Sharh al-Fasih li-Ibn Hisham al-Lakhmi
- Author died
- 577 AH
- Editions
- Dr. Mahdī ‘Ubayd Jāsim
Sharh al-Fasih is an Arabic philological commentary by the Andalusian grammarian and lexicographer Ibn Hisham al-Lakhmi (d. 577 AH / 1181–1182 CE), written to explain and critique Kitab al-Fasih by Tha'lab (d. 291 AH / 904 CE) .
Composition and Purpose
Ibn Hisham al-Lakhmi received Kitab al-Fasih through an authoritative transmission chain via his teacher Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi . In the introduction to his commentary, al-Lakhmi states that he composed the book in response to an interlocutor's request to clarify the difficult vocabulary (al-alfaz al-mushkila) and obscure expressions (al-ma'ani al-muqfala) in al-Fasih, as well as to point out its errors and oversights based on sound transmissions .
He justified writing a new commentary by critiquing earlier commentators of al-Fasih, remarking that most of his predecessors had failed to provide comprehensive explanations, offering only piecemeal remarks and neglecting points that were essential to elucidate, especially for beginner students .
Method and Content
Al-Lakhmi designed the work to cover every letter and obscure meaning in al-Fasih across its various chapters, focusing on core semantic definitions and grammatical parsing (i'rab) while striving for conciseness and brevity rather than excessive length . The commentary addresses linguistic vocalization, grammatical forms, morphological inflections, and lexical distinctions, frequently referencing classical Arabic usage and grammatical standards .
Transmission and Reception
The writings of Ibn Hisham al-Lakhmi, including his commentary on al-Fasih, were transmitted by his student Abu al-Abid ibn Ghazi al-Sabti (also cited as Abu Abd Allah ibn al-Ghazi) . Later lexicographers and commentators regularly consulted and cited the work; Murtada al-Zabidi, for example, cited al-Lakhmi's vocalizations and grammatical preferences in Taj al-Arus . The book was also documented among the major commentaries on al-Fasih by bibliographers such as Haji Khalifa in Kashf al-Zunun, who noted variant biographical dates for the author (placing his death around 600 AH or noting he was alive in 557 AH, alongside the standard date of 577 AH) .
Modern Editions
The work has been edited and published in modern scholarship:
- An edition prepared by Dr. Mahdi Ubayd Jasim, published by the Ministry of Culture and Information in Baghdad in 1409 AH / 1988 CE .
- A critical edition prepared by Dr. Abd al-Karim Awfi as a doctoral dissertation submitted to the University of Algiers in 1993 CE .
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