al-Bustan fi Irab Mushkilat al-Quran
- Author died
- 717 AH
- Editions
- King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies
al-Bustan fi Irab Mushkilat al-Quran (The Garden on the Grammatical Analysis of Difficult Quranic Constructions) is a specialized treatise on Quranic syntax by the Yemeni grammarian and exegete Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr al-Jibli, known as Ibn al-Ahnaf al-Yamani (d. 717 AH / 1317–18 CE) .
Subject and Scope
The primary focus of the work is the grammatical analysis (iʿrāb) of difficult, ambiguous, and syntactically complex Quranic verses . Although syntax predominates, the author frequently expands beyond grammatical parsing to incorporate the opinions of Quranic commentators (mufassirūn), citing numerous hadiths, historical reports (akhbār), and narrative accounts (qiṣaṣ), often digressing into topics unrelated to syntactic analysis . He also incorporates verses of poetry on asceticism and wisdom (zuhd wa-ḥikmah) .
The complete text of the work has not survived intact; the extant manuscript portions begin at the opening of Surah al-Anbiya (Quran 21) and continue through to the end of the Quran .
Method and Sources
In his grammatical reasoning and selections, al-Jibli synthesizes opinions from both the Basran and Kufan schools, though he exhibits a pronounced leaning toward Kufan views and terminology . He also draws upon later authorities, particularly Tahir ibn Ahmad ibn Babashadh, reflecting the broader reception of Ibn Babashadh's writings in Yemen .
The work relies on a wide range of earlier linguistic, grammatical, and exegetical literature . These include early authorities such as Kitab al-Ayn by al-Khalil ibn Ahmad and al-Kitab by Sibawayh, as well as rare and manuscript sources such as Ayn al-Maani fi Tafsir al-Sab al-Mathani and its abridgment Insan al-Ayn by Muhammad ibn Tayfur al-Sijawandi .
Editions
The extant portion of the text was edited by Ahmad Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Jundi and published by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh as part of its heritage publication series .
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