqayrah, it becomes confused with the diminutive of the singular, because the diminutive of the singular baqarah is what?
The student: Buqayrah.
The Shaykh : It is buqayrah, and in that case, the plural becomes confused with the singular, so the presence of the ta is forbidden. Is that clear, everyone?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Okay, ward?
The student: Wurayd.
The Shaykh : Wurayd only? It is a feminine tri-literal noun, but if we brought the ta, it would become confused with the diminutive of the singular, which is wardah, where it is said? Wuraydah. And likewise khams. When we make the diminutive of khams, khams is feminine because it is a name for a number. Is it free from the ta or not?
The student: Free.
The Shaykh : Free from the ta. The requirement of the rule, since it is a tri-literal noun free from the ta, is that we bring the ta and say for khams: khumaysah. But because it becomes confused in the diminutive of khamsah, it is forbidden. If we said khumaysah in the diminutive of khams, it would become confused with its singular, what? Khamsah, the singular. And for this reason, it is forbidden. And the result is that this rule indicates that every tri-literal noun free from the ta, when made diminutive, the ta is obligatory in it. Okay, and every tri-literal noun accompanied by the ta, when made diminutive?
The student: It remains.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: The ta remains. We do not attribute another ta to it, as we mentioned in the form of wardah and baqarah. Okay, 'unbah?
The student: 'Unaybah.
The Shaykh : 'Unaybah, and 'unb?
The student: 'Unayb.
The Shaykh : 'Unayb only? Why? Because if I said 'unaybah, the plural becomes confused?
The student: With the singular.
The Shaykh : With the singular.