Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh Ashhar al-Nuhat

Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh Ashhar al-Nuhat (The Emergence of Grammar and the History of the Most Famous Grammarians) is a comprehensive treatise on the historiography and development of Arabic grammar by the Egyptian scholar Muhammad al-Tantawi (d. after 1358 AH / 1939 CE) Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.

Purpose and Periodization

In his preface, al-Tantawi emphasizes that Arabic grammar is essential for preserving the Quran and the Sunnah from linguistic error (lahn) and corruption, as well as serving as an indispensable foundation for all Islamic sciences Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …. The book examines the historical origins of grammar, arguing that it arose in Basra as a purely Arab endeavor prompted by the spread of linguistic errors following the early Islamic conquests Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1. He identifies Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali as the primary founder on sound historical grounds, acting upon the guidance of Ali ibn Abi Talib Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.

Al-Tantawi divides the development of grammatical scholarship into four distinct chronological stages (atwar):

1. The Stage of Establishment and Formation (Tawr al-Wad' wa-l-Takwin): Confined exclusively to the Basran school Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.
2. The Stage of Origination and Growth (Tawr al-Nushu' wa-l-Numuww): Represented jointly by the Basran and Kufan schools Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.
3. The Stage of Maturity and Perfection (Tawr al-Nuduj wa-l-Kamal): Marked by the crystallization of Basran and Kufan methodologies and their scholarly debates Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.
4. The Stage of Preference and Expansive Composition (Tawr al-Tarjih wa-l-Bast fi al-Tasnif): Encompassing subsequent regional traditions across Baghdad, al-Andalus, Egypt, and the Levant Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh ….

The author notes that these stages naturally overlap and that chronological boundaries between them represent approximate rather than definitive demarcations Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh ….

Structure and Scope

The work begins with introductory chapters addressing the causes of grammatical codification, its geographic inception in Basra, its naming, and the role played by non-Arab clients (mawali) in acquiring and developing the science Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1. It includes biographical tables and classes (tabaqat) organizing the seven generations of Basran grammarians alongside their Kufan counterparts Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …. It also highlights seminal academic debates, such as those between al-Kisa'i and Sibawayh, al-Kisa'i and al-Asma'i, and al-Mubarrad and Tha'lab Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh ….

The latter half of the book maps grammatical scholarship across different historical realms and dynasties:

• Iraq and the East: Biographies of figures such as Abu Sa'id al-Sirafi, Abu Ali al-Farisi, Ibn Jinni, al-Zamakhshari, Ibn al-Anbari, and al-Ukbari Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh ….
• Al-Andalus and the Maghreb: The reception and study of al-Kitab by Sibawayh in the Islamic West, followed by profiles of grammarians including Abu Bakr al-Zubaydi, Ibn Mada, Ibn Malik, Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati, and al-Shatibi Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.
• Egypt and the Levant: Covering scholars across the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods, such as Ibn al-Hajib, Ibn Hisham al-Ansari, Ibn Aqil, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, al-Ashmuni, and culminating with late Ottoman-era figures including Muhammad al-Sabban Nashat al-Nahw wa Tarikh …+1.

Method and Reception

In an appraisal published in Majallat al-Risala, the Azhari scholar Mahmud Mustafa commended the book as an exhaustive chronicle of the history of grammar from its beginnings through the late commentators Majallat al-Risala. He observed that al-Tantawi did not act merely as a chronicler; rather, he actively evaluated disputed questions between the Basran and Kufan schools, critically defending the Basran positions using linguistic evidence and rational justification Majallat al-Risala. Furthermore, Mustafa commended al-Tantawi's original contribution in systematically compiling the scattered opinions and influences of the Baghdadi and Andalusian/Maghrebi grammatical traditions Majallat al-Risala.