Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al-Madina

Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al-Madina (The Origins of the Science of Arabic in Medina) is a research monograph by the Saudi linguist Abd al-Razzaq bin Faraj al-Saidi that examines the emergence of Arabic linguistic and grammatical scholarship in Medina during the first two Islamic centuries Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1.

Background and Purpose

The work was motivated by the observation that biographical dictionaries and histories of Arabic grammar traditionally divided grammarians into Basrans, Kufans, and Baghdadis, largely neglecting Medina's role or even denying that the city produced linguistic scholarship Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1. Classical writers such as Abu al-Tayyib al-Lughawi (in Maratib al-Nahwiyyin), Yaqut al-Hamawi, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, and Ibn Yaish claimed that Medina possessed no recognized authority or distinct doctrine in Arabic grammar, while al-Jahiz and al-Asmai alleged widespread solecism (lahn) or corruption of poetic transmission in the city Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1.

In contrast, the fifth-century grammarian Ibn Burhan al-Nahwi categorized grammarians into three groups: Medinese, Kufans, and Basrans Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…. Al-Sa'idi composed the study to investigate the early beginnings of linguistic study in Medina, recover its historical figures, and trace how grammatical inquiries emerged there before spreading to other centers Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1. The author completed the work in Medina on 20 Dhu al-Hijjah 1416 AH Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al….

Structure and Contents

The author treats grammar (nahw) and lexicology (lugha) together without separating them, noting that the branches of Arabic linguistic studies were inherently intertwined during the first and second centuries AH before diverging into specialized disciplines Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al…. The work is structured into an introduction and four chapters:

• Chapter One: Factors in the Emergence of Linguistic Study (Awamil Nash'at al-Dars al-Lughawi): Traces the linguistic transition from the innate, uncorrupted speech (saliqa) of pre-Islamic Arabia to the post-conquest period during the Rashidun Caliphate in Medina. It identifies three primary catalysts for the rise of formal study: the emergence and spread of solecism (lahn), the necessity of safeguarding the text of the Quran from vocal error, and the imperative to comprehend and analyze Quranic meaning Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al….
• Chapter Two: The Originator of the Science of Arabic (Munshi' Ilm al-Arabiya): Examines the classical and modern debates surrounding the initial founder of Arabic grammar, analyzing historical reports that attribute its inception to Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali, Nasr ibn Asim, or Abd al-Rahman ibn Hurmuz al-Madani Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al….
• Chapter Three: Leading Figures of Linguistic Study in Medina in the First and Second Centuries (Min A'lam al-Dars al-Lughawi fi al-Madina fi al-Qarnayn al-Awwal wa-l-Thani): Profiles prominent scholars in early Medina who engaged in linguistic and grammatical transmission, highlighting figures such as Malik ibn Anas and his studies under Abd al-Rahman ibn Hurmuz Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1.
• Chapter Four: Manifestations of Linguistic Study in Medina (Min Mazahir al-Dars al-Lughawi fi al-Madina): Analyzes the practical and methodological expressions of linguistic interest in early Medina, including early phonetic and grammatical observations, textual corrections, and foundational concepts formulated by Medinese scholars Usul Ilm al-Arabiya fi al….