Sharh Alfiyyat Ibn Malik lil-Uthaymin
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- Sharh Alfiyyat Ibn Malik lil-Uthaymin
Sharh Alfiyyat Ibn Malik is a commentary by the Saudi scholar Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (1347–1421 AH / 1929–2001 CE) on the thousand-line grammatical poem Alfiyyat Ibn Malik by Ibn Malik (d. 672 AH / 1274 CE) . The work explains the rules of Arabic grammar and morphology through a didactic pedagogical approach .
Background and Pedagogical Purpose
In his introductory remarks, al-Uthaymin describes Arabic grammar (nahw) as an essential discipline for preserving the Arabic language and correctly understanding the Quran and the Sunnah . He illustrates how differences in grammatical case endings directly alter scriptural meaning, citing the divergent readings and vocalizations in verses such as فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ ("Wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet", Quran 5:6) and اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ ("Fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs", Quran 4:1) . He also relates the traditional historical report attributing the inception of grammar to Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali during the time of Ali ibn Abi Talib .
Methodology and Grammatical Inclination
When addressing disputes between the grammatical schools of Basra and Kufa, al-Uthaymin outlines the divergence between the strict rule-bound systematization of the Basran grammarians, led by Sibawayh, and the more lenient approach of the Kufans, represented by al-Kisa'i . He explicitly articulates a preference for the Kufan positions over the Basran ones because of their relative ease and lack of theoretical complexity . In doing so, he establishes a methodological rule for students: whenever the two schools differ on a grammatical point, one may adopt the easier option, arguing that grammatical rules are not sacred legal mandates (umur shar'iyyah) and that selecting dispensations (tatabbu' al-rukhas) in linguistic matters is permissible without fault .
Audio Recordings and Formats
The commentary was originally delivered as spoken pedagogical lectures and recorded on audio cassettes in two distinct editions: an older, extensive series consisting of 62 tapes, and a newer, condensed series recorded across 29 tapes . These lessons were later transcribed and printed as a multi-volume textual commentary .
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