al-Muqaddima al-Jazuliyya fi al-Nahw
- Author died
- 607 AH
- Editions
- Maṭba'at Umm al-Qurā
al-Muqaddima al-Jazuliyya fi al-Nahw (The Jazulian Introduction to Arabic Grammar), also known as al-Qanun (The Canon), is a concise treatise on Arabic syntax and grammar composed by the Maghrebi grammarian Abu Musa al-Jazuli (d. 607 AH / 1210 CE) .
Background and Composition
The work is known under the titles al-Muqaddima al-Jazuliyya, al-Qanun, and al-Kurras . Although attributed to al-Jazuli, reports recorded by Ibn Khallikan relate that when asked whether he had authored the work, al-Jazuli denied it out of religious scrupulousness (wara'), stating instead that it represented the compiled results of his scholarly discussions with his teacher Ibn Barri in Egypt and his fellow students, which he had organized and arranged .
Structure and Style
Al-Muqaddima al-Jazuliyya is characterized by extreme brevity and an information-dense format that encompasses a wide breadth of grammatical topics . The text relies heavily on concise definitions, symbols, and cryptic allusions (hudud wa-isharat) rather than expanded explanations .
Because of its condensed structure, scholars frequently described the work as difficult and puzzling ('usr wa-gharaba) . Biographers noted that a student could have a firm grasp of a grammatical rule elsewhere, yet find their thoughts perplexed when attempting to decipher its phrasing in al-Jazuliyya . Owing to its abstract formulation and strict definitions, some scholars remarked that the work resembled a book on logic rather than grammar . In his commentary, Ibn Malik addressed this claim, clarifying that despite its demanding style, the work contained only a minor logical element at its beginning while offering dense grammatical insights .
Reception and Commentaries
The difficulty and prestige of al-Muqaddima al-Jazuliyya generated widespread attention in the Islamic West and the East, prompting numerous scholars to compose commentaries, supplementary examples, and supercommentaries . Prominent works include:
- A large commentary authored by al-Jazuli himself .
- Two commentaries—a major (al-Sharh al-Kabir) and a minor (al-Sharh al-Saghir)—alongside a morphological supplement titled al-Amthila al-Jazuliyya, by Abu Ali al-Shalawbin (d. 645 AH / 1247 CE) .
- Al-Minhaj al-Jali fi Sharh al-Qanun al-Jazuli by Ibn Malik (d. 672 AH / 1274 CE) .
- Al-Badi' by Ibn Usfur al-Ishbili (d. 669 AH / 1270 CE), which was left incomplete and subsequently finished by his pupil Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Shalawbin al-Saghir .
- Al-Mabahith al-Kamiliyya (or al-Mabahith al-Kulliyya) and an accompanying supercommentary (hashiya) by 'Alam al-Din al-Lawraqi (d. 661 AH / 1263 CE), who met al-Jazuli in Tunis in 601 AH .
- Commentaries by Ibn al-Hajib (d. 646 AH / 1249 CE) , Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Nur al-Malaqi (d. 702 AH / 1302 CE) , Sa'd ibn Ahmad al-Judhami, Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Judhami (d. 723 AH), Abu al-'Abbas al-Sharishi al-Salawi, and Radi al-Din Ibrahim ibn Ja'far al-Irbili .
Modern Publication
The work was edited and published with critical commentary by Sha'ban 'Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad .
Answer updated