Amali Ibn al-Hajib
- Author died
- 646 AH
- Editions
- دار عمار
Amali Ibn al-Hajib (Arabic: أمالي ابن الحاجب) is a collection of grammatical dictations delivered by the Maliki jurist and grammarian Ibn al-Hajib (570–646 AH / 1174–1249 CE), focusing on Arabic syntax, grammatical philosophy, the parsing of Quranic verses, and the analysis of classical linguistic texts and poetry.
Composition and Title
The dictations were delivered orally to students between 609 AH and 626 AH across several cities: Cairo, Damascus (particularly at the Maliki gathering in the Umayyad Mosque), Gaza, and Jerusalem. The total corpus comprises 638 individual dictations (imla'at). Among these, 324 records specify both date and location, 7 mention the date without the location, and 283 do not specify either.
Manuscripts assign slightly varying titles to the work, including al-Amali, al-Amali li-Ibn al-Hajib, Kitab al-Amali al-Kubra, al-Amali fi al-Nahw, and al-Amali al-Nahwiyyah. Biographical works also cite it under titles such as al-Amali al-Mu'allaqah 'an Ibn al-Hajib.
Structure
The work is organized into six major sections:
- Dictations on Quranic Verses (al-Amali 'ala ayat min al-Qur'an): Comprises 139 dictations delivered between 609 AH and 625 AH (87 in Damascus, 32 in Cairo, 1 in Gaza, and 19 with unrecorded date or place). Ibn al-Hajib begins each session by citing an entire verse or a specific phrase to resolve grammatical and syntactical difficulties.
- Dictations on Passages from al-Zamakhshari's al-Mufassal (al-Amali 'ala mawadi' min kitab al-Mufassal): Contains 136 dictations delivered between 610 AH and 625 AH (72 in Damascus, 5 in Cairo, 1 in Jerusalem, 2 dated without location, and 56 unspecified). These sessions complement his written commentary al-Iydah fi Sharh al-Mufassal, offering explanations, textual critiques, parsing of complex formulations, and justifications of al-Zamakhshari's positions.
- Dictations on Grammatical Disputes (al-Amali 'ala ba'd masa'il al-khilaf bayn al-nahwiyyin): The smallest section, comprising six dictations (all with unspecified dates and locations), each introduced with the heading "Problem" (mas'alah). It examines disputes between prominent grammarians such as Sibawayh, al-Akhfash al-Awsat, al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi, Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala', and Yunus ibn Habib.
- Dictations on His Own Grammatical Treatise al-Kafiyah (al-Amali 'ala al-Kafiyah / al-Muqaddimah): Contains 97 dictations delivered between 615 AH and 626 AH (66 in Damascus, 7 in Cairo, 2 in Jerusalem, 3 dated without location, and 19 unspecified). Transcribed by students as "his saying" (qawluhu), these dictations clarify grammatical definitions, answer potential critiques, and occasionally note his revisions between earlier and later copies of the text.
- Dictations on Poetic Verses (al-Amali 'ala abyat min al-shi'r): Comprises 45 dictations delivered between 612 AH and 626 AH (12 in Damascus, 2 in Cairo, 2 dated without location, and 29 unspecified). It analyzes the syntax and meaning of verses recited before him, including 14 verses by al-Mutanabbi as well as lines by early and later poets such as 'Adi ibn Zayd, Ibn Qalaqis, and 'Amr ibn Milqat.
- Unrestricted Dictations (al-Amali al-mutlaqah): The largest division, consisting of 215 miscellaneous dictations delivered between 609 AH and 625 AH (33 in Damascus, 27 in Cairo, 1 in Jerusalem, 1 dated without location, and 153 unspecified). It covers theoretical questions of grammatical causation ('ilal), governing agents ('awamil), phonetics, morphology, dialects, and rhetoric.
Method and Sources
Unlike other amali compilations of the classical period that mixed grammar with general literature and history (such as Amali Ibn al-Shajari) or prioritized jurisprudence over grammar (such as Amali al-Suhayli), Ibn al-Hajib's Amali is oriented primarily toward syntax and parsing. The lectures usually opened with students noting "He said while dictating" (wa-qala mumliyan), though in rare cases he wrote the response directly in his own hand when answering written queries.
Ibn al-Hajib relied on Quranic readings, hadiths, Arabic poetry, proverbs, and the authoritative opinions of earlier scholars, including Sibawayh, al-Mubarrad, Abu 'Ali al-Farisi, Ibn Jinni, al-Farra', and 'Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani. His method evaluates grammatical possibilities by demonstrating the flaws in untenable readings and confirming sound ones through evidence and analogy, prioritizing transmitted usage over theoretical extrapolation while adopting an independent stance toward both the Basran and Kufan traditions.
Reception and Editions
The work was praised by classical authorities. Ibn al-Jazari remarked that Ibn al-Hajib's writings demonstrated his caliber, "especially his Amali, which reveals the immense intellect and sharp comprehension that God granted him." Al-Suyuti described it as a massive volume of utmost precision, and Ibn Farhun noted that it spanned three volumes of great benefit. It was heavily cited by subsequent grammarians and exegetes, including al-Suyuti in al-Itqan and al-Ashbah wa-l-naza'ir, Ibn Hisham al-Ansari in Mughni al-Labib, and 'Abd al-Qadir al-Baghdadi in Khizanat al-Adab.
A complete modern critical edition was prepared by Dr. Fakhr Salih Sulayman Qudarah and published in two volumes in Beirut and Amman (Dar al-Jeel and Dar 'Ammar, 1409 AH / 1989 CE). The Quranic dictations were also published separately under the title al-Amali al-Nahwiyyah (Amali al-Qur'an al-Karim), edited by Hadi Hasan Hammudi (1405 AH).
Answer updated