Author’s Preface

كَلِمَةُ الْمُؤَلِّفِ

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

All praise is for Allah, in whose hand is the changing of circumstances and the lightening of actions. Blessings and peace be upon the leader of those who guide toward the finest deeds, and upon his family and Companions, who resemble him in qualities and actions.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ تَصْرِيفُ الْأَحْوَالِ، وَتَخْفِيفُ الْأَفْعَالِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى سَيِّدِ الْهَادِينَ إِلَى مَحَاسِنِ الْأَفْعَالِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الْمُضَارِعِينَ - الْمُشَابِهِينَ - لَهُ فِي الصِّفَاتِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ.

To proceed: the servant sincerely devoted to the Presence of the Self-Sufficient Lord, and holding fast to the protection of the Chief of the Prophets ﷺ, “Muḥammad ʿInāyat Aḥmad”, may the One forgive him, says: this is a treatise on the science of morphology. I composed it on the island of “Andaman” for the kind and virtuous, the possessor of excellent qualities, Ḥāfiẓ “Wazīr ʿAlī”. My arrival on that island was among the workings of the power of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, and at that time I did not have with me any book from any discipline.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَقُولُ الْعَبْدُ الْمُخْلِصُ لِحَضْرَةِ الرَّبِّ الصَّمَدِ، وَالْمُعْتَصِمُ بِذَيْلِ سَيِّدِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ﷺ «مُحَمَّدُ عِنَايَةُ أَحْمَدَ» - غَفَرَ لَهُ الْأَحَدُ -: إِنَّ هَذِهِ رِسَالَةٌ فِي عِلْمِ الصَّرْفِ، صَنَّفْتُهَا بِجَزِيرَةِ «إِنْدُومَان» لِلشَّفِيقِ الْحَسَنِ جَامِعِ الْمَحَاسِنِ الْحَافِظِ «وَزِيرِ عَلِيٍّ»، وَوُرُودِي فِي تِلْكَ الْجَزِيرَةِ كَانَ مِنْ صَنَائِعِ قُدْرَةِ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ حِينَئِذٍ عِنْدِي أَيُّ فَنٍّ مِنْ كِتَابٍ.

I wrote it according to a method that would take the place of Mīzān, Munshaʿib, Panj Ganj, Zubdah, and Ṣarf Mīr, while also containing other useful points. May Allah benefit the students through it, and grant them and me the ability to follow the Sunnah of the Chief of the Messengers, may Allah bless him and all his family.

وَكَتَبْتُهَا عَلَى نَهْجٍ تَقُومُ مَقَامَ «مِيزَانَ» وَ«مُنْشَعِبٍ» وَ«پَنْجِ گَنْجٍ» وَ«زُبْدَةٍ» وَ«صَرْفِ مِيرٍ»، وَتَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى فَوَائِدَ أُخْرَى، نَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا الطَّالِبِينَ، وَرَزَقَهُمْ وَإِيَّايَ اتِّبَاعَ سُنَّةِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ.

It comprises an introduction, four chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction concerns the division of the word and its categories.

وَهِيَ تَحْتَوِي عَلَى مُقَدِّمَةٍ وَأَرْبَعَةِ أَبْوَابٍ وَخَاتِمَةٍ، فَالْمُقَدِّمَةُ فِي تَقْسِيمِ الْكَلِمَةِ وَأَقْسَامِهَا.