Sharh Alfiyyat Ibn Malik lil-Shatibi = al-Maqasid al-Shafiya
- Author died
- 790 AH
- Editions
- Institute of Scientific Research and Revival of Islamic Heritage at Umm Al-Qura University
Al-Maqasid al-Shafiya fi Sharh al-Khulasa al-Kafiya (المقاصد الشافية في شرح الخلاصة الكافية, lit. 'The Healing Objectives in Explaining the Sufficient Summary'), commonly known as Sharh Alfiyyat Ibn Malik, is an extensive Arabic grammatical commentary written by the Andalusian scholar Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi (d. 790 AH / 1388 CE) . The work is a line-by-line commentary on the famous grammatical poem al-Khulasa al-Alfiyya (widely known as the Alfiyya) composed by Ibn Malik (d. 672 AH / 1274 CE) .
Scope and Method
The book provides an exhaustive exposition of Arabic syntax (nahw) and morphology (sarf), following the thematic arrangement of Ibn Malik's Alfiyya . Rather than limiting himself to concise paraphrasing, al-Shatibi treats the poem as a comprehensive foundation for in-depth grammatical analysis, citing classical authorities, evaluating grammatical disputes, and examining the views and critiques offered by preceding commentators and linguists .
Reception and Influence
The commentary achieved notable recognition among later Maghrebi and Andalusian grammarians. The biographical scholar Ahmad Baba al-Tinbukti praised the work in Nayl al-Ibtihaj, stating that, to his knowledge, no other commentary had matched it in the depth of its research and verification .
Later scholars drew directly upon al-Shatibi's additions and analyses. The Moroccan scholar Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ghazi (d. 919 AH / 1513 CE) compiled a specialized commentary entitled Ithaf Dhawi al-Istihqaq bi-ba'd Murad al-Muradi wa-Zawa'id Abi Ishaq, combining explanations from Ibn Umm Qasim al-Muradi with the supplementary insights and distinctive rulings formulated by al-Shatibi .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of the commentary survive in several libraries, including copies in the general library collections in Rabat (under no. 6 Jallawi), the Azhar Library in Cairo (under no. 1478), and Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya .
The text has been published in multiple critical editions:
- An edition edited by Ayyad al-Thubayti, published by Maktabat Dar al-Turath in 1417 AH / 1996 CE .
- A multi-volume critical edition prepared by a team of scholars—including Abd al-Rahman ibn Sulayman al-Uthaymin, Muhammad Ibrahim al-Banna, and Abd al-Majid Qatamish—published by the Institute of Scientific Research and Revival of Islamic Heritage at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah (1428 AH / 2007 CE) .
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