Safar al-Saada wa Safir al-Ifada
- Author died
- 643 AH
- Editions
- Dar Sadir
Safar al-Saada wa Safir al-Ifada (The Journey of Felicity and the Emissary of Benefit) is a major linguistic and grammatical work authored by the Egyptian-Damascene scholar Alam al-Din al-Sakhawi (558–643 AH / 1163–1245 CE) . The book treats Arabic grammar, morphology, lexicography, and morphological structures (abniya) .
Subject, Structure, and Method
In his prologue, al-Sakhawi states that he composed the book to explain the meanings of grammatical paradigms, elucidate problematic morphological constructions, incorporate scholarly debates and treasures of earlier authorities, and arrange the morphological forms alphabetically . The treatise begins with the chapter on the letter hamza (Bab al-Hamza), opening with a linguistic analysis of the Divine Name (Allah), citing early grammarians such as Sibawayh and al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi .
Al-Sakhawi concluded the text with a didactic poem on homonyms—words identical in pronunciation but distinct in meaning (ma ittafaqa lafzuhu wa-khtalafa ma'nahu)—titled Dhat al-Hulal wa-Mahat al-Kulal . The poem comprises 243 verses, beginning with the praise of God and an invocation for divine aid .
Reception and Transmission
The book was described by Salah al-Din al-Safadi as a work offering immense benefit in the Arabic language . The traditionist Salah al-Din al-Ala'i characterized it as a precious volume encompassing language, grammar, morphology, and literary riddles .
Surviving transmission certificates record that the author taught and read the text directly to students in Damascus . An audition session concluded on 8 Jumada al-Akhira 635 AH at the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus before an audience that included Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Fazari and other scholars . Another reading of the entire work was completed before al-Sakhawi on 11 Shawwal 638 AH at his residence near the cemetery of Sawtakin at the foot of Mount Qasiyun .
Modern Academic Study and Editions
The text was edited by Ahmad ibn Abd al-Majid Hurayri as a doctoral dissertation at Cairo University in 1978 . It was also edited by Muhammad Ahmad al-Dali as a master's thesis at Damascus University in 1402 AH, and subsequently published by the Arab Academy of Damascus in 1403 AH (1983 CE) in three volumes, the last of which is dedicated to indexes . A second edition of al-Dali's critical edition was published by Dar Sadir in Beirut in 1415 AH .
Answer updated