Nataij al-Fikr fi al-Nahw
- Author died
- 581 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmīyah
Nataij al-Fikr fi al-Nahw (Results of Thought in Grammar) is a treatise on Arabic grammatical theory, underlying linguistic causes (ilal al-nahw), and rhetorical subtleties by the Andalusian scholar Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli (508–581 AH / 1114–1185 CE) .
Structure and Composition
The book opens with the phrase, "With the praise of God we begin our discourse" (bi-hamd Allah naftatihu kalamana) . In his introduction, al-Suhayli states that the study of Arabic desinential inflection (i'rab) serves as an ascending ladder toward understanding the sciences of the Quran (mirqat ila 'ulum al-kitab) . He organized the chapters following the arrangement of Abu al-Qasim al-Zajjaji's Kitab al-Jumal, explaining that he chose this layout because students and scholars were widely drawn and accustomed to that text .
Methodology and Content
Rather than merely presenting elementary grammatical rules, the work investigates the underlying rationales (ilal) governing grammatical behaviour, morphological forms, and syntactic structures . It incorporates extensive reflections on Quranic rhetoric, semantic distinctions, and exegetical subtleties (tafsir) alongside technical grammatical analysis .
Al-Suhayli frequently poses analytical questions concerning Quranic phrasing—such as examining the grammatical and rhetorical purpose of using apposition (badal) in the supplication اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (Guide us to the straight path), the morphological derivation of terms like al-sirat, and the wisdom behind particular definiteness and syntactic selections across various chapters of the Quran .
Influence and Reception
The book became an important source of grammatical and semantic deductions for later scholars. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya drew extensively from the work in his Bada'i' al-Fawa'id, quoting numerous analyses, linguistic observations, and grammatical reasoning from al-Suhayli .
Editions
The work has been edited by Muhammad Ibrahim al-Banna and published by Dar al-Riyad in Riyadh . Another single-volume edition was published in Beirut by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya in 1412 AH / 1992 CE .
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