al-Shifa fi Badi al-Iktifa
- Author died
- 859 AH
- Editions
- Dār Maktabat al-Ḥayāh
al-Shifa fi Badi al-Iktifa (The Cure Concerning the Novel Rhetoric of Sufficiency) is a specialized treatise on Arabic rhetoric and poetics by the Egyptian man of letters and scholar Shams al-Din al-Nawaji (788–859 AH / 1386–1455 CE; also reported as born after 785 AH) . The work focuses on al-iktifa (the rhetorical device of ellipsis or sufficiency, where an unstated phrase or word is omitted because the remaining context makes its meaning evident) within the science of badi (rhetorical embellishment) . In some biographical and bibliographical entries, it is recorded under the extended title al-Shifa fi Badi al-Iktifa fi Madih al-Mustafa .
Purpose and Subject
In his introduction, al-Nawaji notes that scattered examples of iktifa were dispersed across literary anthologies and treatises without having been gathered into an integrated study . He composed two opening verses of poetry highlighting the aesthetic appeal of the figure and explaining that he designed the monograph to define its boundaries, clarify its relationship to related rhetorical concepts, and demonstrate its presence in sacred and classical texts .
Structure and Contents
Al-Nawaji organized the treatise into three core chapters (abwab):
- Chapter One: On its Definition and Description (fi haddihi wa-rasmih): Al-Nawaji evaluates early formulations of iktifa, opening with the definition formulated by Ibn Rashiq al-Qayrawani that iktifa occurs when the existing phrasing points directly to the omitted element . He examines the critique leveled by Badr al-Din ibn al-Sahib—following Safi al-Din al-Hilli—who argued that Ibn Rashiq's formula conflates iktifa with ijaz al-hadhf (concision through ellipsis) . Al-Nawaji refines the definition, establishing that iktifa is the act of deleting a portion of speech and relying on textual clues for its comprehension rather than the mere indication itself .
- Chapter Two: On its Occurrence in the Holy Qur'an, the Hadith, and Arabic Speech (fi wuqu'ihi fi al-Qur'an al-Karim wa-hadithi Nabiyyihi wa-kalam al-Arab): This section addresses scriptural and literary citations . Al-Nawaji responds to debates regarding whether Quranic ellipses constitute ijaz or iktifa, asserting that iktifa is a subcategory of ijaz governed by explicit textual indications (dalalah lafziyyah) rather than solely rational inferences (dalalah aqliyyah) . He analyzes passages cited by commentators such as al-Baghawi and rhetoricians like al-Sakkaki, alongside pre-Islamic and early Arabic verse .
- Chapter Three: On its Subdivisions and Examples (fi aqsamihi wa-amthilatih): Al-Nawaji divides the device into six structural categories, distinguishing between omissions of entire words versus parts of words, omissions paired with tawriyah (double entendre) versus those free of it, and instances where the omission affects meter and rhyme across single or double verses .
Editions
The text was edited and reviewed by Dr. Mahmud Hasan Abu Naji and published in Beirut by Dar Maktabat al-Hayat (1403 AH / 1992 CE) .
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