Irab al-Quran al-Karim
- Author died
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- Editions
- T Dar al-Sahaba
I'rab al-Qur'an al-Karim (The Grammatical Analysis of the Noble Quran) is a contemporary collective reference work dedicated to providing a comprehensive grammatical analysis (i'rab) of the words and sentences of the Quran.
Authorship and Production
The work was authored by a team of Arabic language educators comprising 'Abdullah 'Ulwan, Muhammad Sunbul, Jad al-'Azab, Khalid al-Khawli, Sabri 'Abd al-'Azim, and Sayyid Faraj. It was published by Dar al-Sahabah li-al-Turath in Tanta, Egypt, under the direction of Abu Hudhayfah Ibrahim al-Shinnawi.
The text underwent scholarly review by specialists in Arabic grammar, including Professor Fathi al-Dabuli from the Faculty of Arabic Language at al-Azhar University, Ibrahim al-Banna, an Arabic language inspector at al-Azhar, and Muhammad al-'Abd, an Arabic language inspector at the Ministry of Education.
Purpose and Methodology
The authors conceived the book to provide a complete parsing of all words and sentences in the Quran, noting that previous classical and modern works often analyzed only selected words or structures, or mixed grammatical parsing with general commentary. The work aims to present grammar in an accessible manner tailored to university students and general educated readers, eliminating recurrent difficulties associated with the study of nahw.
The methodology of the book is characterized by several features:
- Steering clear of anomalous, rare, or strained dialectal interpretations (al-awjuh al-shadhdhah) and adhering to the standard, prevalent usage of the dialect of Quraysh.
- Avoiding theoretical disputes among grammarians by selecting the clearest and most straightforward syntactic positions.
- Connecting grammatical analysis to the core meanings and contextual objectives of the verses.
- A structured introduction defining grammatical analysis linguistically and technically, outlining historical works on the subject, and offering comprehensive models for parsing invariable elements.
- To prevent repetitive length, invariable words (mabniyyat) whose descriptions do not change across contexts—such as detached and attached pronouns—receive full parsing models in the introduction, while within the body of the Quranic text they are mentioned succinctly by name and grammatical locus (mahall i'rabi).
Reception
The work includes prefatory endorsements from prominent contemporary Egyptian linguists. Professor Mahmud Sulayman Yaqut, professor of linguistics and department head, commended the team's scholarly diligence and clarity, emphasizing its accessibility for non-specialists such as physicians, engineers, and judges alongside specialists in Arabic. Professor 'Abduh al-Rajihi, professor of linguistics at Alexandria University and member of the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo, also contributed a foreword praising the authors' effort in linking grammatical parsing with Quranic meaning and facilitating correct recitation and comprehension.
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