Rasa'il fi al-Lugha (Rasa'il Ibn al-Sayyid al-Batalyawsi)
- Author died
- 521 AH
- Editions
- King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies
Rasa'il fi al-Lugha (Treatises on Language), also known by its original title al-Masa'il wa-l-Ajwiba (Questions and Answers), is a collection of grammatical, lexical, and critical treatises by the Andalusian philologist Ibn al-Sayyid al-Batalyawsi (444–521 AH / 1052–1127 CE) .
Composition and Scope
The work comprises a compilation of responsa and specialized treatises written by Ibn al-Sayyid in response to linguistic queries and scholarly challenges addressed to him . In the opening of the text, the author noted that he named it Kitab al-Masa'il wa-l-Ajwiba, gathering replies to inquiries that ranged from sincere requests for clarification to polemical tests posed by contemporaries .
The collection addresses diverse topics in Arabic grammar, morphology, semantics, orthography, and literary polemics . Among the specific treatises included in the collection are:
- A treatise responding to the objections leveled by Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi against Ibn al-Sayyid's commentary on the poetry of Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri .
- A discussion on the semantic and philosophical problem of the distinction between the name and the named (al-farq bayn al-ism wa-l-musamma) .
- A treatise investigating the medicinal term habb al-muluk, refuting an alternative vocalization and analyzing its derivation and inflection .
- A syntactic study detailing the distinctions and governing rules between the adjective (al-na't), the explicative appositive ('atf al-bayan), and the grammatical substitute (al-badal) .
- Analyses of ambiguous and contested poetic verses, including verses by al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani .
- A morphological inquiry on whether the plural form ummahat derives from umm or an alternate singular form, and the morphological nature of the infix ha' .
- An investigation validating the syntactic conjunction of the prayer upon the Prophet (tasliya) with the opening formula (basmala) in epistolary writing, answering the grammatical objections of contemporary grammarians .
Transmission and Titles
Biographers and bibliographers cited the collection under various descriptive titles . Ibn Khayr al-Ishbili listed it in his catalogue as Kitab fihi Masa'il fi al-Arabiyya wa-Ghayriha (A Book Containing Issues in Arabic and Other Subjects), noting specific entries such as Mas'alat Sahnun, Mas'alat al-Tashmit, and the differences among grammatical dependents . Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti referred to it in Bughyat al-Wu'ah as al-Masa'il al-Manshurah fi al-Nahw, while Ibn Qadi Shuhba cited it as Masa'il Manshurah Mashhurah Gharibah .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of the work have survived in several repositories, including the library of El Escorial (MS 1518, cataloged under al-Masa'il wa-l-Ajwiba) and the al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fes (MS 1240, under the title Kitab al-As'ila) .
The collection was edited and published under the title Rasa'il fi al-Lugha by Ibrahim al-Samarra'i in Baghdad (1383 AH / 1964 CE) using a manuscript copied in 1299 AH . It was subsequently edited by Walid Muhammad al-Sarraqibi and published by the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh (1428 AH) .
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